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5.9.25 We Lost A Wonderful Volunteer
It is with profound sadness to say that our amazing foster, Debbie Schaffer, has passed away. She truly loved all cats and had 12 cats of her own at one point. She joined our Heavenly Paws volunteer family in 2017.
Debbie fostered with us over the past five years since 2020, fostering hundreds of kittens in her home in Hanover. She not only truly cared and loved her own foster kittens with all her heart, but gladly lended a hand to help other current fosters and train new fosters. Debbie was our store coordinator at Pet Valu on Eisenhower Drive in Hanover and then our store coordinator at Petsmart Hanover where she went in multiple times a week to add her kittens to the store, set up adoption meets, trained new store volunteers and scheduled adoption events. Debbie also helped at all of our large events either in the kitchen, at the craft table or worked with vendors. She also helped process adoption applications and answer emails. During her downtime she also crocheted many blankets (some of our supporters and volunteers are lucky to own a few of her blankets) and other crochet crafts.
She was one of the nicest people we knew who always kept a smile on her face and was an absolute joy to talk to her. She made a positive impact on all of us (including our kitties) at the shelter and will truly be missed. We thank Debbie so very much for being in our lives and for choosing to volunteer with Heavenly Paws. We feel so lucky to have had her in our lives. Please keep her family in your thoughts and prayers. Debbie, we will always love you and will miss you so very much.
2.14.25 Remember to Register Your Pet(s) Microchip!
There are several free sites and sites where you have to pay a fee to register your pet(s) microchips. Here is one of the free websites to register their chips: https://www.freepetchipregistry.com. Please also see below the important Microchip post Find Toby posted that we shared on our social media pages. Also, please make sure your pet(s) microchips are always up-to-date with your current address and phone number. This is so important in case your pet(s) get lost. Thank you!
1.8.25 Subject: Request for Low-Cost Spay and Neuter Assistance in Hanover Area
We are reaching out to ask for help with low-cost spay and neuter services in the Hanover area.
If you are veterinarian office able to offer a few spay or neuter appointments each month at a reduced cost or have open surgery times that we could fill, it would mean so much to us. You can email us or call us anytime you have availability, and we would be happy to bring in cats that need these services. Several veterinarian offices in York already work with us in this way, and it has been a great help to our mission.
In the Hanover area, we’ve relied heavily on Too Much of a Good Thing in Littlestown. Dr. Baylor has been incredible, but she has indicated that she may be closing her clinic soon. This leaves us scrambling to find another resource so that we can continue to spay, neuter, and rehome as many cats as possible.
If references are required, we are more than happy to provide them from other veterinary offices we’ve worked with to show that we reliably pay our bills and are a trustworthy and reliable rescue organization.
If you are able to assist us in any way, we would be so grateful. Your support would make a tremendous difference in the lives of the cats we care for.
Thank you for considering our request, and we hope to hear from you soon.
Ann Behrendt, President
717-793-1237
ann@heavenlypawsshelter.com
5.20.24 From Rescuer to Rescued: Exploring Mental Wellness Through Adoption
Please check out this article Heavenly Paws mentioned in it! Great read!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Mmyd3DASE7vYMGuFbFI8wj3IkZecG5BM3d5L2vVVJUs/edit?usp=sharing
1.1.24 Happy New Year 2024!
Happy New Year from all of us at Heavenly Paws! We wish you good health and happiness in 2024 and are looking forward to seeing you this year! Thank you so much for your support last year. Without you, we could not have rescued 919 cats in 2023. It was our biggest year of rescuing cats as we rescued 866 cats in 2022 and in 2021 562 cats.
We THANK YOU for your support and wish you all the best in 2024! Happy New Year and we will see you soon!
8.15.23 It's National Check The Chip Day!
Today is National Check the Chip Day, the day where we raise the importance of microchipping pets which greatly helps lost pets return to their families.
Dogs are 2x as likely to be returned to their homes while cats are 20x more likely to reunite with their owners. Microchipping can be done at a veterinarian office or at a microchipping clinic and does not hurt the pet. Microchips are injected between the shoulder blades and only takes a second or two.
Microchips are not tracking devices but use RFID technology. Microchips do not hold personal information, but the unique chip ID number you will use when registering your chip. Microchips do not wear off in time and do not have energy waves that can hurt the pet.
Unfortunately, not all chips are registered and not everyone updates their chip information. It is extremely important to register your pet’s chip the same day your pet is microchipped at a clinic or at the vet. If you move or change your phone number please make sure to update the chip information as soon as you can by either calling the chip company or logging onto the company website.
PLEASE make sure to microchip your pet and update information in case your pet is lost. Shelters and veterinarian offices use chip scanners to scan for chips.
1.1.23 Happy New Year!
We cannot thank you enough for all of your support last year. We rescued 866 cats in 2022!!! Over 300 more cats than in 2021 wow!!!
We could not rescue that many kitties without our volunteers and supporters so thank you very much from all of us at Heavenly Paws! We truly appreciate you!
