Kerry Hilliard – poor baby, nice meaning older couple took her from a not so great situation, she’s terrified, love cats but not much experience, she bit, lady to hospital, she hisses every time they try to crawl under bed and pull her out, hisses and claws. Was working with them via email on how to let her calm down and learn to love them. They really did want to help, just so flustered, never been around a terrified kitty. Then she got thru an access port in the closet out into the rafter area over the overhang of the house. I went to their house yesterday to try and help get her out. It was an itty bitty space that I could not get in any further than about 24″ … it went way back, maybe 18″ at the highest with a criss-cross of rafters … I couldn’t even see her or catch any eye shine. I set a trap and taught them how to use it and explained about it and never never open it once we get her. Call me. So I went back over this morning after she’d gone in the trap. If you approach rapidly and try ti stick fingers in to pat she hisses. She is terrified. If you go slow, throw kitty kisses, meow and talk, she talks back, she bats eyes back. Obviously not a feral kitty. Their vet had said feral and to call me. But she’s not, she’s not even a mean biting friendly. She’s just a terrified gal. I was able to pat her thru the trap after laying down next to her and talking. The people felt way to overwhelmed to try and work with her. That had been the goal, to help them help her so she had a nice home. Anyway I brought her home with me. She’s so scared. We had a little bit of snuggle time before she bolted to a hidey hole. I’ll sleep with her for the next couple days and I think she’ll come round pretty easy. Hoping she ends up friendly enough to be at the education center with the others for adoption.

This goose now has a home at Rikki’s Refuge! Here’s the story behind this sweetheart:
Goose who arrived unexpectedly in a batch of chicken eggs some one bought to hatch for laying’ hens …… he’s imprinted on chickens and has a minor birth defect … or do you call it hatch defect ….. in a wing …… unloved and unwanted till moving in to Rikki’s Refuge’s Goosey Garden ….. and then to Chicken City because of his identity issues …….

Saved by Rikki’s last night! Attacked by a dog 3 days ago, his owner finally brought him to a vet to be euthanized! Instead, Rikki’s was able to help! He’ll get all the care he needs and most certainly all the love he can stand! Meet Little Mack!

We could not carry out any of these rescues, provide necessary veterinary care, nor feed and shelter these rescues without YOU! Thank you for supporting Rikki’s Refuge!

Today is NATIONAL PET MEMORIAL DAY! Below we are sharing a few of our memorials for some of our beloved refuge animals that have crossed the Rainbow Bridge. All are remembered and loved dearly.

Today is the final day to vote in the Tractor Supply Co. Rescue your Rescue photo contest! Thank you to all our friends and supporters that have voted and shared daily for us! We are asking for one final push today…VOTE! SHARE! SHARE A LOT! We can’t do this without you, and we can’t even begin to tell you how badly we need this win. Your votes and shares could help us feed a lot of hungry refuge animals! Just one more day!

VOTING LINK: http://bit.ly/1pumlPk

WEEKEND BRUNCH VEGAN PANCAKES

2 cups spelt flour
2 cups oat flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/4 cup ground flaxseed meal
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups low-fat vanilla soy milk
1/4 cup applesauce
2 tablespoons agave nectar
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 cups blueberries

Whisk spelt flour, oat flour, baking powder, flaxseed meal, and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Stir soy milk, applesauce, agave nectar, and vanilla extract together in a separate bowl. Form a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour soy milk mixture into the well. Stir until the ingredients are just moistened; set aside for 15 minutes. Lightly oil and heat a griddle to medium heat. Spoon batter onto hot griddle, sprinkle blueberries onto wet batter, and cook until bubbles form, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and continue cooking until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes more. 

(Photos courtesy of Magistra Gustafson – Thank you! Magistra also coordinated this event for Rikki’s and did an amazing job!)

Today (9/13/14) there was a fundraising event for Rikki’s Refuge at Cici’s Pizza in Richmond, VA. (North Chesterfield Location) between 11 AM – 5 PM. Diners could come in and let their servers know they were there eating pizza for RIkki’s Refuge and Cici’s Pizza would donate 10% of all net sales from that time frame. Something else happened too, something very cool and kind and generous and amazing! Virginia’s own INDIGO WHEELED TERRIER came to help with his mom, Katie Leahy! Known as INDY to his friends, he was selling wonderful pittie kisses for $1 to help Rikki’s Refuge! What an amazing dog! THREE CHEERS FOR INDY! Hooray Hooray Hooray! Thank you for helping us! Thanks to Bonnie Kliamovich who also stopped by to lend a helping paw! What a fun day! Thank you Cici’s Pizza too!

You can learn more about INDY on his Facebook page here:
Indy Leahy
https://www.facebook.com/indy.leahy

You may view all photos of INDY in one of the following albums:

1. ON FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152247856982391.1073741877.169651012390&type=1

2. ON PINTEREST: http://www.pinterest.com/RikkisRefuge/kisses-from-indy-dollars-for-rikkis/

3. ON FLICKR: https://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/sets/72157647164906020/

VOTING ENDS TOMORROW, KEEP GOING! WE NEED YOUR VOTES TODAY AND TOMORROW! PLEASE VOTE, PLEASE SHARE! SHARING HELPS!
Help Rikki’s Refuge WIN $10,000
Rescue Your Rescue Photo Contest by Tractor Supply Co.
August 18th – September 14th
Vote once every 24 hours through 9/14/14
VOTING LINK: http://bit.ly/1pumlPk
#GoTeamRikkis

Rikki’s will be involved in lots of fun events in the coming weeks and months!  We would love to see all of our friends at some or all of these happenings!

