Casey's House, Inc.           

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August 18, 2008

Give to Casey’s House through United Way of Northern Shenandoah Valley!

Our CFC# is 86714

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Join us Aug 30th 8 AM-2 PM at the

Good Shepherd Episcopal Church

27 Good Shepherd Rd

Bluemont, VA 20135 (Pine Grove)

We will have two tables at their flea market

and cats/kittens for adoption!

Orange Long Hair Female (She is gorgeous!!)

Her Kittens: 3 orange and 1 dilute calico all cute as a button!

Many black cats that need good homes, all VERY sweet and good family pets!

Depending on adoptions before, we may have some gray cats and other colors.

All will have been sterilized, initial shots, dewormed, and combo tested.

Applications can be submitted at any time via emailinfo@caseyshouse.org or fax 866-220-7375



August 8, 2008

Dear Friend of Casey's House,
 
I have been dazzled by the response to our spay/neuter program.  We have already topped 100 spay/neuters and look forward to breaking 200 by the end of the year!  That is 200 cats not breeding and slowly but surely we will break the endless cycle of thousands of kittens each year needing homes, with not enough homes for them.
 
Though our spay/neuter program is going well, donations are still needed!  We still need to care for the cats at our sanctuary, most of which are not adoptable.  Please consider a monthly donation, $20 a month from every friend of Casey's House could go a long way!  I am learning how to make our dollars stretch but we can only stretch a dollar so far!  I am attaching a donation form to this email, we can also take secure donations at our website through paypal.  Our website is www.caseyshouse.org.
 
We are in particular need of volunteers at the shelter during the week for the month of August.  Even one day would be very helpful.  Our regular volunteers are having personal financial difficulties due to the loss of a job, they are throwing newspapers to a route they are just learning each morning Mon-Sat, taking care of the cats at the shelter, and then getting to their other jobs.  Needless to say they aren't getting much sleep!  This is a temporary situation, one that they expect to be resolved by month's end, so please; if you have a free morning, please think about spending it with some wonderful cats!  Arrangements can be made by calling our main number at 703-220-9965.
 
One last request, we need a grant writer!  We now have a wonderful database that we can use to show exactly how many spay/neuters we have done but I am hard-pressed to find the time to pursue this very important avenue of fund raising.  This can be done from your home as I can email the information to you. 
 
As always, thanks for your support and from the cats of Casey's House a warm and thankful "Meow"!
 
Sincerely,
Cindy Ingram
Treasurer/Founder
Casey's House

July 16, 2008

Dear Friend of Casey's House,

We have been very busy at Casey's House averaging 13 cats every other week for spay/neuter.  Perhaps some of you have seen the article in the June 26th edition of the Clarke Times Courier highlighting our efforts to promote spay and neuter in our region. 

I would like to thank Animal Promise League which whom we make our bi-weekly trip to the spay/neuter clinic; Walker and Clarke Builders, Inc and Garden's of Delight located near the intersection of Rt 9 and Rt 7 who allows us to use their property as a meeting place for our spay/neuter trips; Megan Salzman Medica and John Kevin Medica whose generous donation has allowed us to not only continue our spay and neuter program but to also provide vet care for the old and hard to adopt cats in our shelter; and I would like to thank my very good friend, Lynn Pirozzoli, who has donated a two night stay at her award winning Bed and Breakfast-details on how one can purchase a chance for this weekend get-away is enclosed in the attached flyer! (Contest runs through Dec 6 so please let me know if you would like to help us get the word out on this!)

I would lastly like to thank all of you who regularly support Casey's House through your donations, labor, and prayers!  We truly appreciate ALL of our many supporters!!!

Thank-you and I look forward to continued success for the cats!

Sincerely,
Cindy Ingram
Treasurer/Founder
Casey's House


June 3, 2008

Dear Friend of Casey’s House,

I am happy to say that our open house was an outstanding success for adoptions, we found homes for seven kittens that day!  Unfortunately the Department of Transportation also chose that day to pave Rt 7 and so our garage sale was not quite the success we had hoped.  

