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SPRING 2016 “If This Was a Movie” Cat-Ification: VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT Denise Wiemer PAGE 2 KC’S COLUMN TCH elder, KC, shares his wisdom. Kimberly by © Essence in a Flash McCarty PAGE 3 THE CAT HOUSE FEATURED CATS Dumpling & Simply Red PAGE 5 VOLUMEScoop NO. 16 | ISSUE NO. 1 | SPRING 2016 “If this was a movie” Cat-ification: ... it could hardly Enhancing your cat’s have a better ending environment ADOPTION FACILITY By Mindy Peck By Ann Adams 3633 “O” Street Meet Tilty, a 10-year-old, purebred Scottish Is your house a cat house? Your home is surely Lincoln, NE Fold. She is a beauty with long, soft fur and a reflection of your own personal style, but Tuesdays & Thursdays 6–8 pm the signature “smushed” nose of her breed. have you considered your cat’s style? Cats are Sundays 1:30–4 pm Both made her a perpetual draw for visitors to climbers, perchers, and players that crave a TCH. But every time someone adopted her or space of their own. Cat trees have been around PO Box 23145 took her home as a foster, she wound up back forever, but not everyone has the money or space Lincoln, NE 68542 at TCH. Tilty spent half of her life in and out for such a large piece of cat furniture. Luckily, Hotline: 402-441-9593 of TCH. You see, Tilty is a special kitty that there are a variety of options to accommodate [email protected] requires special medical attention and can only the environmental needs of you and your cat. www.thecathouse.org thrive in a truly special home. A happy home is one in which both form and function meet to create an esthetic of comfort facebook.com/thecathouse and delight. It is pleasing to the eye as well as the BOARD MEMBERS body. Cats are like people in that they need to feel Faye Stevens President safe, secure, and engaged by their surroundings. Julie Dahlke Treasurer Surely your cat has a favorite window in your Jeanné Lillich Recording Secretary home where it likes to spend hours performing Belinda Gillam Director its neighborhood watch duties. The addition of a window perch will make the location even Suzie Meierdierks Director more enjoyable for your feline roomie. Window Alma Vlasak Director perches come in a variety of styles and can add a Laura Wong Director touch of comfort to your cat’s favorite sun spot. Placing a bird feeder outside the window will The Cat House is a 501(c)(3) stimulate your cat’s mind and keep boredom non-profit, all-volunteer from setting in. organization, funded entirely by continued on page 7 continued on page 6 donations and adoption fees. Volunteer Volunteer Spotlight: Denise Wiemer Opportunities By Jeff Kennedy There once was a big furry black cat named with cats. She has been on a cleaning and The Cat House has a very hard-working Charlie. It is unknown where Charlie came feeding shift, worked open hours, and helped and dedicated crew of volunteers from, who the person with Cat Love Therapy, a program where committed to improving the was that decided volunteers take shelter cats to assisted living lives of cats in Lincoln and the to abandon him, or facilities to cheer residents. Denise was great surrounding area. why the person felt at her volunteer tasks—trustworthy, detailed, If you are interested in helping, you it was necessary to and understanding. can fill out a volunteer application make that decision. When Charlie went to live with Denise, online at www.thecathouse.org, The Cat House took his condition was not good. Denise began come in during open hours to fill Charlie in that day. the prescribed treatment of feeding Charlie out an application, or e-mail at He would be safe, fed, through an esophageal feeding tube, four [email protected]. and receive medical times a day, but the amount of nourishing care as well as loving liquid food was too much at a time. Denise You’re in for a rewarding attention. But at the had to increase the frequency of feedings and experience! time Charlie joined decrease the amount of food syringed fed Opportunities to help include: TCH’s ranks, no one each time, sometimes giving only 20 cc an • Open hours knew what was going hour, pushed into the tube very slowly. The • Care, feeding, exercising, and to transpire in the next two, this big black cat and this determined socializing of cats few months and how it would lead Charlie lady, spent hour after hour, day after day, • Laundry to the home and heart of a volunteer named sitting on the floor of Denise’s bathroom. She • Facility maintenance Denise Wiemer. cleaned up his messes and talked to him. He • Newsletter articles, photography, and When Charlie came to TCH, he weighed in looked to her for life. They bonded. Charlie production at a not-so-dainty 20+ pounds. “Overweight,” began to thrive. “He is a foster but he may • Assisting with communication to the vet said. After Charlie was medically become my next adopted cat,” Denise said. volunteers and/or the public