• "Special-needs cats make good pets, too" Cheri March, The Lincoln News Messenger, February 8, 2008
• "FieldHaven sends its greetings" Lien Hoang, The Lincoln News Messenger, July 21, 2007
• "Cat Trap Fever" D.E. Kern, The Lincoln News Messenger, Mar. 1, 2007
• "Zoo is Cat's Meow - A colony of felines befriended by a local man soon will have a new home." Apr. 24, 2006
• "It's Kittens for Christmas" Richard Myers, The Lincoln News Messenger, Nov. 23, 2005

• "Bookstore owner honored for supporting animal welfare groups" Apr. 02, 2007
• "See That Kitty in the Window - Online!" Nov. 24, 2006
• "Prevent Teenage Pregnancy – Spay and Neuter Your Cats" Nov. 1, 2006
• "Local animal rescue groups will be well fed." Jun. 23, 2006
• "Iams Home 4 The Holidays wins prestigous award." Jun. 14, 2006
• "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Kittens for Christmas." Nov. 14, 2005

Lincoln-based FieldHaven Feline Rescue's Board Member Sharon Kurth presented a first-ever Business Sponsor Certificate of Appreciation and Recognition Plaque to The Almost Perfect Bookstore owner, Kelley Ulmer, her employees and their customers. Kelley and her customers have been donating books to benefit local animal welfare organizations since the used bookstore opened its doors some fifteen years ago.

Present at the award was Lynn Willingham of Penryn who received used books from Kelley since the store opened its doors, raising over $340,000 for local animal charities. Lynn hosted frequent barn and book sales which ended in 2006 when she went into retirement from on-site sales at her home. More recently, Lynn continues to pick up about a thousand used books a day from Kelley and distributes them to local animal welfare agencies that hold sales themselves, to animal welfare thrift stores for resale, or to independent buyers whose purchases go directly to the animal welfare organizations. FieldHaven has been one of the organizations involved with used books for resale, earning $3,866 during 2006.

After 15 years in the same Roseville location, The Almost Perfect Bookstore managed to fit the inventory of 340,000 books into 2,400 square feet. Because browsing for titles was a challenge for her customers, Kelley moved the store into a new space four times bigger than its old one. Since March 1st , The Almost Perfect Bookstore now occupies the former site of Naturewood Furniture Store in the Raley's shopping center, (at 1901 Douglas Blvd., Roseville); the new location is only a short walk from where it started.

FieldHaven President, Joy Smith appreciates the support of both Lynn and Kelley. "We depend on them as resources for used books that makes our Annual Barn and Book Sale (held each September) so successful. We will call on both of them to help and they won't let us down."

Joy went on to say, "With so many non-profits dependent upon contributions and fundraising as major sources of funding, it is South Placer County's good fortune to have Lynn and Kelley helping to support animal welfare programs."

Holiday shoppers look forward each year to seeing the lively window display of adoptable cats and kittens from FieldHaven Feline Rescue at Il Giardino in historic downtown Lincoln. They will be back in the window starting today but with an added facet; a live Kitty Cam will allow feline lovers from anywhere share in the fun by logging onto FieldHaven's website and view a live action webcam of the window.

The Kitty Window display is part of FieldHaven's holiday adoption event in conjunction with the Iams Home 4 the Holidays campaign sponsored by Helen Woodward Animal Center and The Iams Company. More than 2,100 pet adoption centers plan to participate in Iams Home 4 the Holidays 2006, an event organized to raise awareness of the joys of owning shelter-adopted pets.

"The holiday adoption campaign has been successful in past years in placing cats and kittens in homes and we're hoping the addition of the webcam will spread the word even more." said Joy Smith, President and Co-founder of FieldHaven. "The more we can get the word out that shelter pets make the best 4-legged family members the more lives we can save".

The window display at 577 G St (Highway 65) in Lincoln will continue through December 24th although the Home 4 the Holidays campaign runs until the end of December. FieldHaven will also have other venues for adoptions during the holiday season. All events will be listed on the online calendar at www.fieldhaven.com.

