The Magic of One More Smith Animal Rescue and Sanctuary

Posted by admin on June 10, 2010

On a recent whirlwind trip to New Jersey, I begged a visit to one of my favorite clients’ sites, One More Smith Animal Rescue and Sanctuary.

I got my wish. Amy Smith took me out and I spent an hour snapping photos and petting cats. The Rescue is housed primarily in a converted barn with numerous fenced-in outdoor runs. Part of the barn has recently been outfitted as a medical facility. Purdy’s Perch has walls and floors covered in a substance that can easily be hosed down, a nice array of stainless steel cages, a refrigerator, HVAC, and a stainless steel veterinary table. Purdy’s Perch lets OMS care for their sick without putting them through the trauma of a trip to an off-site vet, though surgeries and spaying/neutering are still performed at the local vet’s office. It also lets them to easily put new rescues in quarantine. Penny the cat carefully watches over Purdy’s Perch.

OMS’s five resident goats make their homes in the barn as well, and have access to a huge outdoor field.

Another room inside the barn is affectionately called the “jungle room,” due to its huge collection of cat trees. Like Purdy’s Perch, this room has heating and air conditioning. It also has a radio that plays soft music and lots of food and water. The door to the outside has a cat-door in it so the residents can come and go as they please—which is essential because we all know that cats only do as they please.

Outside that door, you enter the first of three fenced cat yards. The third, Carina’s Way, is the most recent addition, made possible by a generous donation. All of these are outfitted with environmentally friendly mesh fencing that makes the runs feel like they’re part of the wooded spaces beyond. Nestled amidst the trees, are more cat trees as well as two large sheds that have been converted into outdoor rooms. The residents have lofts and tunnels to explore. Windows and fans keep the interiors pleasant. Logs, buckets and other objects provide places to play, climb, explore, or rest.

Also abundant are two-story dog-house-looking things fitted with pillows and cat flaps. Amy explained that these are important because the bulk of OMS’s 60 resident cats are either feral or solitary. The ability to remove themselves from the other cats whenever they want is important to their welfare.

OMS is big on the health of their animals and it shows. The facility is clean and the cat trees replaced often. They spay or neuter all new additions, make sure they have all their shots and treat anything that comes up quickly.

From a marketing perspective, I wanted to try and get a few heart-string-pulling pictures of needy and abused animals. The problem is that OMS’s residents are so well cared for that they’re energetic and happy. For those of you who are familiar with cat tail language, you know that when they prance around with their tail in the air, they’re happy. If the tip is crooked, they’re hyper-happy. Let me tell you, there were almost 60 hyper-happy cats in those yards. Five actively competed for my attention and I had a lot of purrs from them, leaving happily covered in cat fur. Whenever I crouched down to take notes, one bold fellow would climb up on my lap. Another stretched up my leg, asking to be picked up.

That brings me to another thing I discovered during my visit. I think OMS takes this particular accomplishment too lightly. It’s a story worthy of Smithsonian Magazine. They have developed a program using a combination of light, music and touch therapy to transform feral kittens and teen cats into cuddly, adoptable pets! Based on a therapy used with young children, I got to see first hand the results. Their most recent examples are three feral siblings. OMS acquired two and then the third two weeks later. The first two are almost demanding of attention and cuddling. The third, while curious of me, wouldn’t be approached. This therapy initially took weeks, but they’ve streamlined it to a 10-day rehabilitation. I’m impressed.

It was probably a good thing my husband forbid me to bring one home. I’d have brought home at least two (I’m a sucker for purrs.)

I didn’t get a chance to meet the k-9 residents, but there aren’t that many. They reside primarily in a converted garage. Like the indoor cat room, they enjoy heating and air conditioning. They also have couches and TV. The cats’ TV consists of a series of bird feeders strung up just outside the cat yards. I somehow think the cats have the better deal—nature smells and no commercials.

One More Smith Animal Rescue and Sanctuary has an impressive list of success stories:

Rehabilitation of feral cats
Feral cat life expectancy—Wild: less than 2 years. OMS: 8-14 years.
24-7 food and water
Full-time care
Superior, environmentally friendly facilities
Heating and air conditioning
Equipment and toys

While they’re happy to adopt out any suitable residents, the bulk must remain at OMS. They’re a no-kill animal rescue and they don’t turn away any animals. Monica and Amy Smith currently bear the bulk of the financial burden themselves.

They really need regular financial support. Re-occurring contributions of as low as $25 a month from a number of people would help tremendously. They also could use donations of food, fencing, cat toys, cat trees, blankets, cages, and traps (They’re cats. Any damage to their fencing results in a break-out, though they don’t tend to go far). 100% of donations go directly to the animals.

This is a wonderful facility run by two loving generous women and I’m honored to be a part of One More Smith.

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