Dear SCAA supporters,

As everyone is surely feeling the heat, summer is an especially difficult time for SCAA. The spring kitten boom (which doesn't seem to have slowed at all) combined with foster parents' holidays has once again resulted in around 50 foster cats and kittens looking for good, permanent homes and very few fostering resources to manage current foster cats.

Unfortunately, it also leaves SCAA unable to add more needy rescues to the mix for a little while – we need to focus on getting the many kitties under our care healthy and adopted.

Can you help by becoming a foster parent? Fostering rescued cats and kittens is a rewarding experience – from greeting you at the door to curling up with you at night, SCAA's friendly foster cats entertain with their playful antics and offer unconditional love with grateful head rubs and purrs. There's a good reason cats (and dogs) are called companion animals!

As much as fostering is fun, there are some serious responsibilities that come with accepting a needy rescued SCAA animal into your home, these include:

A safe home environment – a safe home for cats and kittens means windows and balcony doors securely closed or properly screened. SCAA would feel terrible losing another foster cat to the dangerous heights of open apartment windows, but we can tell you from experience that foster parents would feel even worse.

Booking PAW vet appointments – SCAA invests between RMB 12,000 and RMB 15,000 a month in generously discounted international-standard care from our vet partner, PAW. We pay the bills, but foster parents need to manage their foster cat's medical care schedule, from the basics such as worm and flea treatment and vaccinations on time, to immediately notifying SCAA and PAW of any issues. There is no pre-approval required for booking your foster cat in for a PAW visit and it's better to be safe than sorry.

Attending monthly Adoption Day – this is the only place our foster cats can meet potential adopters. Being there is not optional. We meet one Sunday afternoon a month at O'Malley's on Taojiang lu. Adoption Days are posted on the SCAA website and foster parents are requested to check and plan around this obligation.

Time for socialising – SCAA does not re-home feral/wild cats, but some rescues need a little more time and effort to develop a bond with you. This doesn't require round-the-clock socialising, but foster parents do need to spend time playing and interacting with their feline charges daily. An Ayi is not an appropriate foster parent substitute.

Keeping in touch with SCAA – last but not least, SCAA needs to hear how your foster cat is doing. Behaviour problems (e.g. chewing, howling, litter box issues, etc) can and should be addressed quickly as they jeopardize an animal's chance at a successful adoption. SCAA also needs recent and decent quality photos for our online Adoption gallery. We don't expect Annie Leibovitz shots, but a picture IS worth a thousand words, so if all we have is a dark, blurry photo of a cat sleeping, we won't attract adopters.

If you feel you have the time to make a difference in a foster cat's life and help SCAA re-home more needy stray and abandoned animals, please contact foster mom extraordinaire, Casey at caseywhale@gmail.com

Regards,

The SCAA Team

Summer Rescue Success: Freeing Maxima the Trapped Kitten

Sometimes it does take a village to bring out the best in all of us and a recent kitten rescue was the perfect catalyst. A routine trip up an escalator at a busy Shanghai intersection turned into an emergency when an SCAA foster mom heard mewing and spotted a tiny calico face peering up from a hole.

An SCAA volunteer arrived at the scene to hopefully get the kitten out and concerned local citizens quickly offered assistance. The kitten had fallen through a narrow gap between a staircase and escalator, landing deep inside a concrete-encased platform. It quickly became clear that volunteers were ill-equipped to free the tiny creature on their own. The police were called and so began the community rally around rescuing the kitten.

The sympathetic police officers went so far as to borrow tools from a nearby hotel. Unfortunately, the evening's attempts were unsuccessful. The next day mewing continued, so another local animal lover stumbling across the scene suggested a call to the fire department. Surprisingly, an entire brigade arrived and removed some of the concrete around the kitten's prison. Some progress was made, but not enough to reach her.

Rescuers peeking inside the hole to check on trapped kitten peeking back at them for help.

Food and water were lowered into the hole and a makeshift wooden “ramp” was fashioned in the hopes the kitten would make her way out on her own. Unfortunately, the kitten remained trapped the next day and the arrival of more SCAA volunteers was not sufficient to spring the little girl. After three long days a new plan was hatched; lift the granite tiles freed by the firemen's tools and snag the kitten with fishing net and pull her out through a gap.

Thankfully it worked! After a brief adjustment period, kitten Maxima is healthy and enjoying the safety and comfort of her foster home with her foster kitten companions.