First, two more days to keep voting for Rikki’s in the Tractor Supply Contest – we have appreciated all of your votes and thank you for voting and sharing for us.  These last few days are critical, so keep up the great work! Click this picture and it will take you directly to the voting page for Rikki’s Refuge!

This weekend, Saturday, September 13, if you are in the Richmond, VA area, we would love to see you at CiCi’s Pizza ~ it’s a fundraiser for Rikki’s Refuge!

CiCi’s Pizza (North Chesterfield Location!)

11549 Busy St., Richmond, VA. 23236
Saturday, September 13, 2014
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
EAT PIZZA! HELP RIKKI’S REFUGE!
Dine at Cici’s Pizza on Saturday 9/13/14 between 10AM-4PM and let your server know you’re eating out to help Rikki’s Refuge! Cici’s will donate 10% of net sales to help Rikki’s Refuge! Bring a donation of cat or dog food! Cash donations accepted!

If you can’t make it out but would love to donate to Rikki’s, you can always do so the following ways:

https://rikkisrefuge.org/feedme

OR directly to our Paypal account at mail@rikkisrefuge.org

OR via regular mail to: Rikki’s Refuge, PO Box 1357, Orange, VA  22960

Also on Saturday, September 13, from NOON – 2:00pm, we will have our Donation Drop-Off and Job Interviews at the Rikki’s Refuge Education Center (see address below).  The gates will be open and interviews start PROMPTLY at 12:00pm NOON. Please note this is the gate at the corner of Route 20 and Quarterhorse Lane!

On Sunday, September 14, at 7:00pm, please come out and join us for Rikki’s Spiritual Night at the Education Center.  It’s a place to talk about growing personally and spiritually, a place for transformation, to learn to be more cat-like, to love your life, to be a happier, kinder, gentler you, to be more in touch with the reality of the universe and less caught up in day-to-day drama and life…..a place to learn to  purr more and hiss less. 😉

On Saturday, September 20-21, Rikki’s will be at the Fredericksburg Pet Show.  This is a fun family event!

On Saturday, September 27, RIkki’s will be at the Charlottesville, VA Vegetarian Festival!  Admission is FREE and this festival gets better every year!!  Hope to see you there!

Do you like to run? Or even walk?  Have you signed up for Rikki’s Refuge 5K Run/Walk in November?  Join us on November 1, at 9:00am at beautiful Lake Anna State Park.  Your entry fee is only $25 (or $30 on the actual race day) and will help the 1300 animals who call Rikki’s Refuge their home.  Checks should be made to Rikki’s Refuge.  Donations of pet foot and/or other supplies are welcome!  Awards will be presented to the first male and female finisher and the first three in every age group.  

Entry forms can be picked up at:  VA Runner, Ed’s Awards & Engraving, Giant Food Stores, 360 Feeds or you can email bugbane30@gmail.com for more information!

As Fall arrives and the holidays approach, there will be many other events and opportunities for you to meet the critters, volunteer, donate and share for Rikki’s Refuge.  Stay tuned to this page and our Facebook page for the updates.

And remember, we could not do anything for the animal residents at Rikki’s Refuge without YOUR help.  You are a blessing to us and we are grateful to you every single day!

Yesterday we were visited by Jill, a very talented and kind massage therapist. She came to help out our beloved donkeys, Bub and BeeBee. We’re pretty sure she enjoyed being supervised by Norman the handsome and quite persistent tuxedo cat, too!

Rikki’s Refuge was one of many vendors at the National Capital Cat Show last weekend (September 6/7, 2014) at the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly, VA. We had a great time! Many thanks to all our volunteers who helped set up, manned and packed up our booth! We can’t do any of these events without you! We appreciated our many visitors too!

You can learn more about the National Capital Cat Show here:

On the Web: http://www.nationalcapitalcatshow.com/ 

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NationalCapitalCatShow

Sharing a few photos!

You can see the rest of our photos from the cat show on any of the following albums:

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152241465142391.1073741876.169651012390&type=1

On Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/RikkisRefuge/national-capital-cat-show-2014/

On Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/sets/72157647013054569/

PIZZA PARTY!
You are cordially invited!
CiCi’s Pizza (North Chesterfield Location!)
11549 Busy St.
Richmond, VA. 23236
Saturday
September 13, 2014
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
EAT PIZZA! HELP RIKKI’S REFUGE!
Dine at Cici’s Pizza on Saturday 9/13/14 between 10AM-4PM and let your server know you’re eating out to help Rikki’s Refuge! Cici’s will donate 10% of net sales to help Rikki’s Refuge! Bring a donation of cat or dog food! Cash donations accepted! 

PIZZA PARTY! COME MEET INDY!
Come meet Virginia’s own Indigo Wheeled Terrier on Saturday, September 13, 2014 between 11 AM and 5 PM! He will be at Cici’s Pizza offering kisses for one dollar to help raise funds for Rikki’s Refuge! Come dine at Cici’s Pizza and have fun! Be sure to let your server know that you’re there to help Rikki’s Refuge! Bring a bag or can of cat food with you to donate to the refuge!
CiCi’s Pizza
(North Chesterfield Location!)
11549 Busy St.
Richmond, VA. 23236
KISSES FOR YOU FROM INDY!
DOLLARS FOR RIKKI’S!
(Cici’s Pizza is donating 10% net sales to Rikki’s Refuge from all customers who come out to support Rikki’s between 11AM-5PM.)

IF YOU CANNOT ATTEND, BUT WOULD LIKE TO HELP RIKKI’S REFUGE, YOU MAY DONATE HERE:
https://www.rikkisrefuge.org/feedme
OR DIRECTLY TO OUR PAYPAL:
mail@rikkisrefuge.org
OR BY MAIL:
Rikki’s Refuge
PO Box 1357
Orange, VA. 22960