Success Story From The Humane Society

Here’s a wonderful story from the San Diego Humane Society about Katie, a.k.a. Madeline, a Tortoiseshell kitten.

Katie’s mom writes:

I adopted a beautiful female Tortoiseshell kitten from the San Diego Humane Society last October 23. Her name there at the SDHS was Madeline. I had just lost my precious 15 year old Manx kitty (Maggie) two months earlier and was ready to give another pet a home. I searched for what seemed a long time before I met Madeline, and she agreed I was the one to take her home.

Madeline was one of the very first kittens I met there, as her little home was located in the front, inside the Gift Center, along with some other gorgeous kittens. Her name has since been changed to Katie, but we’ll call her Madeline here, as that was how everyone there at SDHS knew her. I could not believe how quickly she made herself right at home that first evening after departing the carrier. It was if she had been here a while and had already adapted. No time was wasted, as she wanted to play. Madeline has brought so much joy and love into my life.

Madeline is just as described on her profile adoption intro. She has a ton of personality, is very friendly and social, loves people and loves to cuddle, when she has time and is ready. She is very independent. She loves to play fetch and her favorite activity is when we play with her cat catcher teaser toy. Anyone who comes to visit me is greeted with affection and excitement by Katie.

Thank you to the SDHS for everything you do for the animals and also thank you to all the Volunteers and foster families for all they do in socializing, readying and loving the kittens as they await adoption.

-Janet

Are you ready to add a new furry family member? Check out the animals available for adoption at the San Diego Humane Society here.

Lenora Is Looking For Her Forever Home

If you were thinking of getting a new dog for the family this Christmas, adopt a dog from the San Diego Humane Society. They have so many precious dogs looking to be your new best friend. Check out this beautiful birthday girl wishing for her new home!!

Happy Birthday to this little beauty, Lenora! She’s been patiently waiting for more than 360 days for her new family and she’s hoping if she wishes hard enough, her birthday wish will come true!

Lenora is 5 years old and as sweet as can be. She loves to snuggle and give kisses to her favorite humans. When she’s not cuddled up, she loves playing fetch and goofing around with the water hose.
She’s also one of our top Volunteer Picks for her sweet demeanor and silly personality.

Make her birthday wish come true this weekend at our San Diego Campus! Here’s more information on Lenora.

How To Keep Pets Safe This Thanksgiving

When everyone sits down for Thanksgiving dinner your furry family members are going to be begging for a taste of what you are eating. You can include your pets, but be aware that not all Thanksgiving foods are safe for your pets. Clear The Air would like to share the following information from Reader’s Digest to keep your pets safe this Thankgiving:

• Turkey and other meats should be boneless and cooked.
• Sage should not be used on anything that is fed to pets. Cats are especially sensitive to this herb, it can upset their stomach and cause central nervous system depression.
• Raw bread dough should not be given to your pets because it can rise in your pet’s stomach and cause severe discomfort or more serious health problems.
• Cake batter should also not be given to pets because it can cause a salmonella infections. If you want to give your pets a treat, have kitty treats and dog biscuits ready to go for dessert time.
• Don’t go overboard on any of the Thanksgiving foods that you give your pets. If you are going to share human food with your pets, give them very small portions to avoid stomach pains, diarrhea, or pancreatitis.
• Clean up after yourself and make sure all wrappers are safely thrown away out of your pets reach. When pets lick the wrappers they may also ingest some of the wrapper which can cause serious intestinal problems.
• Watch where you walk when you are carrying hot foods through the house. Make sure your pets aren’t running at your feet. You and your pet can be severely burned if you were to trip while carrying a burning hot dish.

How To Eliminate Pet Urine and Feces Odors

Do you have pet odors in your home you can’t get rid of?

Cat & dog urine odor is one of the strongest and toughest odors to get rid of. Most products on the market are wet and must come into contact with the urine to remove the odor. This means if you have urine that has soaked into the carpet you must pull up the carpet and pad and soak the carpet, pad and floorboards. What a mess!

With Clear The Air Cat & Dog Urine Odor Eliminator just sprinkle the granules on top of the carpet leave on overnight and vacuum in the morning and the odor is completely eliminated. Works well on all surfaces pulling the odors out of tile and concrete. Will completely eliminate the odors from your liter box, no one will know you have a litter box in the house!