FieldHaven Feline Rescue is a tax-exempt non-profit organization whose purpose is to provide sanctuary to homeless cats and kittens while in transition to permanent homes and educate the community on responsible pet ownership. The shelter is located at 2754 Ironwood Drive in Lincoln. More information can be obtained by calling 916-434-6022 or visiting www.fieldhaven.com.

Many people don’t realize a 6 month old "teenage" female cat can get pregnant. That means kittens born earlier this year can be having their own kittens by the end of the year. Most of those kittens are unwanted and will go without homes. FieldHaven Feline Rescue and PetSmart Charities are partnering in a campaign to encourage pet owners to spay and neuter their cats to help prevent the spread of homeless cats and kittens.

With SNAP (Spay Neuter Assistance Program) FieldHaven is providing financial assistance to residents of Lincoln and several nearby communities to have their cats spayed and neutered. FieldHaven is focusing on stray and feral cats that are homeless that are being cared for by citizens but will also provide assistance to low income families for their personal cats. The Lincoln-based feline rescue organization will assist with transportation, equipment for trapping and recovering feral cats and guidance on how to address the problem of unfixed neighborhood cats.

SNAP is funded in part by a grant of $10,000 from PetSmart Charities. Benefits of the program include spaying, neutering and vaccination. Residents of Lincoln, Newcastle, Sheridan and Wheatland qualify for the use of SNAP funds. Animal Spay and Neuter in Auburn will be performing the surgeries. FieldHaven can be reached at 916-434-6022 and Animal Spay and Neuter is at 530-889-8800.

"FieldHaven Feline Rescue’s spay/neuter program is a great example of taking the initiative to improve the local community," said Susana Della Maddalena, Executive Director of PetSmart Charities. "Targeted programs like these are the key to successful, low-cost spay/neuter in local communities. Cumulatively, they are making a huge impact on pet overpopulations nationwide."

Zoo is cats' meow

In weeks ahead, when visitors to the Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary marvel at a colony of feral cats stretching and yawning and doing what cats do, they will be witnessing the legacy of a Citrus Heights man who lived among the cats - and loved them like family - until his dying days.

Robert Bauder scraped his way through the Great Depression, survived a couple of heart attacks, buried two wives and suffered through three bouts of cancer, the last of which killed him nearly a year ago at 84. When his cancer of the esophagus got so bad that he was unable to eat, it was Bauder's cats - semi-wild and elusive felines holed up in and around his home - that gave him comfort. They had been constant, quirky companions for decades.

What would become of them when he was gone? The answer came too late for Bauder. But his cats will live on, thanks to an unlikely friendship and an even unlikelier zoo exhibit.

Construction is expected to start shortly on the Folsom zoo's feral cat exhibit and be completed in two months, according to spokeswoman Roberta Ratcliff. Officials are not aware of any similar zoo exhibit in the United States.

The zoo will be home to a dozen of Bauder's cats, and the exhibit is expected to be popular once it opens, likely by summer. Last year, the zoo housed cats from the local animal shelter, and officials were surprised by how many zoogoers it attracted. "It's odd, but they would spend maybe 20 to 30 minutes just looking at cats," said Ratliff.

Bauder's family donated $15,000 from his estate toward the project, which will feature a cat house, a tunnel and an enclosed garden. The zoo is trying to raise $5,000 more for long-term maintenance and other expenses.

Bauder was a throwback of a man. Notoriously frugal, he was known to rummage through other people's garbage in the middle of the night, looking for things he could use. He almost always wore a plaid shirt and his pants usually were hiked up with clip-on suspenders.

His 1,600-square-foot house, which was built in the 1950s on 4 acres, became home to the first feral cats when a spring on the garage door broke and Bauder never got around to fixing it.

"That became a big cat house," said Bauder's stepson, Jeff Sinclair.