evaluated, he went to live in the room with “We spent so much time together, he became • Adoption counselor the other plus-size cats where his food intake my ‘Velcro cat.’” • Post-adoption follow-up calls could be controlled and where he could lose With the successful fostering of Charlie, • Filing weight so that he would be healthier. Denise recently accepted another medical • Grant writing But what happened was the opposite, foster. This one was a handsome blue boy • Fundraising Charlie didn’t eat. Whether he was bullied named Jay, who had an inoperable tumor. • Data entry away from food by other cats or was a really Since Jay’s condition was terminal, Denise’s • Retail events picky eater or for some other reason, Charlie focus wasn’t on helping him to get well. It • Feral/TNR program lost too much weight too fast and developed an was on making him comfortable and happy • Foster care unhealthy condition called hepatic lipidosis, and to give him a last gift—unconditional, or fatty liver disease. This condition can be one-on-one love. “It was a different situation fatal if left untreated too long. Volunteers at than with Charlie. Jay was fading away, but the shelter decided it would be best to treat he knew he had a loving home.” him in the controlled setting of a personal It is through the efforts of people like home. Denise said she would take him. Denise, who step up and provide extra time, Happy Since beginning to volunteer at TCH care, and love, that The Cat House is so Tails Stats 5 years ago, Denise has had a lot of experience successful. Here are the number of cats adopted in recent months. TCH Retail Space October 22 Settling into a new home always takes time cat and dog designs. We also have a selection November 26 and The Cat House is no different. Since of our popular t-shirts and sweatshirts in December 41 moving in June 2015, we find ourselves various sizes and colors. continuing to “tweak” our home at 3633 “O” The retail area is located on the lower level, January 44 Street. right outside our office. Consider parking on February 22 One of our most exciting additions is a the south side of the building for easy access March 22 small retail area to serve visitors. It is easily to this space. accessed and offers some of our most popular All proceeds from sales go to help support volunteer-made items, including both large TCH and its feline residents. and small catnip stix as well as pet beds in Thank you for shopping! See you soon. PAGE 2 | SPRING 2016 Donations in memory & honor of... In memory of Jane E. Gohde from Susan Evans Barbara DiBernard’s birthday from Sarah Gibson Birdeen Havlicek from Kathy Havlicek-Cook Osker, daughter’s cat, from Donna Akiyama Bill and Theresa Wagner from Patricia Rohman King Rieke from Conrad Good, Kris Plucknett, Billie Fiona-Paw from Justin Berkland David and Sharon Shepherd, Andrew J. Shepherd, and Tietgen, Berkley Insurance Co. – Continental Western Matthew Hanwell from Georgia Hanwell Athena Stephanopoulos from Andrew Shepherd Group, David Kaufman, Lucy Krause, Kathleen Holland, Debbie Borner from Mona Daniels-Murray Gloria Taylor from Gerise Herndon Erin Shafer, Denise Kaufman Greiman, Sheila Schulke, Blair Callahan from Mary Chisholm, Sandy Hazlett, Ken and Arlys Reitan from Kern Family Trust Davalynn Tietgen, and Linda Rieke Maxine Meier, Lana Warner, Jennifer Armstrong, Deb Laura Wong, Nancy and Henry Wong, Danielle Wong, Charlene Lautzenheiser from Mary Jane Winquest Vosika, and Judith Christensen Lynn and Steve Karrigan, and Dave Karrigan from Slinky from Rita Vyhlidal John Norwich McLennan from Nancy Flader Bonnie Rae Opal Wulf from JC Preston Virginia Gail Lewiston from Amy Swoboda Bonnie Abbott from Darren Abbott Laverna Huff from Nadine Fricke Mikey from Joan White Jordan Blenner from Denise Wiemer Kristie from Barbara and Richard Thomas Tatters from Teri Swanson Beppo, Mozart, and Aniseed from Elinor Nevin Gayle Roper from Sandra Johnson Dick Paulick from Olga Paulick Hanna Hoffman from Heather Thomas Deanna’s cat, Izzy, from the Sisterhood of Faith at St. Sarah Jane from Faye Stevens Addison, on her birthday, from Oana Costea Mark’s Methodist Church In honor of Karen Underwood’s retirement from UNL from Michael Boo from Christian Janousek and Amy Zeleny Trixie, who was adopted on 4/10/2014, from Neko Swisher from Regina Toman Jackson Julius Peepers, who was adopted from TCH, Georganna Schroeder Simba, Gizzy, and Kiara from Deanna Henke from Joyce McArthur-Johnson Licorice from Colleen Mertins Brian Elias from Patricia Metcalf Ray Putney from Eileen Johnson Gail Sutton and Micky Boeckl from Nancy Sutton Caryll Wilson from Ryon Adams, Judith Bay, Tiffany Jim Volkmer from Zuleika Doremus Zoey Moser from Tausha Johnson Goeller, Tracy Kalnins, Kadra Omerovic, Joseph Special thanks to Swoboda, Rebecca Olander, Tina Brubaker, Rae Ellen Jeff Kennedy from Kaylie Sirek Dr.
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