The REHABITATTLER

Issue No. 16, Fall 1998

But there are things you can do . . . . . . .

Responsible pet management benefits pets and wildlife.

Keep only as many pets as you can feed and care for.

Keep your cat indoors. Confinement eliminates unwanted reproduction, predation on wildlife and spread of disease.

Neuter your pets or prevent them from breeding. Encourage others to do so.

Support or initiate efforts to require licensing and neutering of pets.

Locate bird feeders in sites that do not provide cover for cats to wait in ambush for birds. Place animal guards around feeders and nest trees.

Do not dispose of unwanted animals by releasing them in the wild. This not only enlarges feral populations and threatens wildlife, but is inhumane to the animals themselves.

Eliminate sources of food, such as garbage or outdoor pet food dishes that attract strays.

Do not feed stray animals. Feeding maintains high densities that kill wildlife and compete with natural predators.

Your outdoor cat can be turned into an indoor cat with patience. Ease them into the new routine by increasing your cat's indoor time gradually. Domestic cats need human companionship. Set aside time to give love, attention and to play with your cat. Provide lots of interesting toys.

Love and care for your cat. Take responsibility and supervision seriously. Your cat will love you for it!

Cats that are not kept indoors at all times are going to "grab" things. Sometimes those things are common species that can absorb the loss, but they will encounter and kill wildlife that is much more rare.

Despite the difficulties in showing the effect most predators have on their prey, cats are known to have serious impacts on small mammals and birds. Worldwide, cats may have been involved in the extinction of more bird species than any other cause, except habitat destruction.

Not only do cats prey on many small mammals and birds, but they can outnumber and compete with native predators. Domestic cats eat many of the same animals that native predators do. When present in large numbers, cats can reduce the availability of prey for native predators, such as hawks and weasels.

_____________________________

Well fed and apparently contented cats are often ruthless killers

_____________________________

People who view cat feeding as a solution believe that cats receiving regular meals have a diminished desire to hunt. A British study of the hunting habits of house cats allowed to run free concluded that the amount of food the cats ate at home made no difference in their inclination to hunt and kill. "Well fed and apparently contented cats are often ruthless killers", the researchers wrote.

Even if you discount the danger your outdoor cat creates for other wildlife, there's plenty of danger for your cat. Run-ins with cars, poison, traps and other hungry predators are just a few of the hazards. The list of diseases just waiting include rabies, feline leukemia, distemper and infectious peritonitis.

INSIDE REHABITATTLER:

Barn Owls (continued)

Membership Renewals

It's Time to Volunteer!

Event Update

Helping Hands

Do you know where your cat is?

..... about Owls

You're Never too Young

Rehabitat Needs List

Our thanks to JACK GAUGHEN REALTOR who choose Rehabitat, Inc. as the recipient of a $250. grant. This was done as a part of their "Corporate Grant" program recognizing and supporting employees and the non-profit organizations that they actively participate in.

Placing a Tree Nest Box

Should we eventually open a public exhibit, it is our hope to provide a gift shop and education center. While the gift shop will provide a source of revenue, we see the education center as a much needed public service.

Individual sponsors will be needed to help bear the cost of the care and feeding of each breeding bird.

While somewhat ambitious, this is a much needed project. Sadly, unless we take time to care for these beautiful birds, future generations will not benefit from their contributions, nor will they be able to enjoy their pure beauty and spirit.

Ask about our "Adopt a Barn Owl" Program.

Membership

Categories

€ Student (18 and under) $15

€ Senior (65 and over) $15

€ Individual $20

€ Family $25

€ Sustaining $50

€ Supporting $100

€ Donor $200

€ Patron $500

€ Benefactor $1,000

Rehabitat, Inc.

Post Office Box 81,

Dillsburg, Pa., 17019

Membership Application

I would like to become a member of REHABITAT.

Name: ______________________________________

Spouse/Children if family member: _____________

____________________________________________

Address: ____________________________________

City: _______________________________________

State: _________________ Zip: _________________

Telephone: (______) _________________________

ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES

 New Member  Renewal

___ Student (18 and under) $15

___ Senior (65 and over) $15

___ Individual $20

___ Family $25

___ Sustaining $50

___ Supporting $100

___ Donor $200

___ Patron $500

___ Benefactor $1000

Please complete and mail with your check to:

REHABITAT, INC.

P.O. Box 8l, Dillsburg, Pa., 17019

(717) 432-9483

We will send an attractive and seasonal acknowledgement of your gift, and include your personal greetings.

It's time to Volunteer!!!

