Important updates about Rosegate RHDC

     It has already been more than two years since Rosegate received 501(c)3 nonprofit status.
In those couple of years we have had quite the learning path with experiences and reality check.
Since we are not a regular rescue, this means that we do not just take in any dog and cat.
We follow strict considerations for what animals are allow to be here and co-habitat with the already established residents.

     We have also discovered that this region has little issue with people abandoning their senior dogs.
All the local shelters here are rarely full and those are usually young. It may be country living or a pervasive attitude with hunting dogs but It seems that people are caring and responsible with their dogs. That farm life has given rise to a feline problem though. Little cared for barn cats that quickly overpopulate their colonies. In an old time attitude to constantly have a cat population to hunt rodents they avoid any selective spaying or neutering.

     We had some semi-feral barn cats wander into our life and they were suffering from multiple parasitic infestations. These adventurous foundlings that came to us on their own accord were young but we could not turn them around.

     Soon or later we will have to consider either changing the name from Rosegate Retirement Home for Dogs and Cats to something more representative of the environment we produce for those in our care. Not just a new name but re-brand our character and mission. We could also just dissolve this organization officially as a business but keep doing what we have been.

     The name is too long. We are not providing a home for just senior animals and there are not many senior street dogs out here. A final consideration is that we do not wish to feel pressured by peoples thoughts on how we should be going about this project. We will probably always have family dog(s) but we will not going to specialize or focusing solely on that aspect. Me, personally, I would love to rescue only orange cats. They seem to hold a special spot in my heart. :)

     Rosie, Crosby and GiGi taught us some important lessons and tested our patience.
Through their love we came to realize that we can not fulfill all the ways these lost dogs need to be whole again. Yes we tried with all our hearts and that is why saved and spent lots of money and resources for the creation of Rosegate.

     As we get older it seems our resource or energy will lessen and thus we are considering a closure of the organization. Another option is to simply down scale and remove any business side of Rosegate. We will always be providing a home to those we can and keeping a private or personal social media page for those who have become friends of Rosegate. To those that will come, purr and conquer their way into our hearts, our door is always open.

     To those kind souls who have become our friends of furry critter, thank you and please stay.
We will continue to update the situation and keep the purr love flowing.

Mr. Mau's Story

In August 2018 I was gardening in the pollinator garden, digging a hole for a new flowering shrub. I got a few minutes break and was stretching my back when I felt sad again about Tommy. He was my best Ginger cat who had lost his battle with cancer just a little more than a year ago. I looked up at the sky and was asking out loud; "Where are you Tommy?" Since I have always believed in signs of a Spirit, I was hoping that one day I would get a message from him. As soon as I was ready to continue to dig a little deeper I heard a gentle meow.

I could not believed what I was seeing and had to blink. There was a skinny white-ginger cat just a few feet away, continuing this gentle greeting. At first he was shy but that only lasted for few minutes. He came closer to me, rubbed himself against my legs and looked into my eyes with a happy little hope. It was immediately obvious that he was a mature male cat.

My excitement grew and I went towards the house to let my husband know we had a new arrival. I asked him to bring out a can of cat food as I kept asking the kitty; Where you came from? Who are you? He answered: Mau. I asked him is that your name Mau? He said Mau. haha. That sounded silly but for me it was such a gentle and loving introduction.
Mr. Mau finished two cans of food in the first five to ten minutes.

Hubby stayed outside with us and he already adopted Mau. He held him, hugged him and kissed him. That was the moment I saw some worms just "jump" out from his little butt. I gave him dewormer immediately as well as sending my husband to our local vet to get something a bit more extensive since I had seen at least two or three different kinds of worms in him. The poor thing was so infested with parasitic worms that his anus and surrounding area was swollen.

We let Mau get used to us before attempting to bring him inside. We kept the garage door open for him at night time as well as the truck windows. We caught him sleeping inside of the truck many times, especially during heavy rain and storms.

One morning I saw him eating rodents and then a roadside squirrel. I told myself THAT's IT! No more disgusting food for him. I was upset that his continued wild diet would negate the dewormer and keep him in a cycle of infestation and then dewormer medicines. Since he was so nice and kind he let me to trim his claws and took him inside the shower. I gave him shower and we provided him an isolation room upstairs.
In the meanwhile we scheduled an appointment with the vet and started a Fundraiser for him. Through the kind donations of his new fans, more than enough for his first veterinary appointment and neuter operation was achieved. Mr. Mau was isolated for four weeks until he was cleared from worms, parasites and ear mites. Don't worry that we left him all alone. Hubby stayed with him all that time and they made friends.
I took him outside with a harness so he was easier to adjust to his new life. It did not take too long for him to get used to the clean, warm house with food, treats and other pets. He easily made friends with Kahili, the only other male cat here. They have became best buddies, but Mr. Mau is such a gentle cat, that he friends with all the pets here.

One year after we rescued him, a tiny black kitten (Augustina) found us as well. Mr. Mau loved this tiny kitten as well and they became friends. One day I caught Mau and Augustina on the window bed looking outside and he had one paw hugging her. Probably he was just telling the story to her of how he had arrived here and was now fat and happy and that she had come to the right house.