Paws On Your Heart is a non-profit sanctuary for feral and stray cats with special needs, part of the larger Hillview Acres Animal & Nature Preserve. The sanctuary’s brand new facilities are located on a spacious property owned by our family in beautiful rural Saskatchewan, and for decades we have been providing food, shelter and love to homeless cats. We love every one of our residents, and are committed to promoting cat welfare around the world. 100% of the donations we receive at Paws On Your Heart will go directly to the cats.

We also strive to help cats in our community and around the world through community outreach, education, and promoting cat welfare. For more information, see our About Us page.


Famous Friday: Sagwa

by Paws on Your Heart on June 26, 2015

Today’s famous feline is a cute Chinese Siamese animated cat. Sagwa is the star of her very own kids television show called Sagwa, The Chinese Siamese Cat, which is based on the book Sagwa, The Chinese Siamese Cat written by Amy Tan. Thanks to the fun adventures and educational themes of this television show, it became extremely popular with Canadian children during the early 2000s. So what can we tell you about Sagwa? Read More…

{ 0 comments }

Cautions for Cats in the Summertime

by Paws on Your Heart on June 19, 2015

Swag1Summer is such a wonderful time of year. Everyone and everything thrives…plants, people and animals.

In a place like Saskatchewan, home to our Paws On Your Heart feral and stray Cat Sanctuary, we rejoice in the summer.  Despite it being a super place to live, Saskatchewan is known for its cold and lengthy winters.  Therefore, we celebrate each and every day of summer.

The cats are no exception.  The picture here shows one of our Sanctuary cats, Swag, soaking up the sunshine in the outdoor pen. Swag’s picture reminds us to remind you that there are special precautions to take in the summer months to protect your cats.  Here are a few:

1…Never leave a cat alone in your car.

Although this sounds so obvious, many people overlook this simple safety rule. Somehow they feel that cats are different than people, since they are often outdoors.  They don’t realize that a parked car, even with the window open, can reach staggeringly hot levels when it’s warm outside.  On a hot day within minutes a cat can be fighting for its life locked within your car.

2…Make sure your cat is safe outside.

Although all cats love to roam, over the years we’ve learned that the safest place for any cat is within a contained area.  If your kitty wants to enjoy the fresh air of the outdoors, then a pen or running area is the best answer.  There are many commercial outdoor cat runs that you can find on the Internet or through your favourite pet store.  Or, you can easily set up something at home if you’re the handy type.  The key is to make an outside area that has some shade, some sun, and lots of room to roam around.  Some people create elaborate runways, several levels of platforms and play areas.  Be as creative as you like. The cats will thank you for any area that is safely set-up and allows them to be outside.

At our Sanctuary we were able to build a 17′ x 11′ x 7′ pen attached to the back of the cat chalet. It has strong wire mesh on the top, and on all sides, to protect the cats from going out and anything else from coming in. The best part is that it has its own entrance so that they can easily go in and out whenever they like. We love to watch the cats run end-to-end playing in the grass, or just lying with their bellies in the air enjoying the sunshine.

3…Watch out for heat stroke.

When the summer weather hits both humans and cats love to be outside.  Unfortunately, cats are wearing their fur coats indoors or outdoors, so frequently need cooling off times. Of course, they are having such a great time watching the birds, rolling in the grass or lying around that they don’t always ask to be let in.  The best approach is to have an attached area to the house that lets them go in when they get hot.  The next best thing is to bring them in regularly for a break from the heat. How often will depend on the temperature, the amount of shade, and access to water. There should always be fresh water available when your cat is outside.  You can’t ever be too cautious.

Summer is all about enjoying the great outdoors – for both you and your cat.  You can spend some precious moments outside together as long as you keep your kitty’s safety in mind at all times.

Do you have any other summer precautions to share with our readers? Maybe you’ve built an outdoor structure that others could model.  Why not share your ideas in the comments section to help others enjoy a great summer with their cats.

 

 

{ 0 comments }

Comments about Cats

by Paws on Your Heart on June 26, 2014

Pixie on armchairPaws On Your Heart was invited to join in a fun and interesting exercise today.

PJ Van Hulle, the founder of List-a-Palooza, created a blog “Power Hour” in which participants went on one another’s blogs and commented on those they found interesting. It was a great way to meet the others in the group, and to support them with comments about their work.

It occurred to us while participating that there are a lot of really great blogs out there.

So many people are truly dedicated to what they believe in and they want to share their experiences and expertise with others.

It reminded us that every now and then you should just go on the Internet and search for new blogs.

You never know what kind of great ideas you’ll come across or what new perspectives you’ll find.  And, if you appreciate what you’re reading go ahead and make comments to the writer.  It will mean so much to them that someone noticed and appreciated what they had to say.

How do we know this?  Because we read each and every comment that gets posted about our blogs.  Many of them warm our hearts as you share your kitty’s story or comment about one of our beautiful Sanctuary cats.  It makes us feel connected to other cat lovers around the world and inspires us knowing that you, too, value and respect all cats as we do.

So, thank you for making comments on our blog.  The more comments you make the better we’ll get to know you.  And you can never have enough cat loving friends!

Why not start by making a comment on this blog post.  Do you have a special cat you’d like to share with the world? Today we’re sharing Pixie, the cute little girl in the picture above…once a street cat and now a spoiled Sanctuary cat!

{ 0 comments }

Cat Behaviour: Is Your Cat Snoring?

by Paws on Your Heart on January 19, 2014

_MG_9598 - TinahAre you ever sitting in your quiet home and suddenly hear a strange noise… that you find is coming from your sleeping cat? Could it be that your cat is in such a deep sleep that he’s snoring? Yes, it’s true… cats snore and it’s usually a completely normal behaviour. Read More…

{ 0 comments }

Adorable Holiday Cats

by Paws on Your Heart on January 12, 2014

Happy 2014! We hope that everyone had an excellent Holiday Season. We received some great photographs of our readers’ cats enjoying the holidays, and we thought we’d share them. We absolutely love the photographs and the stories about these cats, and we hope that you do too. Read More…

{ 0 comments }

Famous Friday: Courageous Cat

by Paws on Your Heart on January 10, 2014

Courageous Cat and his sidekick Minute Mouse are a very famous super hero duo from the early 1960s. We love them because of their blatant similarities to another super hero duo that was popular during this time. Read More…

{ 0 comments }