"On the 12th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...."
This beloved traditional holiday song is the
inspiration for our seasonal blog series, "12 Days/12 Ways", a
promotional effort of goodwill we started last year to draw attention
to 12 not-for-profit groups or charitable organizations in Playa del
Carmen and along the
Riviera Maya. So many people from around the world travel to the Riviera
Maya during the holiday season. Many reach out to us via regional
message boards and Facebook looking for a way to give back to the less
fortunate residents in our local communities. 12 Days/12 Ways was
started to help these generous, kind-hearted visitors find legitimate
and worthy charitable organizations to support, addressing their
particular needs for this holiday
season.
For each of the 12 days of Christmas, the BuyPlaya
Blog, better known as "Life's a Beach", will spotlight a charitable
organization or giving opportunity. Some may already be familiar to locals and
frequent travelers to this area. Others, perhaps those most in need of
recognition and support, may be new to our readers. It is our hope to do
this every year, with updated information and wish lists.
The "12 Day/12 Ways" list has not yet been completed for 2011. If you have a favorite
charity that you feel belongs on this list, collect all of the
information you can and I will be happy to consider your group for
inclusion.
__________________________________________________________________
Coco's Cat Rescue
is a non-profit organization started by Laura Raikes in March of 2009.
Since Laura was a young girl she was helping her dad in farming and
started rescuing all kinds of animals from bats to dogs, cats and even
bottle feeding goats and lambs. One of the rescued cats was Igor who had
only one eye after an attack by a crow. He is still a much loved family
pet back home in Wales.
After moving to Mexico and marrying her
husband Carlos their cat, Coco, was run over, as many of the drivers in
Mexico see cats as a pest and make no attempt to avoid them if they see
them on the road. Laura decided she wanted to help address the problem
of too many stray cats-which leads them to be cruelly treated. A week
after Coco's death, Laura heard a distressed kitten "Rambo" in the
jungle, hence the name Rambo. She has then continued her work rescuing
kittens and spaying/neutering feral cats in her efforts to help the
animal population in the Riviera Maya. Each kitten that is rescued is in
dedication to her very own lost pet Coco.
Also working on
reducing the population, Laura began a spay and neuter clinic working
with Kelley Anthony and the veterinarian Claudia Lewy spaying and
neutering feral cats, rescued kittens and pets whose owners simply could
not afford to sterilize their cats. Laura realized more needed to be
done and asked for support from more vets. Before long, seven different
vets in Playa were volunteering in the spay/neuter program for cats
organized by Laura. As the support grew for the project Laura began to
meet many other dedicated volunteers and saw the need and opportunity
for something bigger. Therefore in dedication to Coco, Coco's Cat Rescue
was created.
Coco's
Cat Rescue has a no kill policy and is dedicated to reducing the cat
population in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. They achieve this via a TNR
(trap spay/neuter and return) program for feral cats, and a rescue,
treat, spay/neuter, and tame program for kittens under 3 months. The aim
is to find a permanent loving home for all the rescued kittens in their
care.
Coco's Cat Rescue provides free or low cost spay/neuter
surgeries and basic pet care to those on a low income. While the primary
focus is cats, Coco's clinic also provides spay/neuter services for
dogs through grants from Sociedad Protección Animales de Peninsula (SPAP) and Veterinarios Internacionales Dedicados a Animales Sanos (VIDAS).
CCR
is committed to education which encourages responsible pet ownership
and challenges negative associations with feral cats and consequent
cruelty. Their long term mission is to greatly increase the number of
animals that they are able to assist and expand their model to embrace
other local areas in need of services.
CCR also initiates and manages the "Cat Café" program with hotels of the Riviera Maya. The concept of the Cat Café was developed by the World Society for the Protection of Animals
(WSPA), to humanely address the problem of feral cat populations
gathering around resorts, where there are usually tourists willing to
feed and pet them. This can easily get out of control and then,
understandably, the hotel will want to get rid of the animals. However
studies and experience have shown, as long as the source of food, water
and shelter remains available, others will soon take the place of the
cats removed. These are eliminated in turn and it becomes a never ending
story.
If, instead, a stable colony of sterilized and medically
attended cats is permitted to stay on the premises, this will prevent
newcomers from moving in and also keep rodents at bay. The Cat Café
program has proven successful in a number of countries worldwide. The
project includes:
- Trapping of resort cats for
spay/neuter, rabies vaccine, and parasite medication. This results in a
healthy and non-reproductive cat population.
- Building of a Cat Café. This provides a feeding area on hotel grounds away from the kitchen, restaurant, and guest areas.
- Consistent nutritious feeding of cats at scheduled times.
- The cats will learn to come to the Cat Café for food (and purified water) instead of seeking food from guests and resort staff.
To the hotels, there are significant benefits from implementation of a Cat Café, including:
- Humanely solving the cat overpopulation problem.
- Preventing rodent populations.
- Reducing health risks to employees and guests.
- Positively involving employees and guests.
- Establishing
their hotel as a local leader in proactive and humane overpopulation
solutions for feral animals – an issue which greatly disturbs tourists
and affects tourism.
- Once the Cat Café program has been fully
implemented, the feral cat populations attached to the hotel will have
been spayed or neutered, vaccinated and de-wormed, and their ongoing
health monitored by Coco’s Cat Rescue as well as by the hotel.
Sterilization is indicated by a clip made on a cat’s left ear at the
same time the surgery is done. This is an international symbol the cat
has been sterilized.
