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Calendar ofEventsPlease join us in participating orcelebrating the following events.Kwik Shop MonthApril 1-30Give at 14 locations in LincolnBe Kind toAnimals WeekMay 6-12Celebrate by volunteering or donatingto TCH!Give to Lincoln DayThursday, May 17 ONLYgivetolincoln.razoo.comSponsored by the Lincoln CommunityFoundationAdopt-A-Cat MonthJuneThe purr-fect month to find your newforever furry friend.4th AnnualWine & HowlJune 2 / 11 am-5 pmDeer Springs Winery, East of LincolnJune Garage SaleJune 22-23Farmer’s MarketJune 30-August 4 / 8 am-12 pmSaturdays at the Haymarket inDowntown LincolnCat Show in SewardOctober 13-14 / Seward Fairgrounds3rd AnnualMeow & ChowOctober 28 / Time TBAScottish Rite Temple in LincolnPAGE 4 SPRING 2012Blind Oskar Helps OutThe Cat HouseBy Martha StoddardIf you have ventured onto the Internet inrecent months, you may have run acrossvideos of an adorable tabby kitten namedOskar. He was born blind and has goneon to charm people around the world.Videos of him battling the hot air from ahair dryer, batting a ball with a bell inside,attacking the Christmas tree and cuddlingwith his big brother, Klaus, have been seenmillions of times.What you may not know is that Klaus,a handsome tabby with white paws anda crumpled ear, is a Cat House alumnus.At TCH, he went by Neffer, and he wasfamous for his ability to open latched doorswhen he wanted to wander the halls. Klausfound a home with Mick and BethanySzydlowski of Omaha in December 2006.Oskar joined the household last summerand the two cats have become best buddies.Oskar’s people posted the first YouTubevideo in October and have added severalmore since. They have set up a blog (www.blindoskar.com) and a Facebook page(www.facebook.com/blindoskar), wherethey share stories about Oskar and Klausand about other special kitties around theworld. They also have Oskar merchandiseavailable online through Café Press and,here’s the really neat part, they are sharingproceeds from the merchandise with TheCat House. So, head online for a happy fixfrom Oskar and Klaus and thank them fortheir support of TCH.Catnip stix, pet beds,and carrier liners!To purchase, stop by the shelter,or call the hotline at 402-441-9593.In addition to monetary donations, you can donate items that we use in the dayto-day care of our feline friends. To arrange a drop-off time and location, you cancall us at 402-441-9593 or email info@thecathouse.org.DRY CAT FOOD Any dry cat food Royal Canin Baby Cat Science Diet W/D, R/D, C/D or K/D* Purina NF*CANNED CAT FOOD Science Diet or Iams – kitten & adult – turkey,chicken, salmon (ground or minced) Fancy Feast – turkey, chicken, salmon(ground or minced) Science Diet A/D, W/D, R/D, C/D, or K/D* Purina NF*CLEANERS Scent-free liquid laundry detergent(sensitive skin) Scent-free dryer sheets (sensitive skin) Clorox bleach (regular type) Anti-bacterial hand soap Dawn dishwashing soap Dishwasher detergent Clorox disposable wipes Hand sanitizerCAT LITTER Non-clumping, regular clay litter (no clumping,pine, or newsprint type litter)SUPPLIES Brooms O’Cedar Light ‘N Thirsty cloth mop refills Paper towels & bathroom tissue Dixie heavyweight disposable bowls, 10 oz Large trash bags (heavy duty) Kitchen and office size trash bags Copier/printer paperMISCELLANEOUS S hallow, stainless steel food/water bowls, 16 ozor larger, with a wide bottom and low sides toaccommodate whiskers! M eat flavored baby food (chicken, turkey, beef, ham) S mall chenille or cotton reversible bath rugs(no rubber backs) Catnip in bulk Rotating teeth combs for cats “Slicker” brushes for cats “Cable Cuffs” or “Cable Clamps” cablemanagement tool Pet carriers, hard plastic with metal doors Large litter boxes without covers Lint rollers* sold at vet clinics

FlowerBy Anne StubbendeckWhen you first meet Flower, she may come off as a shrinkingviolet. Stick around though, because it doesn’t take too long beforeshe starts darting around your feet, asking for attention. Visually,Flower is a darling cat. She will charm you with herblack fur, little white feet and that distinct dollop ofwhite down the center of her sweet face.Flower was born to a feral cat in April 2009. Shewas somewhat socialized by the caretaker of theferal colony when she arrived at TCH in July 2009.Flower was in various rooms in the back of the shelterand didn’t see a lot of people so she remained veryskittish. She was then movedto a room upfront where shecould watch everybody andsee what was going on. Shelearned by observing othershy cats interacting withpeople that humans weren’tso bad after all. Flower reallybegan to “flower” then, to thepoint where she would jumpinto people’s laps.Flower loves people, especially those who are willing to take itslow with her in the beginning. Good things take time, and