SCAA offers a hearty note of appreciation to all for this community effort, although we would caution animal rescuers against calling the police and fire department for help unless faced with a genuine emergency.

Saying Goodbye to Brave Kittens

Bai

Bai was found in a cesspool of water and garbage and was suffering from a severe bacterial infection, her paws hugely swollen and oozing puss. On a heady cocktail of safe antibiotics and under the critical care of the attentive staff at PAW, Bai's fighting spirit was truly amazing. It was heartbreaking to watch her stumble towards a visitor for a cuddle on her painfully swollen little paws.

Even intense medical intervention was not enough to save little Bai's life. Everyone was cheering her recovery but, sadly, a few days after her rescue she stopped responding to her antibiotics and also suffered a seizure. She had to be humanely euthanized.

Brunswick

To err is human, to forgive feline. No kitten embodied such a gentle spirit more so than Brunswick. Cruel men chasing this helpless kitten and beating him with sticks were did not turn Brunswick against people. Angered about what she witnessed just meters from her apartment door, an SCAA foster mom scolded the men and quickly whisked the scared kitten to safety. Brunswick gratefully snuggled his rescuer, purring in appreciation.

Although it first appeared that Brunswick would recover from a viral infection, his condition took a turn for the worse a few days after his heroic rescue.

Following a relaxing afternoon nap with his foster dad, Brunswick was found on the bedroom floor unable to move. Poor Brunswick had survived so much only to suffer from painful organ failure. The decision was made to humanely put him down.

SCAA would like to thank foster parents and rescuers who never hesitate to step in and remove an animal from a cruel situation. Avoiding getting involved in a dangerous altercation is vital, but offering a few terse words (in any language!) and a making hasty exit with an abused rescue is an example we feel well worth following.

Foster Care Investment Profile: Miffy

Each month, SCAA features the investment needed to get just one of our many foster animals healthy and adoptable. As financial times get tough for everyone, we hope this feature not only accounts for where donations are going, but underscores the critical need for the donations we request on foster care intake and adoption.

Miffy is a mighty little fighter. Rescued when only 2.5 weeks old and found stumbling off the sidewalk onto a busy Shanghai street, she has already overcome hunger, fleas, mites, and a serious respiratory infection. Miffy's vision could also be permanently affected by the corneal ulcerations (those white spots on her eyes) that have finally cleared up. Easy-going Miffy never lets anything slow her down though, as she hops around the house like a bunny, playing with her favorite toys and chasing after her foster kitten friend Lance. Taking a break from her busy play schedule, Miffy also enjoys snuggling on her foster parents (preferably on your chest or under your neck) or at the top of the cat tree for a good nap.

Adorable Adult Cat Angel: a Little Slice of Heaven

Cat Stats
Name: Angel
Age: Under 2 years
Rescue: From a near-death experience trapped in a basement
Temperament: Sweet, loyal, quiet, and gentle
Status: In foster care for over a year, her biggest fans (i.e. foster parents) feel it's about time Angel meets great adopters to give her the second chance she deserves.

Disciplined is not a word often associated with cats but one that describes this blue-eyed beauty. Angel is gentle and feminine like her name suggests but also curious and playful when the mood strikes. Preferring an invitation, Angel sits patiently by her “people” until they call her onto the bed or sofa for a visit. Now and again she gets a bit ‘chatty' and will follow her person from room to room sharing the details of her busy day.

While other cats beg for treats or gobble up their morsels, Angel is not a big eater. This delicate creature nibbles at her meals and is expected to maintain her svelte figure under that gorgeous white coat. She does love a good game of hide and seek under blankets so visitors are advised to check for moving lumps before taking a seat. Angel is a bit reserved at first with strangers but quickly warms to anyone giving a head scratch.

Found trapped in a basement and unable to free herself, this lovely cat almost met a terrible fate. Had it not been for the persistence of her rescuer who corralled the gate guards to assist with her emancipation, she would have perished alongside her already deceased companion.

Angel is treated for fleas, mites and worms. She is vaccinated, spayed, and is FIV/FeLV negative. Although she is a very affectionate little girl, small children and dogs frighten her so she would be best suited for a quiet adult home.

For more information on giving Angel a good, permanent home please email Lee-Anne at foster@scaashanghai.org

THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

Our deepest thanks once again to all the animal lovers and supporters in Shanghai, around China, and around the world for their generous donations. Every RMB, Dollar, Pound and Euro counts and gently used pet beds, cat trees and towels are always needed for SCAA's Local Project!

