cat comforter meeting 2018 - hshv · • to be used for when working with blue dot cats or as...
TRANSCRIPT
Cat Comforter Meeting
2018
Welcome! Tonight’s Agenda
Looking at the Numbers-Year to Date Stats
Policy Changes, Updates & Reminders
New Enrichment Programs
Adoption Success Stories
Foster Stats & Updates
What’s Ahead?
Q&A’s
A Look at the Numbers
Intake and Adoptions Year to Date
Intake % Change
2017 2,037
2018 2,225 +9.2%
Adoptions % Change
2017 1,617
2018 1,727 +6.8%
From August 2017 –August 2018 how many more animals
have we taken in as a result of hoarding cases?
Did You Know??
Cat Comforting Year to Date
2016 2017 2018
Cat Comforting Hours
as of end of August4811 4387 5236
3800
4000
4200
4400
4600
4800
5000
5200
5400
Cat Comforting Hours YTD
(as of August)
Cat Comforting Hours as of end of August
19 % Increase YTD!
A Closer Look at Cat Care
3115
1549
454118
CAT CARE HOURS
Comforting
Blue Dot
BOH
Misc Care (* includes Read to
Calm, Feliway)
Current HSHV Live Release Rate
“Save Rate” is…
YOUR WORK IMPROVES
& SAVES LIVES
A look at a few of the MANY lives…
Kohl & Rambo
Rambo
Kohl
Kohl & Rambo started out very, very
shy but were eventually able to trust
and open up to comforters. Both were
back and forth from foster to cage
and volunteers helped them settle
back in many times. It took some time,
but we did find perfect homes for them.
Rugby, Mesho, & Eldrick
Rugby Mesho Eldrick
Put on “maintenance” plans.. they’d been with us for a long time. Some
adopted and returned, they were uncomfortable with the amount of
handling they were getting. All very, very nice cats that wouldn’t have made
it here without Blue Dot intervention. Slowing down visits and keeping the
visits low in number made all of the difference with them. They needed people (our HSHV Cat Comforters ) who understood them to really shine.
Figaro
Figaro was a really complicated cat…
hard to engage and keep engaged.
He’d change the game at times and
what was working stopped working, he
was an intelligent cat stuck in a
situation he couldn’t control. The Blue
Dot comforters made him a project
and he truly blossomed with their care.
Volunteers gave him the control and
offered stability and consistency, which
he really needed. He was with us for a
long time, a cat who had never lived
inside and was under a lot of stress.
The Blue Dot program kept him sane and engaged with the world.
Mila
Mila literally hated all staff… all of us.
Once she got into individual housing
she was able to settle into her space.
Mila became a lap cat with the
comforters and we were astonished to
see her napping on laps. She became
very bonded with a few comforters
and would never have found a home if
she couldn’t have made that bond
with some of the humans in her life.
Volunteers knew her better than
anyone and really kept her happy, it was an amazing bond!
Thank You Cat Comforters!
Policy Changes, Updates &
Reminders
OUR VOLUNTEER TEAM
As of September 27th, 2018:
• 2, 728 volunteers overall
• 528 Junior Volunteers
• 104 Tiny Lions
• 472 Foster Volunteers
• On an average day:Average # of volunteer shifts: 152
Average # of volunteer shifts empty: 33
Average # of volunteers each day: 105
2018 VOLUNTEER
SATISFACTION SURVEY
Survey Demographics2
49
Su
rve
ys
Co
mp
lete
d!
19%
42%
20%
14%
5%
HOW LONG SURVEY RESPONDENTS HAVE
BEEN VOLUNTEERING AT HSHV
Less than 6 months 1-2 years 3-5 years 5-10 years 10 years +
Volunteer Preparedness97.6% of volunteers feel well prepared to perform their duties as a
volunteer
93.3% of volunteers find procedures for volunteer assignments clear and
easy to follow
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Physically Equipped Emotionally Equipped
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Strongly Agree
“I feel equipped to handle the aspects of my volunteer duties”
Emotional Impact of Volunteering97.7% of volunteers enjoy their role as a volunteer
98.1% of volunteers feel their volunteer assignments are
meaningful to them
64%
28%
5%
2% 1%
"I feel appreciated for my
contributions as a volunteer"
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree72%
25%
3%
0%
0%
"I feel my time is well spent
volunteering"
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
Volunteer Interactions89.7% of volunteers feel they can readily receive support
and guidance from other adult volunteers.
54%40%
6%
0%
"I enjoy working alongside
HSHV adult volunteers"
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
40%
35%
24%
1%
"I enjoy working alongside
HSHV junior volunteers"
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Volunteer Department Interactions“I feel respected by the
Volunteer Department Staff”
Strongly Agree 69.3%
Agree 22.4%
Neutral 4.7%
Disagree 2.4%
Strongly Disagree 1.2%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
"I feel I can discuss my questions and concerns with the volunteer department"
Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
"I receive timely and useful communication from the volunteer department staff"
Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree
• No need to stay in one “zone” anymore!
• With proper hand sanitizing between visits and adhering to order of visitation, no increased risk of disease transmission.