theseeds of love you plant with Flower will surely bloom. She wouldmake a great companion and a lovely accent to your life.PatchBy Anne StubbendeckThis pretty calico lady is on the lookout for a best friend andcertainly has all the makings of one herself. Patch is, for the mostpart, a laid-back cat, but she has been known to get a little wildand crazy with the stuffed catnip sticks. Patchgraciously accepts pets and praise from visitors.She would certainly open up and become a highlyloving cat in a happy home of her own.Patch was microchipped by TCH before shewas adopted out in June 2009. In September 2011,she was picked up as an outside stray by AnimalControl, scanned for a microchip at the humanesociety, and released to TCH five days later. Itturned out that the original adopter gave Patchto someone else and that individual did not wantPatch back. Sadly, Patch was exposed to the FeLV virus duringthe 2-year period and is now FeLV . If only the adopter hadremembered that even if the phone message says that TCH is“full,” we will ALWAYS take our cats back.Patch currently lives in the Special Unit at TCH for cats withFeLV. She has quite a few wacky roommates whose antics don’tseem to faze her one bit. She spends a lot of her time in the“windows” watching activity on the second floor of the building,being patient and pretty. Looking at Patch, you can tell that shehas a lot to give to a special person who is willing to receive andallow her to be a bright patch in their life.Cats with FeLV have a compromised immune system, which puts them at riskof developing other illnesses, but with proper care, the disease can be managed andcats can live many healthy years. FeLV is incurable and can be transmitted to othercats through prolonged exposure to saliva and other body fluids.These cats are looking for forever homes.Maggie – 2 yearssAutumn – 5 yearAbby, FeLV – 1Izzy – 7 yearsyearSmoke – 4 yearsarsDuchess – 6 yeBree – 2 yearsJulie – 4 yearsVisit our shelter at 1935 Q Street on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6–8 pm and Sundays from 1:30-4 pm. You can alsovisit The Cat House kitties at the PetSmart adoption center located at 5200 N 27th Street.SPRING 2012 PAGE 5

A Card-Carrying VolunteerBy Ann StubbendeckCheryl Johnson is definitely doing her partfor cats in Lincoln. She currently has 12 ofher own and 1 foster cat and volunteersat TCH helping to feed cats and cleanrooms. All of that is already a rather largecharitable donation, but Cheryl doesn’tstop there. A long time craft enthusiast,she decided to start selling her handmadecards at functions and events put on orattended by TCH such as cat shows, craftshows, and The Lincoln Farmer’s Market.And what is the best part? It is that 100%of the proceeds go directly to TCH.This donation of time, talents andmaterials has already supplied TCH with anew computer. Cheryl’s initial goal was toraise 400 for the much needed computerupgrade, but what she ended up withwas 560. On the heels of that success,Cheryl decided that she needed a newgoal, a much bigger one this time. Cherylis currently crafting on a mission to raiseenough money to provide TCH with itsvery own blood pressure equipment, andthat isn’t cheap. Good, vet-quality bloodpressure equipment ranges from 1,200 to 1,400, but Cheryl believes it’s definitely inthe cards for TCH to have it.What would having blood pressureequipment mean toTCH? Hypertensioncan be common inolder cats and is notusuallyrecognizablethrough simple meansof observation. If leftuntreated, hypertensioncan lead to more serioushealth problems suchas blindness and heartfailure. Regular bloodpressure monitoring in cats canhelp prevent these problems, which if leftundetected and untreated over time canresult in premature death. Hypertensioncan also be a clue that a cat is experiencingpoor kidney function or hyperthyroidism.Having blood pressure equipment on siteat TCH would help provide even greaterhealth care for the cats.This goal may take some time to achieve,but the overall response to Cheryl’shandmade cards ( 3), bookmarks (75cents) and pet-themed photo mats ( 2)has been overwhelmingly positive amongpeople looking to give a less generic, andin many cases, moreaffordable alternativetotypicalstoreboughtgreetingcards. Not only arethe cards well madeand adorable, butthey also help supporta local non-profit thatsaves and improves thelives of cats in Lincolnand surrounding areas.People give greetingcards in the hope that they will liftthe spirits and brighten the day of therecipient, and what better way to do thatthan by informing the person that all ofthe proceeds from their greeting card aregoing to such a good cause?If you would like to see or purchaseany of Cheryl’s products, you can doso starting Saturdays in late June at theLincoln Farmer’s Market in the HistoricHaymarket