OK, so you've filled out the Membership form saying you want to be a volunteer, but no one's called you yet. Then you picked up a Volunteer Form and filled that out, but still no one has called you. So you guess that Rehabitat must have enough volunteers right now. Right?

WRONG! We are in need of individuals willing to work at the facility and at shows. As much or as little time as you can give is appreciated. Our problem is that we don't have any volunteers with the time to call and organize our new ones.

If you are serious about helping, please help us out by calling Wendy Looker at 432-9483. Tell her you want to be a volunteer and when and how you can help. We will appreciate it!

come breeders in their second year.

Farmland is disappearing. Remaining farms are being modernized and the barns are being sealed tight. While some good intentioned individuals are placing owl barn boxes to provide an acceptable site, they are often placed flush against the interior wall of the barn with only the 6" opening to the exterior. This forces the fledglings to exit the box with no opportunity to come and go ...no opportunity to fully experience the "branching" stage whereby they practice hops, short flights, stretching and developing of wing muscles. It would be much more helpful and useful if homeowners with this type of box placement would consider putting additional openings into the barn interior ... allowing the birds use of the barn rafters ... or moving the boxes further into the barn so the birds can actually enter the barn to access the box.

Our thanks to three eagle scouts who have completed projects of experimental tree mounted boxes which will allow for better shading, ventilation,

Event Update

As this Newsletter is being written, we are in the midst of the Apple Harvest Festival held each year in Biglerville. It's held the first two weekends of October each year and is one of our largest sale and fund raising events. If you've never visited the Apple Harvest Festival, we encourage you to put this on your calendar for next year. It provides enjoyment for all ages and tastes.

Other upcoming events include:

Friday, October 30 - Millersburg (Call Ned Smith Center for information)

Friday, November 6 - Audubon Seed Sale, Camp Hill Mall (evening)

Saturday, November 14 - Ashcombes - 9:00 am to 3:00 pm

Tuesday, November 24 - Strawberry Square - 10:00 am to 2:00 pm

Fund raising is an every day event and is necessary for us to continue to provide services. We appreciate the support we receive from our members.

We hope to see you at some of our events this fall. We have several new items for sale. In addition to several new T-shirts, we have various bean filled plush owls, magnets, sweatshirts, jewelry and several types of beautiful note cards featuring owls and hawks.

As in the past, we hope to have a Christmas sale which is discounted for our members. We'll let you know!

All of us have someone on our "Gift List" that we care very much about, but is difficult to choose a gift for.

If your person cares about nature and our environment,

consider giving them a Membership to

Rehabitat, Inc.

Phone - 432-9483

Congratulations

to Sherri Sirianni

for winning the Raffle held at Apple Harvest.

Our thanks to Karen Stone who donated the handcrafted "crewel" picture of a Great Horned Owl!

Paper Towels

Bleach

Laundry Detergent

Igloo Thermos

Rubber Gloves

Copier Paper

Postage Stamps

Chipper/shredder

Power Blower

Weed Eater

Snow Blower

Metal Garbage Cans

Pre-Paid Phone Cards

Garden Hose

Grass Seed

Give a Gift that Lasts All Year!

BARN OWL BREEDING AND RELEASE PROGRAM

DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR CAT IS ... AND WHAT IT'S DOING?

First, allow me to preface this by saying that we love cats and know they make wonderful pets. But, like any pet, they need love, supervision and care.

The domestic cat has evolved from various species of wild cats. They have retained a natural instinct to stalk, pursue and kill prey.

Countless cats are allowed, everywhere, to run free without supervision. Worse, millions are dumped into the wild to fend for themselves, and threaten native wildlife in the process. It is estimated that as many as five million pet cats and dogs are "dumped" annually into the wild.

Scattered throughout urban, suburban and rural areas, there is no way to know the exact extend of their impact on wildlife.

Cats on the loose differ from native predators in three basic ways: People protect cats from natural control factors, such as disease, predation and competition. Cats often have a dependable food source provided by humans and are not influenced by reductions in prey population. Finally, unlike native predators, cat densities are not limited by territoriality.

According to the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, there are more than 60 million feral cats in the United States today and another 60 million cats living as pets under varying degrees of owner control. Unfortunately, registration and licensing of cats is not required and no Pennsylvania agency is willing to hazard a guess to the number of cats in the state, feral or otherwise.

Include the greeting:

 Merry Christmas  Happy Hanukah

 Happy New Year  Seasons Greetings

 Happy Birthday  Happy Anniversary

 Other: ________________________________

Your personal message: ________________________

________________________________________________

________________________________________________

________________________________________________

Please send a gift to: _____________________________________________

Address: ______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

Everything you've ever wanted to know about Owls . . . . . . . .

