operation catnip

Caregiver
of the Month

Mary Boudrot

Mary has been coined a crazy cat lady for many years - but I have to disagree! She's one of the most sane, responsible cat lovers I know! Mary has been feeding cats all across Gainesville for years. But more importantly, she has been getting them spayed and neutered through Operation Catnip since 2004. Mary feeds and manages several colonies throughout Alachua County and is an integral part of the animal community.
Volunteer
of the month
Theresa Sumrall

Theresa began her Catnip journey as a Caregiver feeding her local strays. She made the responsible choice by taking the strays through Operation Catnip's free sterilization program and released them back into her neighborhood. Like many financially strapped college student Theresa couldn't afford to make a $30 donation for every stray she brought through OC. She felt compelled to help the program in some other way and that's when she decided to volunteer. That was more than 175 volunteer hours ago! She has devoted much of her spare time to helping OC reach out to the community and spread the word about our service. She is one of our core Clinic Volunteers, and as the Volunteer Coordinator, I wouldn't know what to do without her!
 
Fundraise for kitties!

Spring weather is perfect for having car washes and yard sales. Support OC's free community service by holding a fundraiser for the kitties!

For more info
Contact:
operationcatnip@ nmhp.net

352-258-6757


   oc

Donate now

If your business would like to donate products or services, please contact:
operationcatnip@
nmhp.net
Check out our NEW website!
www.NMHP.net
 March 24th, 2009
Dear Catnip Supporters:

At our monthly clinic for homeless cats on Sunday, March 15th, our
ambitious volunteers spayed, neutered, and vaccinated 250 cats in less than 6 and 1/2 hours!

Here are more clinic stats:

Volunteers                                                                                    
Veterinarians: 5
Dr. Julie Levy-OC Medical Director, Dr. Fred Schirmer of Westend Animal Hospital, Dr. Alex Gallagher of UF, Dr. Cynda Crawford of UF Shelter Medicine, Dr. Nirit Tzipory (student surgeon supervisor) of UF Shelter Medicine.

Vet students: 31
Other volunteers: 40

Total = 76 volunteers!

Cats                                                                                               
Males = 102 (12% kittens, 3-5mo old)
Females = 148 (5% kittens, 3-5mo old)
Ratio of Males:Females = 40:60
Vaccine-Only = 6. These ferals are trapped each year by their caregivers to return for vaccine boosters only.

Total = 250 cats were spayed or neutered, received Revolution to prevent heartworms, fleas, and worms, and were vaccinated against Rabies, Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, Panleukopenia, and Feline Leukemia Virus! 
 
The first cat was anesthetized at 8:00am sharp by the Anesthesia Team. The very last surgery was completed by 2:30pm! Our Discharge Volunteers sent cats home from 1:30pm to 5:00pm and the remaining volunteers helped clean the facility until it sparkled.
Thanks to all the volunteers who make these clinics possible!
                                                                                                      

Lunch was provided in part by generous donations from volunteers and by Judy Angley, our Food Committee Chair Volunteer.

**********************************************************************************

If you would like to trap cats any time during the month find out more about our Outreach Clinics. For a $25 co-pay you can be sure to get those kitties nipped before they do what they do best! Contact the Caregiver & Cat Coordinator: 352-380-0940.

The next opportunity to help out during a clinic is just a few weeks away. Mark your calendars for Sunday, April 19th. You can find all future clinic dates at our website.

Thank you for being sweet to the homeless kitties!
Signature
Kathy Pennenga
No More Homeless Pets, Inc.
Operation Catnip Program Coordinator
katherine.pennenga@nmhp.net
352-258-6757
The Curious Case of...
... hyperventilating Tarzan!?

When this young grey kitten arrived at the admissions station to check
in for the clinic, it was clear that something wasn't right. He was
struggling for breath and looked anxious. His caregiver explained that
he got himself stuck in a tree the day before. He was rescued and no one ever saw anything traumatic happen.

The vets decided to let him rest for a while to see if he would improve
on his own. A few hours later it was clear that he was not getting any
better. It was suspected that he was struggling to breathe because he
had a collapsed lung. Dr. Tzipory performed the delicate procedure of
inserting a needle between his ribs and removed 90 cc of free air - a
massive amount for such a small kitten. Even though the lung was
reinflated, he was still short of breath, probably due to bruises in the
lungs.

Still not out of the woods, Dr. Crawford took the kitten home to observe
him for the next few days while the hole in his lung healed. She named
him Tarzan for his attempts to climb in trees. By the following morning,
Tarzan was meowing for breakfast before anyone else was up. He is still ordered to have "bed rest" to allow the damaged lung tissue to seal over but already has a new indoor home lined up when he gets the all-clear.



 Update on: ... Not just another groggy kitty (February 2009)

"Tommy", as the staff and students called him during his 40-day stay at UF shelter medicine, underwent a total of 3 surgeries to repair the bilateral entroprion. This painful condition causes the eyelids to flip inward and the lashes rub against the sensitive cornea. Thanks to the efforts of several specialists at UF's vet school and the shelter medicine department, the volunteer who originally spotted his curious condition (Jean Fenner), and to his caregiver who adopted him into her home after years of street life! Tommy's new mom informed me that he immediately claimed the bed when he arrived home for the first time.
????  'Nip Trivia  ????

What was the female:male ratio at Operation Catnip's largest clinic?

Send your answers to operationcatnip@nmhp.net
for a chance to win tickets in our Spring Raffle!


Last Month's Trivia Question:
Which coat color made up the largest percentage of cats at the February 8th clinic?

A: Tabby, more specifically, brown tabby. And even more fascinating is the fact that this is the most common coat color at every clinic! More common than black or black & white!
Major funding provided by
The National Humane Education Society
www.nhes.org