• Suzhou Zapatas: RMB 5000
• Yew Cheung International School students, teachers and head Librarian Louise Salter: RMB4,000
• Femke Vandermeulen and Mark Ritger PayPal donation for pet sitting and pet transport help for their Shanghai rescued kitten Poes (rescued while they were here on vacation!) to The Netherlands: US$371
• Anonymous donation in celebration of SCAA foster mom and volunteer Jolanda Van Spijk's milestone (undisclosed!) birthday: RMB1,000
• SMIC Private School Wildlife Around You student club donation: RMB800
• Jaime and Sam Smith (Canada) PayPal donation: US$100
• Mattie Klock (USA) PayPal donation: US$100
• Jacquie Barker (USA) PayPal donation: US$50
• Nina Kong and Ben Joseph (UK) PayPal donation: US$30
• Eddie Woodward (USA) PayPal donation: US$10
• Fangqing Wong PayPal donation: US$5
• Yvonne Rosenlund Swerke: donation of towels for SCAA's Local Project
• Anonymous donation of dog care items
• Anonymous donation of dog bedding and towels

Your Pooch's Summer Pest Control Plan

SCAA adopted dog Lizzy enjoys the great outdoors in comfort

Parasite treatment for your pets is a year-round routine but the hot & humid summer season requires extra care. As we head outdoors to enjoy fun in the sun or shade, pet owners should beware that fleas do not respect our human boundaries; they are easy travelers on clothes thanks to their own amazing ability to jump. Safe, imported protective medication in the form of Frontline Plus and Revolution provide good on and off-animal control against potential flea infestation.

When it comes to protecting our canine companions from fleas and other parasites, Advantix is another product that could be appropriate for some individuals. Other parasites that we need to protect our doggy friends from include mosquitoes and the heartworm (incubated in the horrible little Wen Zi buzzing around everyone's ears), intestinal round, whip, hook and tapeworms, scabies mites, ticks that can carry life threatening cellular parasites and lastly lice, that are fortunately not that common unless around livestock.

For a parasite control plan that's best for your pet, please talk to your veterinarian and avoid buying over-the-counter products as these can be of little use and, depending on the ingredients, could be harmful to your pet.

For details on pet parasite control for your dog in Shanghai, talk to Dr James or Dr Vicky at PAW. For general information on pets and parasites, visit the US-based Companion Animals Parasite Council: http://www.petsandparasites.org/dog-owners

LuShan Framing and Interiors proprietress Sonny Gao has been a generous SCAA sponsor since the organisation's establishment in 2005. Sonny, her husband Xiao Wei (an expert framer) and brother Xiao Lei may be SCAA Founder Carol Wolfson's family, but they are also part of SCAA's foundation. SCAA's first ever rescue, cat Miko, graces the store's hand-woven throw rugs and silk cushions!

Thanks to donations of stunning antiques for SCAA raffles as well as opening their doors to host fundraising sales and events, LuShan has single-handedly provided SCAA foster and project animals with tens of thousands of RMB in medical care.

LuShan specializes in museum-quality framing, made to order furniture, Chinese & Tibetan Antiques, furniture, carpets, Buddhist statuary, ethnic home accessories, and handmade jewelry and charity products.

Visit LuShan's new store:

Putonghua Pet Tips

Cat got your tongue when it comes to explaining your pet care needs in Chinese to Ayi or communicating with well-meaning neighbors or other animal lovers?

SCAA Putonghua Pet Care Tips are here to help. Thanks to foster mom, adopter, and generous donor Winnie Lee for her vital input!

Meet the Steve Austin of Cats!

After a horrific combine harvester accident on his family's farm in the U.K. cut off Oscar's back legs, he was given an amazing chance to lead a normal life thanks to cutting-edge veterinary surgeon Dr Noel Fitzpatrick.

Fitzpatrick, “The Bionic Vet”, has pioneered high-tech surgeries to improve the quality of life of pets like Oscar. The remaining parts of Oscar's leg bones were fused to titanium rods coated with a substance that promotes the growth of bone cells. This lucky cat now happily runs around the house on his groundbreaking prosthetic paws.

Thanks to Dr James Holder for sharing.

662 Adoptions to Date!!

Kittens 404
Cats 128
Puppies 48
Dogs 79
Bunnies 3

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