Have you ever heard that an owl can turn his head completely around? Or that owls are blind in daylight? Or that the feather tufts on an owl's head are its ears? Or that if you hear an owl it means bad luck?

These are ALL misconceptions that have been passed down through the generations. Let's set the record straight!

Owls can rotate their heads three quarters of the way around. They cannot move their eyes from side to side, but have extremely flexible necks and can move their heads rather quickly - thus the illusion of a complete turn.

Owls see perfectly well during the day and exceptionally well at night.

Owls have the BEST hearing of all birds. Their ears are located on the sides of their heads and are hidden by feathers. The so-called "ear tufts" on the top of the head aid in camouflage and recognition between individuals and have nothing to do with hearing.

Finally, if you hear an owl calling, consider yourself fortunate . . . even more fortunate to observe one in the wild.

Owls are predators - they catch, kill and eat other animals in order to survive. This predation is neither cruel nor wasteful and has been going on for millions of years. An owl killing and eating another animal is no different from a robin eating a worm or a gull eating a fish. Although some owl species are diurnal (active by day), most owls hunt at night and are seldom observed by humans. Because of this nocturnal (nighttime) existence, they are little known and often misunderstood, even though some owls live their entire lives in close proximity to people.

Hunting at night, owls use their extraordinary vision and excellent hearing to locate their prey. Special adaptations such as wide wings, lightweight bodies and unusually soft, fluffy feathers allow them to fly silently. Owls seize their prey, usually a rodent or other small mammal, and kill it with their powerful feet. If the prey is small enough, it is swallowed whole; otherwise the food is torn apart by the owl's strong hooked beak.

The owl's digestive system assimilates the nutritious portions of the prey; the undigested parts, such as hair, bones, claws, teeth, etc., are regurgitated in the form of pellets. These pellets, found at roosting sites, can be examined to determine the owl's diet.

There are eighteen species of owls in North America. Some species, like the Screech Owl and the Great Horned Owl, live in one place year round; others, like the Saw-whet owl and the Short-Eared Owl will travel long distances.

All owls are protected by state and federal regulations. It is illegal to capture or kill an owl; it is also illegal to possess an owl, living or dead, without the proper permits from governing authorities.

Owls pose no threat to humans, although adult birds will defend their territory and their young against any intruders, human or otherwise. Unfortunately, superstitions and the untruths about owls will persist which have subjected this group of birds to unwarranted suspicion and persecution. We hope, with the knowledge and understanding of the owl's true character, their fears and misgivings will be replaced by tolerance and respect for these unique birds.

ventilation and, of course, natural branching.

We care deeply about the future of the barn owl and believe it will be a loss to everyone should we allow these birds to continue to dwindle in number. While Pennsylvania has not yet listed these birds as "endangered" they have been identified as "of special concern". It is, however

Special Need . . . .

We are looking for a FREE source of plastic 35 gallon drums (preferably white) for use as experimental nest barrels.

Any ideas? Give us a call. Thanks!

Misha Snyder

Rehabitat, Inc.

P.O. Box 81

Dillsburg, Pa., 17019

432-9483

Helping Hands . . . . . . .

On October 3rd, Jr. High Youth Group Members from All Saints Episcopal Church in Frederick, Maryland visited Rehabitat. As part of their Christian Outreach activities, they helped paint a building that is being considered for the Barn Owl project.

The group of seven girls then went to Rehabitat to get a first hand look at the Barn Owl as well as other birds such as Red Tail Hawks, Great Horned Owls, a Peregrine Falcon, Ospreys and Turkey Vultures. Also, at the facility, they saw the endangered Bearcats and learned about the importance of captive breeding in the survival of endangered species.

Earlier in the day, the girls visited Last Chance Wildlife Center in Thurmont, Maryland and collected acorns for the orphaned and injured squirrels to eat over the winter. All of the young people had fun and learned a lot about the animals, especially the "really cool" Bearcats. Some thoughts of the day included "I had a great day. My goal in life is to protect the environment". Another girl commented "It was great and I will always reach out a hand to help animals".

... Our thanks to Jennifer Mariano, Jr. High Youth Group Leader of All Saints Episcopal Church for bringing the girls and contributing this article.

IT'S SOON TIME TO . . .

RENEW YOUR REHABITAT

MEMBERSHIP!!

On or about November 1, you will be receiving a bill for renewal of your membership.