or at any of the various indoorgarage sales that TCH holds throughoutthe year. Cheryl is also in the process ofdeveloping a way to display and sell hercards during open hours at TCH.SPONSORED BY THE LINCOLN COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONGive to Lincoln Day: May 17, 2012What is Give To Lincoln Day?Give To Lincoln Dayis 24 hours of giving tononprofits on Thursday,May 17. Everyone isencouraged to makea gift to the nonprofit organizations theycare about. Please take the opportunity todonate to The Cat House on May 17. The24 hours of giving will run from 12:00 amthrough 11:59 pm on May 17 only.The Lincoln Community Foundationis encouraging people to make their giftsonline at givetolincoln.razoo.com. The CatHouse will be listed as “Cat House”; thenames of nonprofits will be in alphabeticalorder, so look for us under “C.” Gifts willalso be accepted in person during regularPAGE 6 SPRING 2012business hours at the Lincoln CommunityFoundation, 215 Centennial Mall South. Ifneither of these options work for you, callThe Cat House hotline at 402-441-9593before May 17, and special arrangementswill be made to accommodate you. 2,500 will be awarded for first place, 1,500 for second and 1,000 for third.The minimum donation is 10. There isno maximum donation limit; however, theproportional share of the 200,000 matchfund may not apply to large donations. 200,000 Challenge Match Three Bonus GrantsMore information about GiveTo Lincoln Day can be found atwww.GiveToLincoln.com.Every donation made on May 17 will helpnonprofits even more because they will alsoreceive a proportional share of a 200,000challenge match fund provided by theLincoln Community Foundation and theirpartner sponsors.The Lincoln Community Foundationalso will provide three bonus grants to thethree nonprofits that have the most donorsmaking gifts during Give To Lincoln Day.Please mark your calendar NOWand give to The Cat House onMay 17 so that together, wecan help more cats in Lincolnand stop the needless killing ofhomeless cats!

Kitty LitHomer’s Odyssey by Gwen CooperA book review by Jeff KennedyWhen Gwen Coopergot a call from herveterinarian sayingshe had an eyeless4-week-old kittenup for adoption,Gwen firmly toldher “no.” Gwen wasliving paycheck-topaycheck in a rentedroom in a friend’s house, she had just brokenup from a long-term relationship, and,worst, she already had two cats and fearedbeing categorized as a “crazy cat lady” if sheadopted a third. The veterinarian persisted,saying that the couple who found the kittenhad opted for euthanasia, and everyone onher list for potential adoptions said no tothe little black, blind cat. Only Gwen wasleft. With a sigh, Gwen told the vet she’d seehim but offered no promises.Upon meeting the tiny cat, Gwen couldn’trefuse. The blind kitten came to live withher and her two cats in their rented room.Soon she named him Homer after theallegedly blind Greek poet who authoredThe Odyssey. In the book’s forward, theveterinarian, Dr. Patricia Khuly, wrote,“(Homer) will always remind me thatthere’s nothing a partnership between aveterinarian, a loving owner, and onefighting patient can’t achieve.”Homer’s Odyssey tells the story of twofocal characters. One is Homer himself; theother is the author. It had been assumedthat because Homer was blind since birth,he would be “underachieving” and “lessindependent” than a typical cat. Homer wasquick to challenge that assumption and, infact, prove the opposite. Gwen Cooper wasa college graduate in her mid-20s when sheadopted the cat, and the story can be takenas her maturing, much of which could beattributed by the influence Homer had onher.The main lessons Gwen learned fromHomer can be narrowed down to twoprimary themes: Courage and Love. Theseare reflected in the book’s subtitle: A FearlessFeline Tale, or How I Learned About Loveand Life with a Blind Wonder Cat.Courage is something Homer exhibitedfrom the very beginning and only continuedto grow throughout the narrative. Gwenfound herself making life decisions moreintentionally focused on “nothing ventured,nothing gained” as opposed to her previousmore cautionary, conservative decisionmaking. She attributed much of this toHomer, writing about his own courage:“Every leap from a chair back or tabletop istaken on faith, a potential leap into the abyss.Every ball chased down a hallway is an act ofimplicit bravery. Every curtain or countertopclimbed, every overture of friendship toa new person, every step forward takenwithout guidance into the dark void of theworld around him is a miracle of courage.”The other trait that Homer exhibited wasextreme extroversion. He truly was a catwho never met a stranger and was willingto offer his unconditional love, .well,unconditionally. Yet, while he was willing togive love freely, he wasn’t desperate