We'll see you this year!
5.26.22 Which plants are safe for pets and which plants are toxic/poisonous ?
Summer is almost here and we know many of us are planting flowers now. Here is a great plant information sheet about pet-friendly plants and poisonous/toxic plants. Let’s keep our pets safe around our plants! 
4.18.22 Kitten Season Is Here - What to do if you found a kitten(s).
Kitten season is here and here is some helpful information if you found a kitten(s).
1.16.22 Worth the Wait: Why You Should Consider Adopting a Shy Cat by Cat Adoption Team
Many times shy cats often get overlooked. We found a great article about why people should consider adopting shy cats. Please click on the article below to read. Thank You!
https://catadoptionteam.org/news/why-adopt-a-shy-cat/
11.11.21 Cold Weather is Coming - Are Your Outdoor Cats Ready?
Cold weather is coming so please take care of your outdoor kitties. Do you have a shelter for them that is insulated? A heated water and food dish for them? You can buy these items on Chewy or Amazon Smile. Some people prefer to make their own shelters and here are a few links about how to do so. Always use straw, not hay or blankets. If you keep your shelters outside throughout the year please remember to clean them out for the fall and winter.https://alleycatadvocates.org/.../creating-winter-shelters/https://www.alleycat.org/.../feral-cat-shelter-options.../
Remember, cats do take shelter in and under cars so please knock on your hood if your car is outside.If you are going to TNR please make sure to check your humane traps frequently as cats can freeze to death in them if in traps for too long outside. You can put your traps in your unfinished basement or in any warm area. If extreme weather is predicted it is not recommended to trap (cats usually take shelter then anyway).
Below are more tips on how to keep outdoor cats safe and warm in the cold weather. If you have an outdoor shelter for your outdoor kitties let’s see them in the comments section!
6.26.21 More Pets Go Missing On 4th of July Than Any Other Day
The scariest holiday of the year is coming up - not Halloween, Fourth of July! Due to loud fireworks, more dogs go missing on July 4th than any other day. Microchips are an amazing recovery tool, but unfortunately, because of yearly fees and confusing platforms, over 50% of microchips are unregistered, which is like having an unengraved ID tag on your collar.
We've partnered with Fi to offer free for life microchip registrations and updates to all - and when you register via the following form, you will be entered to win a Fi GPS collar and one year subscription, the perfect pairing to a microchip! With a Fi GPS collar, you can track your dog in real time and have extra peace of mind - not to mention track their steps and exercise!
Register or reregister your microchip at this link to keep your pup safe and win a Fi collar: https://ylm2pkzh73h.typeform.com/to/CD8ksvlJ#rescue=326.
FAQ:
Can I register my chip with Fi even though it's registered elsewhere? Yes! When your chip is searched in the universal database petmicrochiplookup.org, both registrations will show up, but your Fi registration shows as the most up to date and you will never be charged. Your old registration can stay in there, but you can keep your Fi registration up to date for free.
Why do I need a GPS collar if I have a microchip? Microchips are NOT GPS - in order to find your pup via a microchip, someone has to find your dog, bring them to a vet to have them scanned, look up your information, and contact you - that's why the registration is so important!
10.4.19 Introducing A New Kitty
We're frequently asked for tips on how to introduce new cats to the family, because for a lot of people cats are like potato chips... You can't have just one.
The most important thing to keep in mind is that it takes TIME. Patience is a virtue and it's really important not to rush things when a new kitty comes home. We highly recommend setting up a separate space for the new kitty, someplace that is confined and safe from your other pets. Give them at least a day or two to claim this area for themselves and make sure they're comfortable in that space before you try to introduce anything else. This first step may take weeks or even months, but don't skip it!
Once the cat is comfortable, you can start to introduce the scents of your other animals by switching out blankets or beds that the other animals use regularly. You can also have feeding time on opposite sides of a door. First impressions are very important when animals are meeting, so making it a positive experience with food, toys and loving attention will make this whole process much smoother.
When the cats and animals seem comfortable with the scents of each other, you can start to visually introduce them. We recommend that you keep a barrier between them still, but allow them to see each other. If they're not hissing and growling that's great! Make sure to keep providing love and play and food during this process.
Now it's time to let them interact with each other. These sessions should be supervised until you're pawsitive they're getting along. Start out with a short 10 minute play time together and gradually increase the time until everyone is comfortable.
This whole process may seem like its going to take forever, but the number one cause of behavior issues is poor introduction to environment and other animals. Inappropriate peeing outside the litter box or scratching furniture or walls, can be a sign that your new cat or other animals are trying to establish dominance and territory.
Please take the time to properly introduce your animals and you and your new family will be happier for it. If you ever have any questions or concerns about how your animals are getting along, we're always happy to help!
For more tips and tricks, we recommend that you take a look at this article from Jackson Galaxy, the cat daddy: https://www.jacksongalaxy.com/blog/the-dos-and-donts-of-introducing-cats