I am grateful to our regular supporters, many of which send monthly contributions.  All contributions, no matter the amount, help keep us going in our ongoing mission to provide sanctuary for the old and hard to adopt cat and our relatively new mission to spay and neuter to, as one of my volunteers likes to say, "stop the problem at it's source". 

We are quickly filling up our June spots so if you need spay or neuter services please call me at 703-220-9965 as soon as possible! 

To make a donation to help us advance our cause please visit our website at Casey's House, Inc (www.caseyshouse.org). 

Lastly, I would like to introduce you to Hook-a special needs kitten.  If you look at her picture, which is attached, you will not see how she is special needs.  In fact, you pretty much have to watch her a while or pick her up to see how special she is as she hides her deformed front leg well!  She appears to be the victim of interbreeding as one of her front legs has no paw, just a single claw growing from a stump.  Hook does not let this get her down one iota!  I have been absolutely amazed at how she manages to find a way to the upper level of her room, the small ledges that surround her room, and even to the top of a cat tree!  This little girl is truly one of a kind and I am looking for an adopter that can appreciate just how special she truly is!  She will be going to the spay/neuter clinic on the 10th of June so put in an application for her adoption now!  Adoption applications can be downloaded from our petfinder website which can be accessed from our website Casey's House, Inc or call me at 703-220-9965.  Click here to view the picture of Hook!

As always, I thank you for your support and together we can help solve the cat overpopulation problem and provide a home for the old and hard to adopt cats in our region!

Sincerely,

Cindy Ingram
Treasurer/Founder


May 9, 2008

Dear Friend of Casey’s House,

On March 7th, we began working with Animal Promise League for our spay and neutering of our feline friends. To date we have spay or neutered 35 cats at their clinic, in addition to 8 earlier in the year through Spay Today, another good low cost program. We will be sterilizing our first batch of kittens and their mother on May 7th, along with more feral cats from Clarke County; we aim to keep busy this year! It has been an educational experience working at the spay/neuter clinic, helping with sterilizing instruments, cleaning ears after surgery, and watching cats as they awake from the anesthesia.

We need your help in order to continue doing all the good things we want to do for the cats of our region. We need your contributions to pay for more spay and neuters, and we need your contributions to pay for day to day expenses for the old and hard-to-adopt cats that call Casey’s House their home. The enclosed donation form will allow you to specify which fund you wish to donate to.

Our annual open house will be held on May 17th . We already have a good start to our yard sale, but we need more donations! We accept household goods, electronics, and anything sellable in good condition! We will be showing our kittens and their mothers as well as taking applications for adoption. If you are interested in adoption (we have many wonderful adult cats needing good homes, as well as kittens!), please look at our websitewww.caseyshouse.org for a complete listing.

The last thing I will ask of you is to keep your eyes open for free roaming cats in your neighborhood. We go to the spay/neuter clinic twice a month. The special neuter clinic has been canceled due to one of the vets being ill. We will, however, be going to the clinic for our regular trip the week of the 18th and will set aside 6 spots for neuter at the $20 price, Casey’s House will cover the remaining $20 cost. We will work with cat owners and cat care-givers throughout the cat heat season, helping to cover the cost of both spays and neuters as needed. Please see our flyer which is enclosed for more detail.

Sincerely,

Cindy Ingram

Treasurer/Founder

Casey's House, Inc.

P.S. We are always looking for volunteers to work at the shelter! Please call Cindy at 703-220-9965 if you are interested in volunteering!


April 1, 2008

Dear Friends,

I am happy to say that Casey's House has received some funding for spay/neuter.  Thanks to the generosity of Loudoun Animal Protection Society we will be able to spay/neuter many more cats this year!  We are seeking to use it for both indoor domestic colonies and outdoor feral colonies.  We will be asking for caretakers to help with the trapping or gathering of cats and we will ask for a donation of $20 per cat.  Please pass our information along to persons needing this service!  We go to the spay/neuter clinic about twice a month.

Please keep tuned as kitten season is here and our May fund raiser is just around the corner.  Please save your garage sale items for our May 17th garage sale!  Don't forget about the neuterthon (organized by Animal Promise League) also in May, keep an eye out for free roaming friendly male cats!  Ask the owners if they can go to Casey's House on May 17th to be neutered the following day, cost again is only $20!