In line with the guidelines for cat
cafes, the hotel provides the area away from guest and kitchen areas,
feeds the cats only in this designated area, provides purified water and
usually some shelter. Naturally, it is very important that guests do
not feed the cats in any other area, so they become accustomed to going
to the café for food. The café is staffed by volunteer cat-loving
employees and guests are welcome to interact with the cats there if they
wish.
Why Coco's is Not a Shelter:
Coco's
mission is not to be a shelter. When quarantine space allows, they can
take a rescued kitten into Coco's care. They help kittens as space
allows. Coco’s primary mission is Spaying and neutering which addresses
the bigger/ongoing problem. There will never be a shelter big enough for
all the cats and kittens on the streets which is why Coco’s Cat Rescue
chooses not to become a shelter and to focus on spay and neuter. This
way they are preventing the problem and in the long run preventing the
unwanted animals on the streets from being born. When you look at the
statistics of how there are over 14,000 cats on the streets in Playa
alone it is crucial that CCR focus on spay and neuter.
Why Coco’s Cat Rescue is full at times:
With
over 14,000 cats and kittens on the streets of Playa del Carmen alone
Coco’s Cat Rescue is overwhelmed with kittens most of the time. As they
do not have a shelter and only have space for 15-20 kittens at any one
time they are almost always full. Coco’s Cat Rescue has very strict
quarantine rules. When a new kitten arrives at Coco’s Cat Rescue it must
be kept separate from other kittens for at least 15 days meanwhile the
kitten undergoes treatment for parasites and receives its first vaccine.
There are also many other contagious conditions like a virus or skin
conditions like ring worm and mange which require a longer quarantine.
CCR prefers to have 20 healthy kittens than 50 sick ones even if this
means having to say no to people who ask them to take in more rescued
kittens. Some illnesses are life threatening and by putting one sick
kitten in a room with 10 other healthy ones they could end up losing
them all!
In order to better assist and support those animals
they cannot accept at a certain time, Coco's Cat Rescue has started a
new program and hopes to be able to help more people to foster and
ultimately find homes for the kittens they find or rescue.
When kittens cannot be taken in by Coco's due to space being full they can assist you with these things:
Free spay and neuter
Free first rabies vaccinations.
Free de-parasite meds
Free general exam for rescued animal with Coco's Vet
Free meds/help if the rescued kitten is injured
Free kitten milk, bottle and a lesson on how to care for younger kittens who can not eat by themselves.
Easy to use Poster Template for creating adoption posters.
This
program is for rescued kittens only that have not yet been adopted.
Coco's Cat Rescue is not able to offer vaccinations or general exams for
people’s pets. We would like to continue to support the local vets who
work hard and helped us get the program going.
Coco's does have a permanent spay and neuter clinic for OWNED dogs or cats and rescued animals.
Since it's inception in 2009, Coco's Cat Rescue has sterilized 6500 cats and dogs.
How can YOU help?
Donate!
Good
News for US Donors! Through collaboration with "ViDAS" a US, animal
welfare organization, your generous gift to Coco's Cat Rescue is now
tax-deductible! To obtain your tax-deductible receipt, checks may be
made payable to "ViDAS," and mailed to P.O. Box 20246, Boulder, CO
80308-3246. Please list "Coco’s Cat Rescue" in the memo section on the
check. Sponsor a kitten each month for any donation.
Buy a Coco's Cat Rescue 2012 Calendar!
12
stunning photographs of the charming Coco's kittens. A must buy for cat
lovers! Only $20usd / $200mn each. Makes a great Holiday gift or stocking stuffer
for the cat lovers in your life!
Adopt or foster a kitty!
There
are many kittens looking for a forever home. To adopt a kitten you will
be asked to give a donation of 250 pesos. This includes the spay/neuter
of the kitten. You will also be asked to bring a copy of your ID, proof
of where you live, fill out the adoption form and answer some
questions. Coco's does all they can to ensure that the kittens are going
to the best of homes! Cross border adoptions are very easy. CCR will
sort out all the paperwork and can help find a "mule" if you are unable
to take the kitten home yourself. You will be responsible for paying the
flight fee and the adoption fee of 250 pesos.
Volunteer!
Coco's
is always in need of volunteers! You may help by fostering a kitten,
helping to trap feral cats and transporting animals from the perrera.
Allergic to cats (like me)? There are still many ways you can help. You
may collect donations from drop boxes, shop for supplies, manage the
transportation calendar, write grants and proposals or assist with
annual projects like the calendar and the cookbook.
Contribute items from the wishlist!
From the wish list the most needed items right now are:
Cat Traps
Flea and tick meds for dogs and cats
Dog and cat cages/travel carriers
Powdered milk for kittens
De-worming medicine
Please check the wishlist online for a complete list of current needs!
Come cuddle the kittens!
Every
Friday afternoon, between 2pm and 4pm, Coco's cat Rescue opens its
doors to cat lovers young and old for an afternoon of cuddling. The cats
and kittens in residence at Coco's need all the affection and attention
they can get. All that fuzzy love has a great affect on the humans as
well! Email info@cocoscatrescue for a map and directions!
For more information:
Laura Jonguitud Raikes - President & Founder
info@cocoscatrescue.org
984-120-0572
www.cocoscatrescue.org
I moved to Mexico with my family in 2004 with the hope of offering our children a more global education and world view. Since then, we have traveled through Mexico, Belize and Guatemala, gathering friends and life experiences and learning a lot about ourselves along the way. When we are not out and about exploring, Rob and I own and operate BuyPlaya, a Playa del Carmen real estate company and FurnitureMex. "Life's a Beach" is a catch-all blog where you may find anything from restaurant reviews, to recipes, gardening tips, commentary about expat daily life, local events, information about moving to Mexico and educating children in Playa del Carmen. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter and Google+.