• Checking visitation logs will help determine which
cats have been visited with.
• Remember to document visits on the individual cat
pages even if nothing has changed
from the last visit.
No More Zones!
White Cage Cards
Just Chillin’
Sorry, I’m not available for adoption. For information see the Front Desk.
Staff Only -or- Volunteers OK
Placed by _________________
(staff first name)
Review Date ______________________
Look for the “Just Chillin” Sign
White Cage Cards Only
(no yellow sticker). These
will all have “Just Chillin”
drop cards in them. Look
for the volunteers OK box to be marked. If it is, you
may visit with that cat.
However, if a visitor is
interested, have them go to the front desk to see
staff no matter which box
is checked.
Order of Visitation Review
CAT COMFORTING & DOG/PUPPY VISITATION Sequence
FIRST - not sick or being treated for non-contagious medical issue –
Kittens/Puppies then Cats/Dogs
Healthy/Non-Contagious = NO sticker**
LAST - on medication for URI, kennel cough or other contagious issue
Kittens/Puppies then Cats/Dogs
watch sticker**
**Other cage card stickers that may be present on the cage card are not considered in the
handling sequence.
You are welcome to answer questions
about a cat/kitten to a potential adopter.
If you are comfortable, you can assist in
opening the cage doors in UT/DT. Guests are not to do
this without help from staff or volunteers.
Please get staff assistance for areas where doors are
locked such as condos, Purrs Plaza, & Meow Meadows.
Visitors must have a pass to enter these rooms.
Always get a staff member if there are questions or
assistance is needed.
Assisting Potential Adopters
• Treats
• To be used for when working with Blue Dot Cats or as
motivators for behavior modification with enrichment
programs (i.e. Read to Calm/Clicker Training).
• No use with other cats, trying to avoid GI upset with
overuse.
• Documenting Visits
• Even if nothing has changed since a cat has been
visited last, please still note on the individual cat page
that visit took place.
• Signing up in VIC
• It is helpful to other comforters and staff when looking
at the schedule to see who is coming in. Sign up in
advance as much as possible.
Other Helpful Reminders
• Positive Messages that you want to share with potential
adopters. Helps them get “to know” our cats more.
• Simply write a positive message and place it in a
cage card sleeve pocket.
• Make sure not to cover up any important
communication (i.e. blue dot, go slow, etc).
• Found at the cat comforter station.
Cat Comment Cards
• Closed group, must be a volunteer to join
• A place for updates, stories, pictures, or volunteers
needed requests.
• Posts containing sensitive topics such as death,
euthanasia, or killing/injury to animals are not to be
posted.
• Posts should not include solicitations of goods/money from
other volunteers.
• If there are any questions/concerns about any HSHV
related matter, contact the volunteer department rather
than posting on social media.
Volunteer Facebook Group
• Posts that do not fit within the social media
policies will be removed.
• If a post needs to be removed, the
volunteer will be notified by Karen or Tawn explaining “why”.
• Volunteers may be removed from the facebook group after
2 posts.
• We want to make sure the tone of the group remains
positive.
• Respecting that not everyone wants to know or read about certain topics
• If you ever have questions, please just ask. We are here and
want to help .
Volunteer Facebook Group
New Enrichment Programs
READ TO CALM
• Helps to decrease stress, anxiety, and fear in shelter
cats.
• Cats can explore their environment, take risks without
consequences. Especially important for fearful cats.
• Learning to be bold and to come by people without the
pressure of being pet or talked to.
• For frustrated cats, teaches that pacing, pawing, and
vocalizing does not affect a person’s action.
Program Benefits
• Binders will list which cats in each comforting
area would benefit most from Read to
Calm.
• Bring any reading material you wish from
home…magazines, books, the cats don’t mind.
• Place a barrier between you and the floor/wall when
sitting (i.e. towel, chair, stool).
• Cats in cages-can sit on a stool outside of the cage or
stand.
• Condos- sitting on a stool works best.
• Communal Rooms-sitting on the floor or bench.
Getting Ready for a Session
• Read aloud (quiet or at regular volume is alright),
continuously, slowly, & steadily to calm the cat.
• Best practice is to avoid contact and petting even if the
cat comes up next to you.
• Reading only, no singing or speaking to the cat
• You can spend 10-30 minutes per cat, whatever time
allows.
• After your session you can leave treats, but only if
calm/relaxed (treats for behavior modification)
During a Session
• Open to all levels of Cat
Comforters.
• Read to Calm training handout
located in resource library.
• Cat Comforting always takes
priority for visitation.
• You can read to any cat outside of
his/her cage, but blue dot
restrictions still apply when opening
cages, entering condos and
communals.
• Sign up in VIC (choose your own
times) under Read to Calm.
• Document that you did Read to
Calm on the individual cat page
(check the box and write a note,
even if no changes).
How to Get Started?
When you do read to calm,
indicate that you did so on the
individual cat page.
HEADSTART TRAINING
• Can Cats be trained?
• Yes! Animals are learning all of the time
• Cats often have been thought to be “untrainable” because more traditional forms of animal training cause
flight/avoidance behaviors
• Why train Cats?