Directions to Eliminate Cat Urine Odors From Litter Box

• Add granules to bottom of litter box, add litter, then add additional granules on top.
• Add 1/2 cup of granules each time litter is changed, scooped or as needed.
• Will prolong the life of your litter.

Directions to Eliminate Urine Odors From Carpets, Wood Floors, Tile, Concrete or Furniture

• Remove feces and excess urine.
• Sprinkle granules over area until dry granules are present on top. Also works well on old dry urine odors.
• Leave down 24 hours then sweep or vacuum.
• Clear The Air pulls odors from carpet, padding, and subfloor.
• Typically one application will eliminate all odors; occasionally a second application is necessary.
• One canister covers 100 square feet.

Directions to Eliminate Pet Odors from Pet, Pet Beds, or Car

• Sprinkle granules directly on pet, gently work into coat. Leave on as long as pet will tolerate.  It is best to do this outside so your pet can shake off the granules.  Repeat as necessary.
• Sprinkle directly on pet beds, leave down 24 hours shake off or vacuum.  Also hang an Odor Eliminator Bag near the pet bed.
• Sprinkle granules on car seats and carpet.  Leave down 24 hours.  Sweep or vacuum.   Leave a couple window cracked for air circulation.  Also add an Odor Eliminator Bag to your car to continue to remove odors

Keeping Your Dog and Cat Active

Are your pets at home alone all day??

While you are at work, your dogs and cats are sitting at home just waiting for you to come home. Some pets may even chew up the furniture just because they are bored. Pets need to be active and need mental stimulation, it is important for their health. You can also help prevent problem behaviors by providing your pets with toys or activities to do while you are gone.

Here are some tips from the ASPCA on how to keep your dog and cat active when you are home and when you aren’t.

Success Story From The Humane Society

Do you have a happy success story about a pet you adopted? Comment on our blog!

The San Diego Humane Society helps many homeless animals find their new home. There are many senior cats in need of forever homes! Since November is adopt a senior pet month, here is a success story about Sia, a senior cat, who is very happy with her new family.

Sia’s Story:

I am attaching a picture of the lovely lady we adopted almost 1 1/2 years ago from SDHS on Airport Road. The senior pets are a passion of mine and I encourage people all the time to give one of these beautiful animals a chance and a home. They are typically easy to care for and just appreciate having a comfy place to nap, some food, and a little lovin.’

We adopted Sia (aka Saipao) in May 2013 and she was almost 15 years old. She will be 16 in November and is going strong. There are many days that I don’t think she realizes how old she is!

As you can see, she is a beautiful Blue Point Siamese and she has brought nothing but joy into our lives. There hasn’t been one day with her that we have regretted getting her.

I hope by sharing her story that we can encourage more people to take a senior pet into their homes – you will never regret giving them peace and love in their final days/years!

David & Gina D.

Keep Your Pets Safe On Halloween

Halloween is a fun time of year for the family, but the noise and excitement of the night may not be as much fun for your pets. It is important to take extra steps on Halloween to make sure your pets stay safe. Here are some Halloween safety tips from Clear The Air:

• Keep all Halloween candy and wrappers away from pets to avoid choking or poisining. Chocolate and xylitol (a sweetener in candy) can be very toxic for animals. Have some pet treats on hand to give your pets so they don’t feel left out.
• Keep your pets inside for their safety even if you are going to be home. Stay with your pet if they need to go outside to use the bathroom to avoid anything harmful that could happen due to a cruel Halloween prank.
• Find a quiet place in the house for your pets to stay when the trick-or-treaters will be constantly ringing the door bell and making noise. The loud noise and constant strangers at the door may stress your pet out. Also you don’t want your pet to run out the house while the door is constantly being opened up.
• Halloween decorations should be used where your pets won’t be able to get to them. Pumpkins with candles should not be placed on the floor because they can be easily knocked over or can burn a curious pet.
• Pet costumes should be non-restrictive and should not have any dangling accessories that pets can choke on if they came off. Supervise your pet while they are in their costume.  If your pet doesn’t seem to be comfortable in a costume then it’s a good idea to just let them go as themselves for Halloween.
• Make sure your pets are wearing their ID tags in case they get separated or scared and take off. This can be a good time to think about getting your pet microchipped if you haven’t already. It can help bring pets home quicker if they get lost.

