Kitten Palooza!

The New York City Feral Cat Initiative, a program of the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals, presents Kitten Palooza!, a series of workshops sponsored by PetSmart Charities:

Bottle Feeding & Care of Orphaned Kittens
Tuesday, April 6, or Thursday, May 6, 2010 (choose one)
6:30-9:30 p.m.
ASPCA, 424 East 92nd Street (between 1st and York Avenues), 5th Floor, Manhattan

Kitten Palooza! is a series of workshops on working with kittens as part of Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) projects. In this workshop, learn the skills needed to successfully bottle-feed and care for orphaned kittens. This workshop will cover which equipment and formula get the best results, bottle-feeding techniques, and all stages of kitten care.

Instructors: Dr. Tina Waltke, Manhattan Cat Specialists; Valerie Sicignano, NYC Feral Cat Initiative; and Iris Lugo, Animal Care & Control of NYC

Socializing Feral Kittens
Sunday, April 11, or Saturday, May 8, 2010 (choose one)
1:00-4:00 p.m.
ASPCA, 424 East 92nd Street (between 1st and York Avenues), 5th Floor, Manhattan

Kitten Palooza! is a series of workshops on working with kittens as part of Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) projects. In this workshop, learn the process of socializing (taming) young feral kittens into adoptable pets. Features a screening of the Urban Cat League DVD, Tough Love: Socializing Feral Kittens, and kitten trapping techniques.

Instructors: Mike Phillips, Urban Cat League; Valerie Sicignano, NYC Feral Cat Initiative; and Nancy Alusik, KittyKind

RegistrationThere is no fee to attend the Kitten Palooza! workshops, but advance registration is required. To request a spot, send an e-mail with the name and date of the workshop(s) you wish to attend, your first and last name, organization (if applicable), phone number, and borough, with the name/date of the workshop in the subject line to events@NYCFeralCat.org. Only those who are awarded a spot will receive a reply. If you do not receive a reply, it means we could not fit you in. A limited number of spots are available. Spots are non-transferable -- if you need to cancel, you can not give your spot away; it will go to the next person on the list.

More Information
E-mail: events@NYCFeralCat.org
Web: www.NYCFeralCat.org/kittenpalooza
Facebook: Become a Fan!

Spread the Word!
Want to spread the word about Kitten Palooza! to other feral cat caretakers? Click here, scroll down and click the 'forward this email' button!

A free pet event and you can win prizes!

What:  A gallery show featuring Pet Photographer Jim Dratfield

Where:  Taj -- 48 West 21st Street between 5th and 6th Avenue

When:  Friday, March 26 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Jim Dratfield's Petography® specializes in fine art photography of pets and people with their pets.  Jim has done photo commissions for the likes of Jennifer Aniston, Charlize Theron, Bebe Neuwirth, Henry Kissinger, Billy Joel and Elton John.  Jim is the author of nine books and his tenth book Pugnation: The Bark is Back!, comes out in October.  His work has been featured on ABC's 20/20, The View, Oprah's O. Magazine, Instyle and Town & Country.


In addition, we will use this opportunity to raise money for a worthy cause, Animal Care & Control of New York City.

Animal Care & Control rescues over 43,000 animals each year, making the organization the largest pet rescue and adoption agency in the North East.  Since 1995, the not-for-profit organization has been responsible for New York City's municipal shelter system, caring for rescued animals and finding loving homes for homeless, injured, neglected, abused and abandoned animals in all five boroughs of New York City.




Admission for this event will be free.  Helping with our fund raising efforts will be the elegant and glamorous ladies of TOW (Tall Outstanding Women) who will be present all night long selling raffle tickets.  Minimum height requirement for group members is six feet!


Prizes include: 




*A 3 day/2 night all-inclusive stay at Cove Haven Entertainment Resorts Value: $1,031!

covepoconoresorts.com




*A gift certificate to Henri Bendel, New York's legendary Fifth Avenue boutique Value: $300!


*Two tickets to LOVE, LOSS AND WHAT I WORE, on Broadway courtesy of Bernadette Peters, renowned Broadway star and animal advocate. Value: $250!




*A book autographed by Jim Dratfield, (Not sure what it's worth but it's a great book!)





*Time spent with other group members...PRICELESS!




For further details on this very special event, email


 AndyfTroy@aol.com or call 917-754-4329. 




See you there!

Links to event and to RSVP:  
http://socialnetwork.meetup.com/6/calendar/12676963/

http://www.tastingnyc.com/index.php?p=event

And the winner is...

A hearty thank you to everyone who submitted a Furry Valentine, and everyone who voted!