for lovein return. Any cat lover or volunteer at TheCat House knows many cats who have thistrait, but the importance of Homer havingit was the effect it had on Gwen, who wasnavigating the waters of her young careerand the dating scene.The stories throughout the book rangefrom inspiring to laugh-out-loud funny, toemotionally touching. At one point Homerproved his dexterity and overcomingphysical abilities by jumping five feet inthe air to catch a fly mid-flight. Anotheranecdote shows his courage and his love byhis chasing off an intruder who had brokeninto Gwen’s apartment. A third incidenthas Gwen bringing home a date only tobe greeted at the door by a pleased Homercarrying in his mouth a tampon.Perhaps the most moving and rivetingpoint in the book came when Gwen,whose apartment was just six blocks fromthe World Trade Center, was not allowedto return to her building for three daysfollowing the September 11, 2001, attacks.She describes in great detail her emotionsabout being separated from her cats, notknowing how they were, as well as theeerie change in New York City followingthe attacks. These two chapters have greatinsight into what it was like in post 9/11New York for someone who lived andworked blocks away from Ground Zero.Homer proves to be a special catwho transcends being a “special needs”cat by overcoming his limitations. Heis a wonderful example of a feline ofenormous spirit and puts to rest the idea of“unadoptable” animals.This book is highly recommended. GwenCooper’s writing is thoughtful, descriptive,and engaging. Her life stories have ahumility about them as she describes herevolution from a mid-20s “sex-in-the-city”girl to a stable, married, professional writer.Her relationships with her cats, especiallyHomer, lie at the forefront of the story. Asit states in the book jacket, this is a book for“anybody who’s ever fallen completely andhelplessly in love with a pet.”Nora & LilaLight the Night for Lila and NoraLila is blind and needs surgery to removeher left eye, which is affected by glaucoma,and to reconstruct her right upper eyelid.There is a small chance that she may beable to see out of the right eye after thesurgery. Nora also needs surgery for herright upper eyelid. Surgery will cost about 2,000. Please go to www.thecathouse.org/donate to help cover these costs.SPRING 2012 PAGE 7

Jerry’s GemsDear Jerry,My friend says cats should stay indoors.I disagree. I grew up on a farm and wealways had cats outside. Shouldn’t catshave a chance to get out and roam? Won’tthey be bored inside?Signed, Open Door PolicyDear Open Door:Hey, hey, Jerry here! I’m taking over thiscolumn from Vonda. She got a nice homeand wanted to retire from the advice catbusiness. She asked if I would step insince I always have something to say. Iwas happy to oblige.Now, about your question. Your friendis obviously someone who really caresabout cats and wants to do the best forthem. I’ll bet your friend’s cats live a lotlonger and are a lot healthier than thoseyou knew on the farm. Am I right? Ofcourse, I am.Now, some cats might disagree. I’vebeen at The Cat House long enough tohave met cats who lived outdoors andcats who divided their time betweeninside and outside. They may talk aboutgreat adventures, but I’ve noticed theylike the indoor life just fine and they don’thave much to say about the bad parts ofbeing outside.There are lots of bad things, though.Take cars. I think cars are scary enough.I mean, you get in one of them and thenext thing you know, you’ll be at the vet.But when cats try to dodge them on thestreet or highway, cats can lose big time.My friend Cheddar got hit by a car and itbroke his pelvis. He was laid up for a longtime but at least he lived. Lots of othersdon’t survive.continued on page 9PAGE 8 SPRING 2012Hope and homeBy Denise AndersonIn Greek mythology, Pandora receiveda box as a gift from the Gods. She gotcurious and opened the box, releasing allthe evils of mankind. But Pandora closedthe box before hope escaped, so humansalways have hope. For cats, the gift theyare hoping for is a home where they canlive the rest of their lives. Two older catsfrom The Cat House found that foreverhome when they were adopted recently bya wonderful couple.Elaine came to TCH in 2010, a move shewas not particularly happy about. She wasan introvert and not always welcomingof human company. Then she developedringworm and had to go into quarantine,which meant less chance to interactwith people. She became friendlier aftergetting over the ringworm and receivinglots of love from vo

and picked up the book Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul. While reading the book, she found a story about a woman who started a Pet Therapy program at local assisted living facilities using a beloved dog. The idea resonated with Shawntel who thought, “The Cat