Rabies is included with every sterilization!!


March 12, 2008

Dear Friends,

I need to correct a misstatement which I made in my previous blog.  It is with the help of Promise Animal League, Inc that Casey's House will be able to spay/neuter many more cats this year.  Promise Animal League s/n 547 cats in 2007!  They also run a food bank which supplies food to many of the local shelters in our area, they keep busy taking care of our precious animals!  Thanks Promise Animal League!!!!  

Casey's House is hoping to help Promise Animal League top their 2007 s/n number big time!  As part of our efforts we would like to participate in their neuter clinic for friendly male cats on May 18th.  We will be asking $20 for each cat to cover the neuter, a rabies shot, and transportation.  Please keep an eye out for male cats in your neighborhood, try to find out who the owner is and see if they will let you bring them to Casey's House on the eve of May 17th for the neuter clinic.  We will be sending out detailed instructions next month.  Keep tuned!!

March 7, 2008

The farm kitties are finally getting well!  I will be taking Leah (Shy but sweet brown tabby) to PETCO on Saturday!  Sunshine(Friendly and playful orange tabby) will be at PETCO soon after, need to fatten him up a bit first!  Babe, a one eyed playful orange tabby, will be put up for adoption soon as well.  If you have a heart for a special needs kitty please keep her in mind!!

Our anniversary is right around the corner, we will be picking a date at our Board meeting tomorrow.  Please start thinking about what you might be able to donate for the sale, let's make this anniversary the best one ever!  We will be doing an arts and crafts for the kids, breakfast for the garage sale crowd, and who knows....
Keep your eye out for updates!

Casey's House is working on a feral colony in Warren County and we are pleased to announce that we are working with Pets Limited for our Spay/Neuter.  This is an awesome group that provides spay/neuter services to other Rescue Groups for a phenomenal price!  We will  be working on the Warren County colony for a month or so but will spay/neuter throughout the spring, summer, and fall!  Each trip we make to Pets Limited will include at the very least one Clarke County cat here on out until Clarke is fully speutered!  Hey, why not shoot for the moon? ;-)


One last note, we are looking for a volunteer to take on a special project.  We would like for someone to help us build a master cat list in a data base that would include a picture of each cat, shot records, and other miscl information.  I have a digital camera for pictures and our list from the vet-now we need a good picture taker and data base person!  Please email me if you are interested!

Until Next Time,
Cindy
Treasurer/Founder
Casey's House, Inc.


February 5, 2008

Dear Friend of Casey's House,

As you may know, I have undergone some testing recently and am happy to say that my worse fear has been relieved; I do not have breast cancer.  I have another test scheduled for next week but I am confident that it too will prove me to be of good health.  The worse case scenario for this other is not so bad, I have know woman who have undergone the surgery and am quite sure that I too would recover quickly.

Through this experience I have come to realize that Casey's House's greatest need is not just more funding but also for more volunteers.  We badly need at least 5 more, ones that can work during the week in the morning.  If you are available please let me know!  If you know of someone please send them our way.  The time can be as early as 6:30 AM or as late as 9:00 AM.

My last plea in this entry will be for someone to pick up where I had to leave in regards to the Berryville Farm cats.  These are the ones that are on a farm on which several horses were starved.  More details can be found on our website Casey's House, Inc.  I was able to rescue 11, there are 6-7 left.  I have adopted out 4 of the cats to good homes, 2 are in my outdoor enclosure waiting a spring release, 1 is in my home as I am trying to socialize her as she is timid but not in the least bit aggressive even when held, and 4 I am still trying to get well enough to adopt out.  I have had three of these since Christmas and one for about 3 weeks. After countless rounds of antibiotics, lysine, humidifier, antihasimises, and so on and so forth I have gotten their nasal drainage from green to clear but so far it won't completely go away.  They are starting to eat more and gain weight but I can't adopt them out until I get them completely clear.  This is why I cannot take more from this farm.  I just don't know what I will get, friendly cat or feral cat-healthy cat or sick cat and I can't risk taking up the few isolation spaces I have left.  If you are willing and able to take even one or two from this farm please let me know and I will put you in contact with the owners.  You may need to act fast as these cats may have to be removed by animal control.