Our "older" members will recall that, upon request, we began billing our membership renewals last year.

Memberships are billed on a calendar year. Therefore, if you joined in June 1998, you will still receive a bill for the entire calendar year of 1999. We seldom receive any complaints about this process since our members are aware it is for a good cause, and their donation is tax deductible. However, if this is a problem for you, please let us know. We want to retain you as a happy and supportive member!

If your address has changed, or will change in the near future, please let us know where we can reach you.

Our membership contributions constitute 20% to 25% of our annual income. We need your support, and truly appreciate your willingness to help!

We have been working on a new and exciting program for some time and feel the time is right to share our plans with our members.

Most of you are familiar with barn owls. What many of you may not know is that their continuation as a species is in serious jeopardy. While not yet listed as endangered, we feel that the time to act is now, before it is too late. While breeding and release of these beautiful and useful birds is important, even more important is educating the public to their value and their plight. Their fate is in the hands of those who control their environment.

Unfortunately the average life of a barn owl in the wild is only 18 months. This is due to the fact that 80% of young owls die their first winter from starvation. This is averaged with the surviving birds who may live as long as seven years. While this is sad, it is normal mortality and somewhat acceptable. It is unrealistic to think that we will impact their overall lifespan, but we are hoping to get more breeding pairs in the wild so that the 20% who survive will represent a larger number of birds who will become breeders their second year.

However, a candidate for the Ohio State list of Endangered Species and is already classified as endangered in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin.

First, let us explain some of our goals:

To identify healthy breeding birds

To provide an environment conducive to breeding and raising of young

Identify areas where these birds can be safely released and where a food supply and nesting sites are available

To educate the public not only to the plight of these birds, but to their value and what individuals can do to help

Identify and place nesting boxes and educate others who would like to help

________________________

What will it take to make this program a reality? Volunteers and funding.

_________________

Several breeding pairs have been identified and are available to us. We have seven birds at the facility and four birds waiting for clearance for import to Pennsylvania. All these birds will be available for "adoption". It is very difficult to identify the sex of a bird, and we do not routinely do so at our facility. However, for purposes of this program, we did identify the sex of several resident birds which we believe will be good Pennsylvania breeding birds.

We have not made a final decision regarding the location for this program, but will most likely begin at our facility. We are considering off-site locations for the future which will allow for public visitation.

Once we have made a final determination as to location, we will need to build mews which will act as the

Fax - 432-7883

e-mail -

REHABITA@EPIX.NET

Rehabitat Needs List:

If you'd like to help, but just don't have any time, or believe you don't have any talents to contribute (we don't believe it!), below is a list of items you can donate to help us out:

You're never too young . . . . . . .

We rarely give special recognition to any one volunteer because we have so many who give generously of their time and talents.

However, we want to make an exception for one young volunteer who has been helping us out over a number of weeks.

Misha is 10 years old. While her parents are enjoying bowling league, she has been selling candy to other bowlers at Trindle Bowl. Over the past 4 weeks, she has raised $160 for Rehabitat.

Our thanks to Misha and others who have helped us. By learning at an early age the satisfaction and benefit of giving of yourself, we've no doubt Misha will grow to become a giving adult.

You're never too young to help in some way, and we sincerely believe you're never too old! Our talents may change, but we all have something that is of value to someone.

Give of yourself . . . make a difference.

Barn Owl breeding chambers. If you or someone you know is experienced in construction, and would like to donate materials or labor, we would appreciate hearing from you.

For those of you who are not familiar with the term "mew", this is an area where the birds are housed. It is generally built of slatted wood to allow sufficient ventilation and will contain perches and various landing and nesting areas for the birds.

When we have a permanent facility open to the public, we hope to surround the mews with various types of plantings and a fence to remind people not to approach too closely and disturb the birds.

What will it take to make this program a reality? Primarily two things. Volunteers and funding. We plan to have 10 mews in place and are looking for sponsors. While individuals are certainly welcome to sponsor a mew, we will be contacting various corporations for their support and assistance. If your company is environmentally minded, we will be happy to provide them with information for consideration.

Sponsorship of each mew is $500. Sponsors will receive recognition at our facility through a sponsorship plaque recognizing their support.

Volunteers will be needed on a continuing basis - first in completing the mews and then on a regular basis.

Once the birds are in their new home, we will need volunteers daily to assist with cleaning and feeding.

Do you know all about WEB SITES ???

Good .... because we don't. We need someone to DONATE a web site ... space on their server, set up and help with maintenance.

Please call and let us know if you can help or if you can direct us to someone who can. THANK YOU!!!