The cats would crawl and hide wherever they could. Many followed the ductwork into the attic, which became a safe - and occasionally precarious - place to bear kittens. Some of the cats would fall from the attic and become trapped in the walls on the ground floor. That explains Bauder's makeshift renovations - he punched holes in the walls in practically every room so the cats could escape.

Bauder may have loved the cats and cared for them, but by modern standards he was going about it all wrong. "Dad always enjoyed it, and the cats were just always around, but I was annoyed, to be honest, because I thought he should have taken them in to be fixed," said Bauder's daughter, Janiece Greenberg, of Westford, Mass. "He fed them, and in his mind he was doing the right thing."

The solution these days for feral cat colonies is humane trapping, followed by spaying and neutering the cats, then returning them to the colony to live out their lives. In Bauder's case, the population was often out of control, and many cats became sick and injured, though they all were given names and, when the time came, a proper burial on the property.

Bauder grew concerned about the fate of the cats once he realized he was dying. In 2002, he contacted a cat rescue group to help him.

Lisa James - then a volunteer for Folsom Feline Rescue, she now volunteers for Fluff Buddies - showed up at the house and began trapping the cats. That first day, she pulled three litters of kittens out from under the house, making them available for adoption.

The more she returned, the better she got to know Bauder, an enthusiastic cook who usually invited her inside for a meal. The two spent hours talking, and Bauder would describe many of his adventures and memories of decades past. "He was so appreciative. He would always feed me," said James. "I think he felt bad that it was so out of control, because he loved the cats."

Bauder's frugal nature was evident at every turn. The dining room had become a storage pantry for all the cans he collected and the bargains he bought through the years. Restaurant leftovers went into a napkin he stuffed into his shirt pocket, to be unfurled later for the cats. "He used to tell me that a bargain was something you don't need at a price you can't pass up," James said.

Bauder's property was ideal for a feral cat colony, with 2 acres completely fenced, a large barn, shed, dog run, chicken coop, camp trailer and all kinds of other buildings that provided suitable shelter for people-shy cats, James said.

Feral cats rarely will allow humans to get close, because they had no such contact in their formative days. But Bauder was around his cats long enough that they wouldn't scatter when he was nearby. Some even allowed him to pet them.

James remembers one incident when Bauder donned a tuxedo to attend his niece's wedding. "He stepped out on the porch and all the cats scattered, because they didn't recognize him" she said.

Inspired by Bauder's kindness and his love for his cats, James approached the Folsom zoo with the idea of a feral cat exhibit. She waited so long for an answer that she nearly gave up. Finally, just days after Bauder died, the zoo told James it wanted to build the exhibit.

"It seems the cats changed both their lives," said Ratliff. "The cats are the ones that are being saved, but I think it enriched Robert's and Lisa's lives as well."

"I think it's wonderful what the zoo is doing," said Greenberg. "Let's face it: He created a problem, but he dealt with it in a way that doesn't surprise me. He just really loved those cats, and he worried about them."

On the day of Bauder's memorial service, James pulled the last kittens from his property, which was recently sold. The kittens were put up for adoption. The 12 shy and semi-wild cats that will become zoo attractions are living at an undisclosed location until the exhibit opens.

FieldHaven Note:

Lisa James has reported to FieldHaven this additional information regarding the Folsom Zoo's soon-to-be kitty residents:

"There is a nice variety of kitties that will live at the exhibit. Five torties named Penny, Princess Tara, Francesca, Kira, and Audrey; four black named Ebony, Ivan, Wendell, and Gretchen; two Siamese mixes named Max and Jade; and one tuxedo named Hannah. They range in (estimated) age from four to eight. Four have damage to their corneas and two have damaged ears, typical injuries for feral cats. All the kitties have been tested for FELV/FIV, had a general health exam (four needed dental work), been given their vaccinations and flea treatment, and been microchipped."