Successful Story From The San Diego Humane Society

Another sweet cat finds her forever home!

The San Diego Humane Society helps many homeless animals find their “furrever” home. Here is yet another success story about Sophia (now called Amelie) who is very happy with her new family:

Here’s her story:

My cat Scheherazade died about six months ago. She’d been my little friend for 17 years, and I was heartbroken. She and I were simpaticas, and I didn’t think I’d ever want another pet. But I received an e-mail from the Humane Society saying they were having a special on “Ninja Panthers” (i.e., all-black kittens), and there was one that looked just like Scheherazade when she was a kitten. It was a male, and I immediately thought, “Dante! I’ll call him Dante!” I called to find out if he could be held until I got there, but someone had just taken him home.

My husband said, “Let’s just go down there. I’m sure they have other kittens.”

We went to the Gaines Street campus, and the adoption counselor asked what we were looking for in a kitten. I said I wanted an affectionate one. She let us play with all of them and told us a little bit about each. There was one, though, a little gray female called Sophia, that was sweet, playful, and affectionate–just a bundle of charm. My husband said, “I like that one.” I agreed, and we brought her home.

I can’t tell you what a delight she is. She was so well socialized that she was right at home with us in just over an hour. I work from home, and she loves to help–typing and sorting papers are her favorite–and she loves to play and to cuddle, and she’s so well behaved. I couldn’t ask for a better or more perfect friend than our little Sophia (now called Amelie). I think Scheherazade would be pleased that we found her. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Diane

What Others Are Saying About Clear The Air’s Odor Eliminators

Clear The Air produces amazing results when it comes to eliminating odors. Here’s a great testimonial from an article on the examiner.com:

“Clear the Air is possibly the most amazing new product I have encountered since…well, since toaster pastries. Made by Earth Care Products, this is a granulated odor removal product made from an all natural mineral. It is non-toxic, non-hazardous, non-flammable, non-caustic, and biodegradable. After it has been used to eliminate odors, the remaining granules can be disposed of in your garden, as it will add time-released nitrogen nutrients to the soil! It can safely be used around pets and children: even if it is eaten, it is non-toxic (unlike some toaster pastries).”

“A lot of time went into that latch hook rug and I could not bring myself to discard it so it went into the garage – til now. I decided it would be a great test for this product. I sprinkled the product onto the latch hook rug, waited 24 hours (knowing this would never work), shook the rug outside into the tomato plants…and could not believe that the smell was gone. Several days later the odor is still gone. I even made the small teenager sniff the rug (oh she was thrilled).” -Phyllis (Dayton Small Pet Examiner)

Click here to read the entire article

How To Make Your Home Safer For Your Pets

• Flea Control – Summer is over, but that doesn’t mean you need to stop controlling fleas on your pets and in your house. Flea protection should be used all year long. The cooler weather will allow you to control the fleas easier. Your veterinarian can help you with a flea prevention plan that is best for your pet to use all year long.
• Put Away School Supplies – Back to school items, such as glue and glue sticks, can be dangerous for your pet if large amounts are ingested. Keep those pencils, pens, markers and other school essentials away from your pets. Pencils and pens can cause blockages if they are swallowed by your pet.
• Remove Wild Mushrooms – Fall is the perfect time for wild mushrooms to grow. Most are not toxic, but the poisonous mushrooms can be fatal to your pet. If you think your pet has eaten wild mushroom, call your veterinarian immediately. Symptoms can range from gastrointestinal problems to hallucinations.
• Avoid Rodenticides – During the colder months, rodents look for warmer places to shelter. Rodenticides can be toxic to pets and cause bleeding disorders.  Consider using alternative ways to get rid of rodents around your house. Also bee cautious letting your pets roam around your neighbor’s yard if they have used rodenticides to control their rodent problems.
• Protect Heat Sources – Pets can be burned by portable heaters and fireplaces. Fireplaces should have screens in place to protect your pets from being severely burned. Don’t leave pets unattended around portable heaters when they are being used.