Getting to Know Delta

Happy Feline Friday!

Today's featured cat has a very particular set of skills — she's a great mouser, a beautifier of outdoor spaces, and an explorer.

The trade-off is that she's no lap cat! (On the bright side, you won't get cat hair on your clothes and your allergy-suffering friends can still visit.)

Delta's ideal home isn't your house. This two-year-old calico would prefer a barn, a roomy yard or garden, or some cat-friendly outdoor acres. Why not give this lovely lady a chance to be a free-roaming community cat near you?

Berkeley Humane's Cat Program Manager Carly Skonnord discovered Delta and shared her astounding story:

Delta was trapped in Antioch along with her two kittens and left outside Antioch Animal Services in a box. Because she was abandoned, we don't know where her original colony is and therefore can not just re-release her to that location.
 
I first met her last March, the day after she arrived, when I was there for another mom and two kittens. She was being housed in a small room that was predominantly filled with noisy dogs, and she was terrified and huddled in the back of the cage away from her babies. Her eye was red and almost squinted shut, and she looked mildly emaciated but her kittens were robust and healthy, so I knew she must also be healthy. Although Berkeley Humane doesn't typically deal with feral cats, I couldn't leave her and her babies (Epsilon and Zeta) behind knowing that we could give them quiet, comfortable housing and medical care.

I brought them back to Berkeley Humane where we vaccinated her and started her on antibiotics for her eye, which seemed to be fine but very exacerbated by stress. I set them up in a condo in the X-Ray room, which for the next two months gave her a place to hide and allowed us to socialize her babies. The kittens were able to grow up to be extremely friendly, playful, and very fond of humans. They are now in foster care waiting to be neutered, and she is weaned, spayed, and more distressed by the day (hence the urgency for finding her placement). Hopefully, she will be relocated to a place where she can slowly become acclimated, and then released to continue her life as a free-roaming cat.

Delta has raised wonderful kittens and dealt bravely with what must be an anxious time for her. It's time for her to be rewarded with a safe new home where she can be her independent self. 
 
Check out Delta's adoption profile to learn more. Please share her story with friends who might have a suitable space available.

If Delta is just the cat to spruce up the outdoors near you, please contact cats@berkeleyhumane.org or stop by during adoption hours (11-5 Friday through Sunday).
Berkeley Humane can provide more information about introducing Delta to your space and integrating her into her new life.

Getting to Know: Linus a.k.a. Goosey

Welcome to another Woof Wednesday! Today we're introducing a new type of post: Getting to Know posts. These are posts in which a Berkeley Humane's currently adoptable animal gets put in the spotlight. 

Today we're focusing on Berkeley Humane's big burly boy Linus (on the website still known as Goosey). We went for a walk with him and his dedicated and experienced foster mom Randi Woods, who has been working with Linus to make him into the best dog he can be. Here's what our Linus told me during our walk:

See? I'm cute!

Hello readers, 

I am Linus and I am a good dog. I'm also a slightly famous dog. Did you know I have my own Facebook page? You should take a look there. My foster mom takes me to cool places and then takes pictures of me. It's fun! 

Anyway. This is what I think you should know about me. While I'm not very high energy overall, I'm very interested in the world. Other dogs get me super excited! I'm working on my manners because I am a muscular dog and if I run towards other dogs or humans, they might be intimidated even though all I really want to do is play.

Here you see Harry and me having fun. Harry is my pal!

I love humans, by the way. Big, small, young, old, so far I've been totally cool with everyone I've met. My foster mom takes me to dog friendly dining places and lets the local kids play with me. I've not yet met any really loud children or very squirmy ones, but I would definitely be a great pet for a family with dog savvy young'uns. I really love being petted and enjoy it when people pay attention to me. I'll do my best not to get too excited, but humans are just so amazing and lovable it's hard not to get all wriggly and a bit too enthusiastic.

Here I am doing my best to be very gentle with a small human.

Me being so fond of humans also means that I don't enjoy being alone. If I am away from my humans, I will do what I can to get close to them again. I'm working on feeling at home in my crate, but I would do best with a family where I will not be left alone a lot until I've learned that it's safe. I'm not a naughty dog at all, but feeling abandoned can bring out my inner escape artist, so it is important for me that I am slowly and patiently taught that I can be alone. 

I also like the company of other dogs, and am responsive to their signals about my behavior. If your current dog is friendly and well socialized, I am sure we can work it out together. A doggy friend may even help teach me that being left alone for a while is okay. 

Here I am snoozing with my foster homie Frisbee. She won't let me on the bed if I'm rowdy. 

According to my foster mom I'm easy to train (I think this is because she gives me bits of cheese or chicken as a treat when I have to do something hard - who wouldn't work for those?), but I really do need a patient and positive way of training.  I love positive reinforcement!

In all, I think I'm a cool dog if you're looking for a snuggly fellow with a goofy attitude to hang with. I'm probably a bit too lazy for dog sports, but if we can play fetch every now and then, I'll happily trade my toy for a treat. I may not be the fastest student, but I'll do my best to learn everything you want to teach me. 

I stay with my foster mom full time, because I'm sensitive to loud sounds. If you want to meet me (no autographs please, just adopters), then you can call Berkeley Humane and they'll set us up for a date!

Love and licks, 

Linus

Ps. This could be you after you come meet me!