The winner of the beautiful faux fur cat bed is: Hermes, the kissing kitty!

The winner of the adorable embroidered dog mat is: Howie the heart stealer!

Second runner up in the cat section is the handsome Hossifer Jones:

Second runner up in the dog section is the wiener of my heart, Theo:

Congratulations to our Winners!!  Prizes will be shipped via USPS.  And don't forget!  There's another adoption event this Saturday at Pet Health on the corner of 81st and Amsterdam from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m..  Just because Valentines Day is over doesn't mean it's too late to get your own little bundle of love.

Opt to Adopt!

I hope he's the wiener

Candidate: Theo.

This is where my vote is!  But I'm biased because that guy is my very own Theo.  He was rescued from an Amish puppy mill by Best Friends and I adopted him through Pets Alive.  It was love at first sight.  My husband and I weren't planning on getting another, were sure we couldn't handle another, but I was volunteering one day and another volunteer said, "Could you hold him for a minute?"  The next thing I knew there was a small brown bundle of fur in my arms, a bundle with long silky ears, and then the bundle burrowed his long cold nose into my neck and our fates were sealed.

Theo is demanding and needy, he communicates with his urine and he refuses to let me brush him.  But whenever I sit still, he finds my lap and curls up in it.  And if I stroke his ears just so, he'll fall asleep.  And when he falls asleep he kicks his legs, running in his sleep, and he grunts and growls and barks, so I lay a hand on his chest and he heaves a big sigh and is quiet.  That is when he breaks my heart all over again.  I love him so.

***

We're getting close to the line for submissions but you still have time!  If you'd like to submit your Furry Valentine, send a photo and a brief description to info@atailatatime.org.  Submissions will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, February 14th, 2010.  To see the other contestants so far, click here, here, and here.  Vote for your favorite by emailing vote@atailatatime.org.  To see the prizes click here and for the rules of the game click here.

And remember, the bake sale and adoption event are tomorrow at Petqua!  Come one, come all!  Buy home-made pies with made-from-scratch pie crusts or a batch of fresh-baked vegan cookies for your human Valentine.  We'll also have chocolate chip cookies, brownies, cinnamon roll cookies and much more!  All of the proceeds go towards saving the lives of NYC's homeless animals.

Opt to adopt!

Over-flowing with Furry Valentine's!

Today's third contestant is a dog!  Meet Howard:

Howard's family says:

After years of planning to adopt a dog and carefully choosing the gender, (we wanted female) and breed, (we wanted a pug) we ended up being adopted by Howard, a chocolate lab and basset hound mix, at a local shelter adoption event. 

He stole our hearts with his short little legs and that bow out in the middle and his utter devotion to the family.  Howie even has a middle name -- Alvin!  He knows dozens of tricks and is currently in training to become a therapy dog.  He will graduate in March!  He's 6 years old now and maintains a strict 9 p.m. bedtime.  As you can see he also enjoys wearing jewelry around and doesn't mind being dressed up either!  Howie is certainly the 3rd child in our family.

And next we have Hermes:

His human companion says:

Hermes is my furry valentine because he loves to kiss! He is warm and sometimes seems like half siamese, half bear because he has thick fur and very large paws! He loves company and will snuggle up on our bed every night. Wherever his brother, Claudius, is asleep he'll snuggle up to him too so that they turn into one big furry pool of cat, and you can't tell one from the other. 

Submit your Furry Valentine by emailing info@atailatatime.org and vote for your favorite by emailing vote@atailatatime.org.  For contest rules click here, to see the prizes click here.

Opt to Adopt!

More Furry Valentine contestants!

Welcome to Part 1 of today's Furry Valentine contestant post!  Click here to see yesterday's contestants.

Our first Furry Valentine today is Fudge Monkee:

Fudge Munkee's human companion says:

This is Fudge Munkee, a portly 3 year old cat who I rescued from a bad situation. We didn't like each other much at first-well for a long time really, but we eventually saw eye to eye and now we're inseparable. Munkee has an adorable bad habit of wanting to sample everything I'm eating, but she makes up for it in her superb cuddling skills. We're best friends to the end!

Our second contestant is Milo:

Milo's human companion says:

Milo is a 2 1/2 year old seal point siamese cat and the greatest pet.  He has so much personality - which is fantastic for me as I live in a studio apartment alone in NYC.  He greets me at the door, "talks" to me when he wants attention or to play, and is insanely smart.  He LOVES fruit... specifically mangoes.  My favorite part of the day is when  he curls up on the pillow next to me when it's time for bed.  He's not an "on top of you" cuddler, but he stretches one paw out until it touches my shoulder or arm as if to say, "I just want to know you're there."

