Hello, everyone! Bandit here, Cats Haven's shelter manager. Gosh, I can't believe it's been over a month since I
blogged the last time. I am really sorry for being out of touch so long, but not only has the new school year started here
at the shelter (more on that in a moment), but I've been sick with a bad sinus infection. As most of you know, I have a bit
of a sinus problem after being left in a damp and moldy garage for so long, and I got sick a couple of weeks ago. Thanks to
Barb and a bunch of antibiotics, though, I'm feeling much better. I gotta say that Lady Gwen did a great job of taking over
while I was under the weather. She's "all that and a bag of chips!"
Life here at the shelter
has been busy as usual . . . kitties coming in, kitties going out. I might have mentioned before that Cats Haven has a great
relationship with both IndyFeral and the Humane Society of Indianapolis. We've been helping IndyFeral with little tiny baby
feral kittens (awwww . . . they're so cute), getting them healthy and tamed down so they can go to the Humane Society to be
adopted! Of course, we still have lots of cats and kittens here for adoption, but the Humane Society has a great adoption
program and the kitties get a lot of great exposure there. We're also still working with Harrison College, getting some of
our youngsters spayed and neutered as part of their vet tech program. Hey, guys. We still need baby food (that stuff in jars
. . . chicken, turkey, ham, or veal), paper plates, and baby wipes for these little ones. Barb and I really love being able
to work with other shelters and agencies like this because we're all doing this for the kitties. We also love all of our volunteers
who come to the shelter and help get some of these feral hooligan babies tamed down!! A big thank you goes out to everyone
who has helped to socialize these hissy-spitty kids!
Oh, I've got big news about some new kitten school stuff!! I've
started a whole new educational program here called CHAT . . . Cats Haven Arts and Technology! We're still teaching most of
the same classes, like "Staring at Nothing 101" and "Inappropriate Grooming When Company Comes for Dinner,"
but I'm also adding new classes like "Helping with the Computer - Stepping on the Enter Key" and "The Art of
Scratching Litter - Sand Castles in Your Box." I think these classes will help round out our already comprehensive curriculum,
and make our cats and kittens a lot more adoptable. And it lets our kittens explore their creative side. If you have any ideas
for either art or technology classes that we should offer, just email me at bandit_the_puddytat@gmail.com. I'm always open
for suggestions!
We've got all kinds of cool stuff coming up, and I hope to see you all at some point over the next
few months. On October 10th, we'll be at Broad Ripple Park for the Paws in the Park adoption event! This is such a fun day
. . . I got to go to this last year, and I chased two Chihuahuas around the park until my foster mom caught me. It was GREAT!
LOL!! I don't think I'll be invited back this year. And then on Friday, October 16th and *maybe* October 17th (depending on
how many reservations we get), we're doing another fund raiser at The Luxor, Fountain Square's fantastic middle Eastern restaurant.
Like we did last spring, there will be a set menu of wonderful food, bottomless tea, coffee, or soft drinks, and lots of really
cool belly dancing, all for one price! Our good friend Fatum who ownsThe Luxor will donate a nice percentage of each dinner
sold to Cats Haven. I gotta tell you, we had a blast last February when we did this. So don't miss it this time! To make your
reservations, call 687-9220. And then there's the Indy Cat Club's annual October cat show at the Fairgrounds on October 31
and November 1. Thanks, Indy Cat Club, for donating our space again this year. OH!! And then we've got two events at the same
time in November, and we're gonna need some help. We're gonna be at the Christmas Gift and Hobby Show at the Fairgrounds on
November 12th through the 15th, AND we're also gonna be at the Great Indy Pet Expo also at the Fairgrounds on November 14th
and 15th! Two events the same week and weekend . . . we'll need volunteers to help at both events, so my friend The Other
Sue will be in touch next month. And we're currently planning an event in either late November or Early December called Stuff
the Truck where we'll be at a specific location to take donations of food, litter, and supplies! More on that one as we get
it planned! Check out the calendar over the next few days for new events and volunteer opportunities!
Wow, I've just
gone on and on and on, haven't I? I'll try not to wait so long to blog next time!! It looks like Lady Gwen wants to get on
the computer and check her MyWhiskers page, so I better sign off now. Have a grrrr-eat week, everyone! Come by and see me,
if you get a chance! You all are more than welcome to sit in on any of my new CHAT classes! You, too, can learn the art of
making sand castles in your litter box! - Bandit the Puddytat