• Mental enrichment
• Confidence-building
• Build relationships
• Modify undesired behaviors
• Increase appeal to adopters
Head Start for Cats-Clicker Training
Positive Reinforcement
Training
Aversive Training Methods
Rewards good behavior Suppresses “bad”
behavior
Builds bond with your
animal
Can create fear and
avoidance
Creates enthusiastic,
confident learners
Negative associations with
handler & environment
Provides clear feedback
that the animal
understands
Can result in more
problematic behaviors
Anyone can train Must be perfectly timed.
Trainer/aversion must be
present
Trains out natural
behavior/communication
It’s All in the Approach
• With positive reinforcement, indicates
immediately when a cat is “right”.
• Marks the behavior we are looking for.
• Cats then receive a primary reinforce
(i.e play, treat).
• Clicked behaviors are more likely to happen.
• Behavior that is clicked must be rewarded.
• Advantage to using clicker is that is always sounds the
same.
• Eliminates the need for “no reward markers” such as
“no” or “aach, etc”.
Why Use a Clicker?
• Cat stays in their location.
• Volunteer gathers all the necessary supplies (located at
cat comforter station)
• Clicker
• Treats
• Target Stick
• Work in short intervals; sessions can be 1-2 minutes each.
• Take frequent breaks to avoid frustration.
• Document about visit in individual cat page
What a Session Looks Like
• Attend an upcoming training session
• Next training is on Saturday, November 3rd from 1-4pm
• Open to all levels of cat comforting.
• What is Covered in Training?
• Steps to teaching a behavior.
• Different training techniques.
• Reward delivery.
• Looking at core skills for both active and shy cats.
• Lots of practice!
How to Get Started!
Adoption Successes!
Gillian Flynn
Came from the 108 hoarding/breeder situation
Spent time in foster, Downtown Cats, and Purrs Plaza
Was one of the last adult Maine Coons to be adopted from the case
Adopted by Karen D., one of our loving cat comforters!
Meg
Spent over 5 months at HSHV/TLC
Loved to be the center of attention…
…But touch her the wrong way and she would make you pay!
Adopted by a wonderful, self proclaimed “sassy cat whisperer”
Lula Mae (FKA Winnie)
Came in on the love train at 7 weeks old
LOVES water, her favorite thing is to sit under the running sink faucet
Recently learned how fun it is to explore kitchen counters
Gets along great with her older brother (HSHV alum) Oliver
Adopted by long time dog walker Anja Z!
Tobias
Scared, scared, scared when he came to HSHV
Only 9 months old, but had already been passed along to several different households
Adopted as a barn cat by dog walker volunteer Alexis M.
And today…
Pilar
Came in as a stray at 12 years old
Spent most of her time with HSHV in a foster home for medical concerns
Adopted as a foster “failure” by Kristin S. and George E.
She now has a cat sister, a dog sister, and a dog brother!
Foster Updates
2018 Foster Stats
Busy year due to hoarding & breeding cases!!
Close to 1200 placement of cats/kittens in foster
Includes 67 nursing mothers (some of who were already pregnant.
Also included…164 Bottle Babies
17 kittens with ringworm were sent to foster and 9 for FeLV observation
Who Goes to Foster?
• Interested in Fostering? Attend an upcoming orientation
session.
• Saturday, October 6th from 9-11am
• Wednesday, October 17th from 6-8pm
• Help Feed the Animals Fundraiser for the Foster Program
• November 2nd at 7:30pm
• Located at Bona Sera restaurant in
Ypsilanti
• Live music and is FREE! Guests can
make donations to the foster program
• Invite your friends!
• More information on the events calendar
at www.hshv.org
Upcoming Fostering Events
What’s Ahead?
• Beginning October 1st , hour requirements will be
changing from 75 hours of cat comforting to 40.
• An email announcement will be sent out to all
comforters updating everyone of this change.
• Every other aspect of the program will remain the same
• Monthly hour report run by volunteer department, email
sent to volunteers with the 40 hours.
• Self study training on VIC which includes a presentation,
video, and post training test (can be done online or printed
and turned into Tawn)
• Once test is reviewed, a “Welcome” email for blue dot
comforting will be sent, assignment will open up, and
comforters can get a blue dot for nametag at cat
comforter station.
Blue Dot Training
• Will be changing to a Paw I
assignment as of October 1st (of
course, Cat Comforters can still participate! )
• Why the change?
• Similar to cat feeding, volunteers will
not be interacting with the cats, just
providing the feliway square.
• Just as with cat feeding, when
entering condos volunteers are
asked not to interact with the cats.
• Will provide better schedule
coverage to open up to all
volunteers.
Morning Feliway
• Will be returning! We are looking end of 2018-beginning
of 2019. Email will be sent when dates are finalized.
• We want to know what you want to know!
• A brief survey will be sent in the upcoming weeks to get
your feedback on topics you would like to know more
about.
• A great way to learn more about working with the many
personalities comforters encounter with our feline residents
• An opportunity to ask questions and to learn from staff and
other volunteers.
Cat Comforter Education Series
Thank you for all of your
hard work and dedication to the
cat comforting program!
You make a difference!
Q&A’s