Good morning, friends! Boy, it sure is quiet around the shelter house this morning. Miranda took  several of the kittens on a field trip to the track, so they'll be gone most of the day. (Yes, I remembered to pack sunscreen for them as well as their juice boxes.) 'Wish I could have gone with them, but I'm taking care of the tiny babies while the older ones are out having a really fun day.

My main reason for blogging this morning is to let you all know that Cats Haven will not be at the Rally's Flea and Farmers market on west 86th Street today. We were there Friday and Saturday, and our tent kept falling over because of the wind. Barb and I made the executive decision to not go today, so if you're planning to come by and sit a spell with Barb, please know that she won't be there. We've got all kinds of other events planned in the coming week, however.

Our good friend Amy Van Ostrand of  IndyPAW needs a lot of good, positive energy sent her way right now. Her dog friend Melanie is very sick, and while the vets are doing all they can do for her, all of our prayers and good thoughts need to be directed towards Melanie and her family. Hang in there, Amy. We see miracles here at the shelter every single day. All the cats and kittens here are putting out lots and lots of powerful healing energy to Melanie. Most of us here at the shelter aren't sure what a dog actually is, but if you love her, that's all we need to know. Please keep us posted, Amy, and let us know how she's doing . . . and how YOU are doing as well. Big kitty hugs to you.

Wow, with Miranda and the kittens gone for another few hours, I can actually take a nap! Have a good day everyone! - Raspberry

Hi, friends!!! Wow, is it a gorgeous day today or what? Kinda chilly, but it's so nice to see the sun! Today at the shelter, our morning kitten class was all about lounging in the sun, getting warm, and ignoring anyone who asks us to move. Everyone did great, too! Some of the kittens already have that tail flick down without a lot of instruction. We truly have a crop of exceptional kittens this season!!

Did you guys know that we've got an event going on this weekend? We do!! We've got a booth at the Rally's Flea and Farmer's Market at 86th and Michigan Road! This is such a cool event because there are all kinds of booths and they've got specials on burger, hot dogs, fries, and drinks. They also have a DJ playing dance music . . . maybe we can get Barb dancing again like we did last weekend, hmmm? More on that in a minute. Hahaha! But if you're out and about over the weekend and feel like grabbing a burger and some tasty fries, stop by and have lunch with Barb. She's got catnip toys for sale as well as some of her PURRR-FECT Gypsy Cat beaded jewelry. Y'never know, maybe I'll be there, too!!

For the moment, I've got to get back to the kittens. Miranda is handing out their pre-nap juice boxes and we've got so many babies that she needs help. But I'll blog more over the weekend and tell you all about our Spring Fling! Wow, did we ever have a good time! I got to spend the day out in the yard, meeting and greeting guests . . . I'll tell you all about it later. For now, have a good weekend! - Raspberry 

Hello again, friends! Raspberry, shelter manager for Cats Haven, here blogging on a Monday night. I sure hope everyone had a good weekend. The weather was good and we were all enjoying the smells and sounds of Spring as we sat in the windows this weekend and today. I love Spring. It's my favorite time of year . . . next to Summer, and Thanksgiving, and Christmas, and . . . 

I have some good news and bad news tonight. Let's get the bad news out of the way first. My good friend Sue (the original Sue, not the Other Sue) had a very bad day today. Her old friend Sailor the dog started failing last night, and he crossed over late this morning. Sue had found Sailor along the side of Interstate 65 back in February, cold, hungry, thirsty, and dying. So she stopped and picked him up and took him to her house. He was a mess, and the vet said he was very very old. But over the last few months, he's had a home with a soft bed, lots of good food, plenty of water, and people to love him. Last night, tho, his old body just couldn't take any more. And by this morning, he was in pretty bad shape. So Sailor was given permission to cross the Rainbow Bridge, and that's where he'll wait for Sue and Mil to join him later down the road. Sue, I'm really sorry you lost your friend, but you did a wonderful thing by caring for an old dog that someone had just left to die along the side of the road. All of us kitties at the shelter send big fuzzy hugs your way, and we're planning a ceremony later tonight to wish your friend Sailor safe passage. 

We have also lost a few kittens, too. Kittens are such fragile things, especially when they are very very young. We've had to say goodbye to Waldo and his brother, a couple of the feral kittens, and a couple more. It's not unusual to lose so many, considering the number that we've got in the shelter right now, but it's still hard to see them go. Barb and I both think that they'll come back in healthy bodies, tho. At least they were loved and cared for while they were here. 

But NOW for some good news! Barb, Sue, and the Other Sue spent the weekend in a no-kill advocacy seminar. Wow, did they ever learn a lot! They all went home tired, but filled with new ideas and a renewed commitment to helping make Indianapolis a no-kill community. They saw lots of their friends there, and made new friends who share common goals. Thanks, Barb, Sue, and the Other Sue, for taking your time this past weekend to go to this workshop.  And now I have good news about our kittens. Most of them are doing just great, very few are still needing to be hand fed, and a few of them are ready to be spayed and neutered! That means they'll be ready really soon to find their fur-ever homes! And speaking of finding fur-ever homes, big congratulations go out to Benjamin and Princess Peaches for WOWing their new families. They both have gone to new homes in the past week. 

And even MORE good news . . . we're putting the finishing touches on our Spring Fling this Saturday, and I expect to see you all at our super-fun event! Check out the special page that I've created for this to see who all and what all we'll have for everyone. Bring the kids and c'mon by! All proceeds go to the shelter, so you can have tons of fun *and* help all of us at the same time.

Well, guys, it's getting late and I need to get to bed. I've got a very early morning tomorrow. Dzana will be here to help with Kitten Classes, and Miranda will want to go over the days menu with me first things. These kittens are so picky. Some want cherry yogurt and some want Teddy Grahams. And some want Fred Flintstone vitamins and others want Dino Flintstone vitamins. So have a good week, everybody, and plan to be at our Spring Fling this coming Saturday! Later, friends - Raspberry