If anyone would like to donate to this most worthwhile project, checks can be made to:

The Iams Company of Dayton, OH announced today the award of 5 tons of cat and dog food to Lincoln-based FieldHaven Feline Rescue, a non-profit cat adoption, education and rescue organization. The donation will arrive at FieldHaven's shelter on Friday, June 30, 2006. The media and the public are invited to this event at 2754 Ironwood Lane, Lincoln.

The "Food for Furry Friends" award was given to FieldHaven for their participation in the annual Iams Home 4 the Holidays adoption campaign that takes place each December to promote pet adoptions. Nearly 2000 shelter participated in the 2005 campaign nationwide; FieldHaven was one of only 5 that received this award. Winners are chosen based on how they executed the campaign including number of adoptions, community involvement and publicity.

FieldHaven is sharing the donation with a number of Placer County rescues, shelters as well as organizations that provide meals to seniors and homeless so that food can be provided for their pets. Organizations receiving some of the donations include Auburn Area Animal Rescue Foundation, Meals on Wheels, Placer County Animal Services, Loaves and Fishes, Friends of Placer County Animal Services, Katmom and Placer County SPCA.

"Home 4 the Holidays is an important adoption campaign that resulted in over 325,000 adoptions in an 8 week period in 2005" says, Kris Parlett, Associate Manager of External Relations at The Iams Company. "We are proud to support each and every organization that participates and commend FieldHaven for their extraordinary efforts."

"This is like Christmas in July for us and the animals" said Joy Smith, President of FieldHaven Feline Rescue. "We're honored to have received this award and thrilled to share the bounty with our colleagues who work so hard to save animals' lives."

FieldHaven Feline Rescue is a tax-exempt non-profit organization whose purpose is to provide sanctuary to homeless cats and kittens while in transition to permanent homes and educate the community on responsible pet ownership. The shelter is located at 2754 Ironwood Drive in Lincoln. More information can be obtained by calling 916-434-6022 or visiting www.fieldhaven.com. For more information on the Iams Home 4 the Holidays adoption campaign go to www.animalcenter.org/home4theholidays.

DAYTON, Ohio, June 14, 2006 - The Cause Marketing Forum awarded Iams Home 4 the Holidays pet adoption campaign the Gold Halo Award for an outstanding cause marketing campaign at a ceremony in New York City Tuesday. Iams Home 4 the Holidays began in 1999 when Helen Woodward Animal Center organized 14 animal shelters finding homes for more than 2,500 orphaned pets, and after seven campaigns, has grown to 1,941 shelters that have found homes for more than one million orphaned pets.

The Gold Halo Award recognizes programs that provide needed resources for nonprofit partners, move consumers to act out of a desire to do good, and enrich lives of all it touches. Iams Home 4 the Holidays delivers all of the above by providing several resources for participating shelters, asking consumers to consider the adoption option, and finding homes for more than a million orphaned pets.

"We are honored to receive the Gold Halo Award from the Cause Marketing Forum", said Mike Arms, President of Helen Woodward Animal Center. "We are very proud to partner with The Iams Company for Iams Home 4 the Holidays, and this award will help raise even more awareness for orphaned pets around the world."

Individuals interested in learning more about Iams Home 4 the Holidays can visit www.home4theholidays.com or call Iams Consumer Care at 1-800-863-4267.

It's kittens for Christmas

Wednesday, November 23, 2005 10:56 AM PST
By: Richard Myers, The News Messenger

FieldHaven Feline Rescue is trying to bring a little bit of Christmas cheer, normally found in San Francisco, to downtown Lincoln.

For the second year in a row, the Lincoln cat and kitten adoption agency is showcasing some felines in the storefront window of Il Giardino, a home-decorating store located at 577 G St.

"The idea came from the San Francisco SPCA," said Joy Smith, president of FieldHaven. "They have a big display in Macy's front window. They have elaborate sets. Last year, they had miniature train cars."

"It's a huge hit," Smith added. "People stand five deep just to look at the pets in the window."

FieldHaven's window display also has proven to be quite popular. Last year, the organization set as a goal to have 40 kittens and cats adopted. It ended up finding permanent homes for 52.