By: the Ark-Valley Humane Society Team Feline peak breeding season stretches from early spring through summer. In other words, it is starting now. While walking outside you might chance upon young kittens and instantly want to rescue them. Stop! That might not be in their best interests. The first step is to assess the mother cat. Is she socialized to humans? If she is friendly, approachable, and can be easily handled, she may be someone’s lost pet. In that case, contacting Ark-Valley Humane Society is a good next step. Their staff can......

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By: Judy Hamontre, AVHS Vice Chair The winds have somewhat calmed today as I write this article, but they have been strong several days (weeks) in a row causing the weather service to issue red flag warnings. Forecasts show more days ahead with winds at 20-30 mph and gusts over 40mph. Add to those winds, our extremely dry, unusually warm conditions, and the fire danger moves to high. We in Colorado know all too well the devastation of those fires and the value of being prepared to evacuate, often with extremely short......

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By: Judy Lore, AVHS Volunteer columnist Rudy was my first dog as an adult. He was so good-looking that people would stop and ask what his breed was. I’d tell them he was a mix of a farm collie and a dark golden retriever. He lived to almost 14 and was the light of my life all those years. A student had given him to me, insisting I needed a dog, and I’ve thanked her ever since. Rudy was strong, handsome, and adventurous—sometimes a little too adventurous. We shared many trips backpacking......

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By: Judy Hamontre, AVHS Vice Chair As I write this article the strong winds are blowing loud enough to make my Gracie stay close to my side, sometimes preferring to be in my lap. It seems there are more and more of these days of winds at 15-25 mph with gusts up to 40-45 mph. The winds are strong, but the skies are sunny with daytime temperatures in the 50’s, and it is dry. Gracie loves to be outdoors. There the sound of the wind does not seem to bother her. She......

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By: Judy Lore, AVHS Volunteer columnist We love our pets for many reasons. But research published in Frontiers in Psychology reports that pet owners often experience lower levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. Simply petting a dog or cat releases oxytocin — the “love hormone” associated with bonding and stress relief. Even spending a brief 15 to 30 minutes with your pet can lower stress levels. It’s hard to imagine what happens when we spend even more time than that. Most of us who share our homes with pets probably exceed that......

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By: Judy Hamontre, AVHS Vice Chair Visit the home of any pet owner and in addition to meeting their pets, you will no doubt see photos of those beloved animals scattered throughout their house. In our county, you may also see delightful artwork created by community volunteers for our Ark-Valley Humane Society’s “Good Pet/Bad Portrait” fundraiser. It is one of our most heartwarming annual events, held this year for the seventh time from February 20th through March 8th. Participation is easy: make a payment to Ark-Valley Humane Society of $25.00 for one......

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By: Judy Hamontre, AVHS Vice Chair My miniature schnauzer, Destiny was never too interested in learning tricks, but she loved to play games with her toys, and she knew those toys by name – bear, piggy, ball, ring, bone, monkey, elephant, shark, chipmunk, frog, and the list went on. She had a lot of toys, and each had its own name. If I asked her to go get shark, she did. If she were playing with monkey and I asked, “Where is piggy?” She often went in search of piggy and brought......

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By: Judy Hamontre, AVHS Vice Chair Cats can be full of surprises. They also are considered to be rather mysterious, largely due to their fascinating connections to the worlds of folklore, mythology and witchcraft. However, their enigmatic behaviors, such as staring into the nothingness of space, with whiskers and ears twitching also contribute to their air of mystery. Those eyes are seeing, the whiskers acting like radar are detecting, and those active ears are tuning in to sounds people cannot hear. Cats have extremely keen senses. Living in their uniquely heightened sensory......

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By: Judy Hamontre, AVHS Vice Chair In our last AVHS Mountain Mail article, Judy Lore shared a few quizzes, one a true-false quiz about cats. She and I must be on a paws-itively similar wavelength after seeing so many adorable cats romping about the Ark-Valley Humane Society cat room, and hearing the pleading mewls from sweet cats wanting to be loved. They inspired us to want to know more about them and their behaviors and share that with you, our readers. Judy in a fun way, quizzed you about your knowledge of......

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By: Judy Lore, AVHS Volunteer columnist While we’re waiting for snow to arrive, here’s a fun way to pass the time, and maybe learn something new about the animals who share our homes and our community. At the shelter, we see every day just how smart, surprising, and unique cats and dogs can be. How well do you know them? Try these true-or-false questions and check your answers at the bottom. Cat Questions – True or False Cats are nocturnal creatures. Cats can taste sweet things. A cat’s nose print is unique,......

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