Cool Tricks – January ’25 Sanctuary Update
Hi Everyone!
Wow! Has it been a cold January!! Let’s hope February and March take it easier on us. While this weather can be rough on us humans, it’s even more problematic for the furry friends at the sanctuary. We often mention that, as nice as the sanctuary is for our resident animals, it is still not the same as being home. And this time of year makes that fact very clear. Compared with living in a home, the entertainment options here are quite limited. The cold only makes the options more limited, as it’s at best unenjoyable, and at worst dangerous, for the dogs to be out for their full activity times. And while the cats still get access to their catios, they rarely make use of them at this time of year. Even the small animals, who are highly influenced by daylight cycles, find their activity time affected by the shorter days, if not directly by the cold. So, as is so often the case, it’s up to our staff and volunteers to get creative with entertaining our residents until spring comes. Let’s take a look at some of what we do!
There are many tried and true standbys for fighting off the winter blahs at the sanctuary. We have some indoor heated areas for the dogs to get in out of the cold on their activities, as well as the fun of a car ride around our lovely scenic area. A couple of our dogs have even been able to go shopping at the local Petco and Home Depot. And the cats have a wide assortment of toys to choose from and lots of fun food puzzle activities to keep them working. But our team is never happy to keep relying on the same old solutions.
The dog team has been investing lots of brain cells on finding new games and puzzles to play indoors. Neo has been learning to play cornhole by picking up and dropping a particular toy in the target hole. Missy is an expert at what we call “dot work,” where a colored dot or other shape is placed on the floor and she performs certain tricks according to what shape is there. And our little evil genius, Juno, is learning various things to do when presented with a basket in particular positions. She’s our Juno-in-a-box!
Not to be outdone, our cat team has been running on overdrive with crazy cat tricks. Ringing bells, giving high fives, even playing tiny pianos are all on the menu for kitty fun time. One of our biggest stars recently has been Captain Crunch, who has learned to run on the giant wheel in Jane’s Place and is starting to learn to ride a skateboard.
And with this being our first winter with the little critters, we’re learning tons about what that all means for their care and activity levels. For instance, if you were to stop by the hamster/gerbil/mouse room regularly around mid-day, you might think that they were boring and just slept all of the time. But once the sun goes down, which happens quite early this time of year, it’s party time for these guys. Luckily, we’ve been expanding our volunteer team more and more into the later day and evening, making sure they get all the love they need. On the opposite end, our staff and volunteers have been loving the “dawn chorus” of guinea pig chirping and squealing that greets them when they arrive around sunrise each day. Winter has been quite the wonderland of fun in our newest cottage!
Valentine’s Day is coming up, and our sanctuary guests would love to be your valentine! During the month of February, we are running a “Not-So-Secret Admirer” wish list drive for our favorite furry friends! Gift a fun toy or yummy treat to your favorite, dog, cat, or small animal, and share the love! Click here for the link to our Amazon wish list. Thank you!
Patches’ Purr-spective
Welcome to 2025!! I’m Patches and, even though it came from the worst of circumstances, I’m excited to get the chance to share my thoughts with you. And my first and most important thought is Thank You! From my new perch at the corner of Sebastian House overlooking the Sanctuary, I can see full well just how miserable the conditions are out there some days. And yet the parking lot always fills up and there are always bodies moving about, even if they’re under several layers of clothes. Your dedication to being here no matter what the elements throw at you is inspiring. Having you here to play and snuggle and just keep us company makes a world of difference in helping us feel safe, happy, and loved. All of which gives us a better shot at going home someday. As we bear through the rest of the coming winter together, just remember that we’re here waiting to see you and help warm your laps and your hearts.
Can’t wait to see you again!
Patches
And of Course…Adoptions!!
In spite of the cold weather, adoption action is still running hot! On the cat side, it was all about the twins this month, with Blitzen and Vixen and Thelma and Louise finding their forever homes. Joining the feline fun this month were Buttons and Twix. On the dog side, we welcomed Eddy and all of his fluffiness in January. And with the little critters, rabbits Marceline and Waffles, guinea pig Luna, and hamster Sophie all went home this month, with rabbits Willow and Nimbus coming in as our newest guests.
Thank you all so much for whatever way you support us and our mission. We couldn’t do it without you.
Jon Phillips
Sanctuary Director
These newsletters are a real highlight of my day. You all do such a great job putting them together….the text and the photos/videos. Thank-you!
We’re so happy to hear you enjoy our newsletters! Thank you so much!