Come check out our “Adopt-A-Kennel” program where our local individuals and businesses can show the community their support for our area’s homeless animals. This month’s (SEPTEMBER) Adopt-A-Kennel is in memory of Wayne Cook, loved and missed by so many. A very special thanks to all of our sponsors for their continuing support. It’s the perfect way to honor someone or memorialize them by adopting a kennel in their name. Call us for more information or visit our website www.mccookhumanesociety.com for more information and to fill out a form online. You can also sponsor an adoption for one of our available pets if you’d like to help out in that way.
We’ve had some very loving people come in and sponsor adoptions to help make sure that our temporarily homeless furry friends find homes for the holidays. Come on in and see who’s adoption fees have been completely paid for: Jolene, Blu, Chimera and Malibu. Some wonderful pets have found truly amazing forever homes because of these generous people.
Exciting times right now… We’re still trying to Clear the Shelter! Right now and until the end of the event on September 10th… It’s “Who Let the Dogs Out – Please Let the Dogs Out” time! All available dogs who are not already FREE are only $25 plus tax to approved applicants. We are still overwhelmingly full of our canine friends, they come in faster than we can adopt them out, so please come on in and help us “Let the Dogs Out” and Clear the Shelter!
We’re looking forward to a very special Nail Day event on Saturday, September 14th. Watch for more details on our “Tips, Chips & Dips” event, where you can get your furkid’s nail’s trimmed and you can get them microchipped. They get a bag of goodies and you’ll get chips and dip!
Don’t forget to get registered for our 1st Wiener Dog Race. It’s going to be at Norris Park on September 21st! You can register at the Shelter or here on our website. Call us for more information out the McCook Chamber’s Facebook page, or ours!
Spay/Neuter Fees waived… A wonderfully generous anonymous donor has decided that it was time to let the dog’s at the shelter get help in finding homes also. This friend of the shelter started a spay/neuter reimbursement fund for them because, as she said, “they need help finding permanent loving homes also”. So, spay/neuter fees will be waived on all dogs who have been available for adoption for over 30 days, until this fund is depleted. At this time the spay/neuter reimbursement fees are still being waived for the felines. We will continue to waive the spay/neuter fees until the Linda Hedges/Mary Ellinger Memorial fund is depleted. We have truly seen a dramatic increase in the feline adoptions since we’ve been able to waive the spay/neuter fees for them, let’s see if it helps with their barking friends. If you’d like to make a contribution to help either of these funds continue, please make sure that you let us know that it’s for the fund. You can stop by, call us, email us, Facebook us, or reach out on the “Contact Us” form on our website for help.
Don’t forget to “Like” us on Facebook, Instagram or check us out on TikTok to keep up to date on all of the upcoming fun events, job openings and fundraisers and when checking out our website, make sure you check out our section featuring our Up To The Minute Pet Listings!
Did Ya Know: Introducing a New Cat into your home to your current Cat can sometimes be challenging, but these tips may help. Have you ever introduced a new kitty in your home? If so, you know cats need a few icebreakers to get acquainted with each other – and getting-to-know-you games for felines are all about scents and sounds. And though sweet to us humans, kitties can be very territorial with other animals – so slowly introducing them to one another is the best way to find success. Ideally, your new and current cats have been around animals (especially cats) before. If not, these tips may help ease your pets into becoming best buds, and always make sure to give both kitties plenty of TLC.
The Greeting Door: Keep the new cat in a separate room so that current cat(s) can get acquainted with him or her – they can play under the door, get used to each other’s scents, and start to realize there’s another cat in the house. One thing you can try is putting their food bowls on either side of the door – close enough that they associate something enjoyable like eating with the new kitty’s scent, but far enough away that it doesn’t make either cat nervous. The door is also a nice way to let them meet face-to-face – after they’ve experienced each other’s scents, try cracking the door just a little bit so the cats can see one another. Doing this a few times over the course of a few days is a great way to slowly introduce them – though it’s best to keep everyone fully separated when you’re not home to supervise visits like these.
The Swap: Because cats rely heavily on their sense of smell, getting them used to other animals’ scents is key. After a few days, try swapping the cats’ blankets or beds. Let the current cat sniff the new cat’s empty carrier. Switch who has free reign of the house, and who is separated in the room (try not to let the cats see each other, since The Greeting Door won’t be there as a barrier).
The Meeting: After a few days of sniffing and swapping places, it’s time to let them share the same space. Place them in the same room and watch how they interact – if they seem cordial, consider it a win! If they just sit and stare at each other, encourage them to play together with a toy. Hissing is normal, but if they start to fight, break it up with loud clapping or a startling noise. Continued fighting might mean starting the whole introduction process again, but keep in mind that it’ll take time for them to get fully acquainted – especially if the current cat is much older and not used to other felines in the house. One suggestion is providing one litterbox per cat and plenty of hiding spaces around the house – this way, each cat has a bit of territory and safe places to retreat. Keeping separate feeding spots is also a good idea. While you can’t force cats to like each other, the gradual approach helps make the transition smoother.