What awesome contestants!! I know I'm going to have a hard time picking a favorite.  If you haven't yet looked at yesterday's contestants, click here.  To submit your own pet, email a photo and a brief description to info@atailatatime.org.  To vote for your favorite, email vote@atailatatime.org.  For contest rules click here, to see the prizes click here.

Opt to Adopt!

This Saturday!!

You're invited to our Adoption Event and Bake Sale!!

Click image for larger view

Date:  Saturday, February 13, 2010
Time: 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Place:  Petqua Pet Store, 2604 Broadway between 98th and 99th Streets.

We're going to be selling chocolate chip cookies, cinnamon roll cookies, vegan ginger cookies, a variety of pies, truffles and brownies.  Come hungry and leave happy.  All proceeds will be used 100% to help save NYC's homeless animals.  For more information visit www.atailatatime.org or email info@atailatatime.

Opt to Adopt!

Furry Valentine Candidates!!

Today's first Furry Valentine candidate comes to you with a lovely haiku:

endless emerald pools

soft striped wool purring deeply

Princess Leia love

Our second contestant today is Hoss:

This is Hossifer Jones (Hoss for short), and he is the most amazing soul on the planet - the mold was broken when this kitty was made 6 years ago! Hoss is an excellent cuddler, and has the most soothing purr. When snuggling, he pulls his claws in, reaches up to my face and literally pets me back while staring at me lovingly with his big green eyes. He let's me hug, kiss and smoosh him and always acts happy to see me. He is the softest prettiest kitty in the world, and has inspired me to change my life and study veterinary technology. He also inspired me to be a vegetarian, and helped me to realize the undeniable sentience of all animals! Hoss has been through a lot this past year - he lost his sister Bella (whom he had never been a moment apart from) a year ago to a congenital heart defect, and then his older brother Cashmere in November to renal failure - that's a lot for a kitty with such a big heart, but he is a survivor. He is now a big brother to young Apache, and what a grand role model he is!

Erica H. 

Submit a candidate by emailing info@atailatatime.org and vote for your favorite by emailing vote@atailatatime.org.  For contest rules click here, to see the prizes click here.

Opt to Adopt!

Prizes!!

Tracey finished hand-making the prizes for A Tail's Furry Valentine contest!! I think you'll love them.

This hand-made dog mat is made of fleece, with embroidered dogs and the word "Arf!"  It has a comfy poly nu-foam center, is machine washable and should be hung to dry.




This adorable cat bed is reversible!  One side is black faux-fur and the other is a cute cotton print.  It has a comfy poly nu-foam center, is machine washable and should be hung to dry.

Each bed has a market value of $25.00 but we're giving them away if you win the Furry Valentine contest.  Submit a photo of your cat or dog and a few lines about why they're the best Valentine ever and  the public will vote for their favorite.  Furry Valentine pics and stories will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. on February 14th, 2010 and should be sent to info@atailatatime.org.  Vote for your favorite Furry Valentine by emailing vote@atailatatime.org.

Good luck!

Furry Valentine

My best friend, my Valentine. Adopted from a Los Angeles shelter in December 2005, we named her Valentine after a character in one of our favorite books. She's some kind of mutt; we're guessing Chihuahua/Terrier/Gremlin. Instead of licking us she puts her forelegs around our necks and nibbles the ends of our noses. She knows how to sit and stay, walk at a heel, fetch, dance in circles and if we make our hand into a gun and yell bang! she falls over dead. She'll do anything for a belly rub.

This month, in honor of Valentine's Day, A Tail At A Time is doing something really fun. Do you have a four-legged best friend who's photo graces the wallpaper on your desktop? Are you the type of person who whips out your cell phone to show your date pictures of your pet? Do you rush home at the end of a long day with visions of a perfect evening spent curled up with someone warm and purring? Or maybe your warm someone snarfles rather than purrs. Either way. We want to hear about it.

Write a few short lines about your cat or dog and send us photos! We will post your Furry Valentine on our website and the public will vote on their favorite. Furry Valentine pics and stories will be accepted until 11:59 pm February 14th, 2010 and should be sent to info@atailatatime.org. Vote for your favorite Furry Valentine by emailing furryvalentine@atailatatime.org. The winner will be announced on February 16, 2010 and will receive a Valentine catnip bed or dog mat and a toy*.


*The Valentine catnip bed is being hand-made by one of A Tail's co-founders, Tracey. Check out her website to see the other beautiful things she designs! As soon as the bed is made, she'll post photos of it on the website and I'll post them here. Hoorah for handmade pet beds!