Thanks for listening and please stay tuned.  We will update our "blog" on our website periodically as well as sending out email blasts.  Please let me know if you wish to be removed from my list.

Many Thanks,
Cindy
Tresurer/Founder, Casey's House          Click here to make a donation!
                      

January 8, 2008

We now have four cats left from the farm that we will be taking to PETCO for adoption.  Leah, Sunshine, Babe, & Tiny Tim.  Leah and Tiny Tim can both be found on our petfinder site. Sunshine and Babe are both orange tabbys, very sweet and very lovable.  Sunshine has struggled to completely heal from an upper respiratory infection but I believe that we have finally conquered it!  Babe came to us with one eye removed, apparently she had an infection in it and it had to be operated on.  I am hopeful that these two as well as Leah and Tiny Tim will find good homes soon!

I caught the first feral cat, Jack, just before Christmas and he is now fixed and readjusting in our outdoor enclosure.   Precious and Tammy just arrived yesterday.  Tammy will be spayed this Friday, I am working with Precious as she has a mild upper respiratory infection but she will be spayed in the next week or so.

I have a person helping me trap next weekend and so I am hopeful that we can complete this job by the end of January.  We still need your help not only with these cats but also for the countless other feral cats that need to be caught and sterilized and watched over.  There are just so many cats that need our help!   Click here to make a donation!


Dec 19, 2007

Thanks to continued support we will be able to pick up three more cats from the farm this week.  We will be bringing three of the cats to PETCO this coming Saturday: Carl, Peter and Tiny Tim.  We really need to find homes for these guys!  Their pictures and bios can be found at our petfinder site .  Please come see these precious guys this Saturday at the Lees burg PETCO!

After talking to the owner of this property, it appears that one sick kitten and true ferals (maybe 10) remain.  I will be picking up the sick kitten today and leaving the owner with a cage and trap to get one of the "true cats" as she calls them.  These guys will need to go directly to a vet to be sterilized.  Cash flow will become very important now, please help with your donation today!  
Click here to make a donation!


Dec 14, 2007

Thanks to several generous donations we have raised enough funds to save four more felines.  So far, all are friendly and adoptable and so you will be able to see them at the Leesburg PETCO in the next coming weeks.  In fact, Carl-a wonderfully sweet tabby kitten will be there tomorrow!  Please help us save more cats from this property!

Click here to read the Washington Post Story   

Dec 5, 2007
Dear Friend of Casey's House,

When I went to the shelter last week I discovered that there were nine cats seized.  Five had to be humanely euthanized because they were ill and resources were not available to make them well. Casey's House took the four youngest and they are doing wonderfully.  Donnie, a two year old gray tabby neutered male is very laid back and a sweet little boy!  Carl, a 4-5 month old male kitten is getting very active and loves to play, he also is very sweet!  Sunshine, a 6 month old male kitten is a bit shy but very friendly and loves to be petted-I suspect that he will start becoming more playful soon!  Leah, an older female kitten is still quite skittish but we are working with her and have good hope that she will come around soon.  All cats are healing well and so we are scheduling the kitten's sterilization surgeries for next week.  Please consider opening your homes to one of these wonderful cats, they've been through so much-they deserve to be able to spend the rest of their lives in a nice warm home with plenty to eat-always!

We have discovered another problem and that is that there are about 15 more cats on this property that must, by court decree, be removed.  I have talked to the owners of the property and to the local animal control and I have been given until Jan 31, 2008 to complete this task.  Some of these cats are friendly, same may be tamable, about half are feral and will need to be relocated.  

This brings the total of cats needing sterilization and perhaps additional medical care waiting on our list to 35!  We need your help!  Please help us start to get control of the outdoor cat population through sterilization and carefully monitored colonies in our area.  We need your help today!

Thank-you,
Cindy Ingram
Treasurer-Casey's House, Inc.         Click here to make a donation!