by Connie TuckerSpecial to the Aroostook Republican
Did you know that owning a cat can add as many as ten years to your life? The Berlin Longevity Institute says just picking up a cat has a calming effect causing your blood pressure to drop and your heart rate to slow down.
Contributed photoRonald Nedeau is a valued Comfort Care Volunteer at the Caribou Pet Rescue. Ronald is a friend to our animals, and they look forward to sharing each Thursday afternoon with him. He brushes most of the cats, and then, if weather permits, he spends quality time with the dogs. Here, Kermit is enjoying quality time with his comfort care friend.
This is a great reason to celebrate the American Humane Society’s Adopt-a-Cat Month in June. If you cannot adopt at this time, consider coming into Caribou Pet Rescue to help brush and love the cats as a comfort care volunteer.
Volunteers are always needed for comfort care. Dogs also have a great effect on their owner’s health. But this month is Adopt-A-Cat Month. Caribou Pet Rescue is filled to capacity with beautiful cats waiting for someone to love.
Comfort-care (CC) volunteers do exactly what the description implies; they comfort. Volunteers can choose to work primarily with dogs or cats. Some CC volunteers spread their time between both.
Dogs love to get out for long walks, run, play, and tumble in the fenced backyard with energetic humans. Some CC volunteers sit and pet a cat or spend time gently brushing animals. Comfort care is an important socialization tool. Kittens can learn to play nice with visiting young children and their parents if they are regularly and gently loved by a volunteer.
An important way comfort care helps is that it prevents frightened, lonely animals from becoming overly stressed. Many animals cannot cope in a cage environment and become deeply depressed. Other animals suffer from the lack of human touch and the need for regular human attention.
Depressed animals show disinterest in shelter activities, they withdraw, they stop playing with littermates, and they often develop behavioral problems like excessive barking or grooming, or destructive chewing or clawing at their cage or pen.
A significant symptom of depression is loss of appetite. If depression is severe, an animal might become physically ill—something every employee and volunteer watches for closely and intervenes as soon as possible. A CC volunteer can turn things around by spending extra time with a needy pet and by informing a shelter employee that the pet might need extra attention or even a foster home.
We consider our CC volunteers beautiful cultured pearls. They help our pets through the rough spots of life changes, abuse, or abandonment.
Our ongoing summer tent sale features “Make an Offer” through June month during National Adopt-a-Cat month. We have a variety of very nice items on sale, and they can be viewed and purchased any time during our public hours. Please call the shelter.
June is Adopt a Shelter Cat Month. To celebrate our furry feline friends, Caribou Pet Rescue is keeping the low $25. adult cat (over six months of age) adoption price throughout the month of June. But on July 1, the price for all felines will revert to $75. Where else can you save fifty dollars and make a loyal, happy and loving friend? This special $25. price includes our cost of a leukemia test, treatment of all parasites including ear mites, worms and fleas, spay/neuter surgery, rabies and age-appropriate distemper shots. That’s about $130 worth of medical care for only $25. Remember, the price goes back up the first of July.
Also, both North Country Animal Hospital and Presque Isle Animal Hospital offer CPR adopters a free wellness health appointment within 30 days of adoption of any pet from Caribou Pet Rescue.
CPR is currently experiencing a shortage of cat litter, Purina Kitten Chow, and laundry soap. We use plain litter for kittens and clumping litter for adult cats and economical store brand laundry soap. Please drop off your donations at the shelter during our public hours. For your convenience, you can also purchase items at Paradis Shop ’n Save and drop them in our donation cart by the front door.
We are always happy to see returnable bottles dropped off at our shelter as this is a great help to our ongoing expenses. Thank you for all you do.
Thank you for your support through donations and volunteerism. Our shelter is located at 6 Richards Road in Caribou. Our mailing address is P.O. Box 488, Caribou, ME 04736. Our telephone number is 498-3800. Caribou Pet Rescue, Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Donations are tax-deductible.
Please visit www.petfinder.com/shelters/ME67.html to see our adorable, adoptable pets. Remember—Neuter and Spay! It’s the ONLY way!
