Ahimsa Safe Haven

10/03/2025

A cute little loaf baking in the sun, the top is golden but the underside needs a little bit longer 🍞👩🏻‍🍳 Mr.Jenkins spent the day baking in the sunshine, how did you guys spend this beautiful day?😊

04/03/2025

22/02/2025

We’ve been dreaming up a fun new way to bring our community together and support the animals we all love… how does a Palette Painting Party sound?

Picture this: an afternoon of creativity, laughter, and connection—no painting experience required! We’d provide the supplies, you’d bring your wonderful self, and together, we’d create something beautiful.

Would you be interested in joining an event like this? Let us know in the comments! If enough folks are excited, we’ll start planning something special. 🥰

19/02/2025

Hi my name is Crackle and though I require my special food and insulin twice a day for diabetes I promise I make up for it with all the love in the world. I am the best kitty for any home, I am patient, I hold still for my injections and I am content on my own but even more content in your lap purring as loud as possible!! All it takes is one meeting with me and I’ll be your best friend!! Shoot us over a message and visit: ahimsasafehaven.org/adoptcrackle to see if my next crime will be stealing your heart and pillow🤍

19/02/2025

Indrid saw the vet today as he has been moving a bit more slowly and just seemed off. Even though our coops are heated, this is a tough time of year for the birds. He had bloodwork and X-rays done, and pretty much as expected, he has heart disease. Cardiac issues are soooo common in roosters as they age. Heart meds are probably the most commonly given meds here, as we have multiple boys on them for life. So when the vet said Indrid’s heart was enlarged, it wasn’t a surprise.
What WAS a surprise was the chunk of metal that also appeared on his X-rays. The vet believes it is lead shot. Given its location in the center of his chest, outside of the digestive tract, it would have had to enter his body with great force to become lodged so deeply. It’s not something he ate. He was shot.
People sometimes ask why we advocate for roosters. Why, of all the animals in the world, we choose to rescue birds with a reputation for being aggressive towards humans. And this is precisely why. They are one of the most horrifically abused and misunderstood animals on the planet. Humans are far more dangerous than roosters will ever be, and yet many people view them (unfairly) as creatures who wish us harm. We are the ones to fear.
Indrid was not young when he came to us a few years ago. We have no idea how long the shot has been there, but any effects from the lead are likely permanent at this point. We are treating him with a chelation therapy just in case. He is also beginning his heart meds and possibly an antibiotic pending bloodwork results.
The beginning of his life seems like it was pretty rough. But tonight he is snuggled up with his lady friend, Laverne, fully medicated and safe, warm and happy. They both got blueberries when he arrived back home and his poor little heart should be feeling better soon. Indrid, I’m so sorry you’ve had to endure the things you have. We will never stop fighting for you, and we love you.

15/02/2025

Harriet here, offering kisses on this sweet day of St. Valentine’s to say thank you for all the carrots and love you all have provided me and my friends! Ain’t nobody need a boyfriend when you’ve got the human servants to feed you snacks!
Love comes in many forms, be it pig snoot boops, chicken beak smacks, kitty cheek rubs or human hugs. We all express our joy and want to let you know that we looove you! Happy Valentine’s Day!

14/02/2025

Pop is home!!! And…. Sort of better.
The good things: Pop is THRILLED to be home. Now that he’s back, it’s clear that some of his problems in hospital were due to stress. He did not eat the entire time there, but is already nibbling dry food here. He developed a fever the last two days, but his bloodwork continued to improve and still showed no signs of infection. He hardly wanted to open his eyes, and was just so… shut down. Even though he benefitted from being in oxygen, I feel terrible that we put him through that. Even when I picked him up today he looked miserable. He did not respond to me or want to be touched the entire way home. I was extremely worried that he was not going to improve. But as soon as I set his carrier down in his building and opened the door, he stood up, walked out and came to life. Hallelujah.
The less good things: Pop is probably in heart failure but we still don’t really know. His breathing still kinda sucks. I actually pulled over on the way home because I could hear him breathing over 130 times per minute. That lasted several minutes while he refused to open his eyes or move. I almost called MSU but we were only about 10 minutes from home and I wanted to see if being back would help. Thank goodness it did. But we clearly still have some things we need to work on. Even back home, his breathing rate is slightly higher than it should be. We are going to check in with our regular vet next week and we are supposed to see MSU cardiology in 4-6 months.
No matter what his future holds, he is happy now and definitely feeling better than he was a week ago. We are so happy to have him back and purring and just being Pop. 🥰

13/02/2025

Our wonderful resident Harriet was wondering if you guys would be her valentine tomorrow? She has a little surprise in store for all of you tomorrow💕💌

12/02/2025

Welcome to the first episode of “Claws and Order” a new weekly series to introduce our criminally cute friends at the rescue. Meet our first suspect Snap who came to us in 2022 after being found outside rescued from being dumped. After some time now I am one of the sweetest boys who loves to spend time with just about anyone! If Snap stole your heart visit 👉 ahimsasafehaven.org/snap to learn more. Make sure to check next week for our next episode of Claws and Order!

11/02/2025

Last night when the MSU ER vet called, he said the Lasix was working, and that Pop was breathing so much easier! They were heavily leaning towards heart failure, which isn’t a great diagnosis but it’s what we expected. He told me heart failure cats typically only live 6-12 months after diagnosis. But being able to breathe is a big deal, and I was grateful Pop was feeling so much better.
This morning when he called, he said Pop still didn’t want to eat for them, and he wondered if I’d bring some food from home when I came to visit. Of course. Pop has been very nervous and they were hoping he would eat when he was more comfortable (ie with me and familiar food we know he likes). His bloodwork came back beautiful. No indications of infection and his organs are all functional properly. His lungs looked substantially better on his second set of x-rays and he had even been weaned off of oxygen! So when I went to visit today, I was excited to see a happier, healthier boy.
But Pop looked awful. The vet asked if he was normally this lethargic. I had told them he’s kind of a blobby cat. Which is true. He’s a lazy chonk. But nothing like this. Pop hardly moved. I sat on the floor and pulled him into my lap. He moved his head around a bit but barely opened his eyes. No purrs. No requests for chin scratches. No response when I rubbed his belly. I opened a can of food and placed it in front of his face. Nothing. “This isn’t Pop at all,” I told the vet. “He’s not ok.”
Apparently Pop’s echo this morning revealed NO signs of heart disease. His heart walls were neither thickened nor enlarged. The vet said something about transient heart failure in cats and also Pop’s kidney values being affected by the Lasix. They are starting him on an anti-nausea med and possibly an antibiotic even though the bloodwork doesn’t indicate infection. They want to see if supportive care brings a positive change but I’m worried. Very worried. His breathing is much better, and I’m grateful for that, but there is something else going on.
I snuggled him for a bit and then left feeling worse about the whole situation. I’m going back tomorrow. Please keep those good vibes coming.

09/02/2025

We noticed our chunkiest monkey, Pop, was breathing just a little bit quickly yesterday. He seemed otherwise pretty normal, but this morning his little nose was flaring more than I was comfortable with. We got an appointment with a local vet, who unfortunately found a heart murmur. After X-rays, she said she believed Pop was in heart failure. She recommended hospitalization for the weekend and a cardiologist appointment.
Animal cardiologists can take months to get into, and even though Pop’s difficulty breathing was minor, it could worsen quickly. Our last cat with heart issues didn’t live long enough to make it to his appointment.
After some discussion, we decided to just dive in and take him to Michigan State. It’s expensive, but the care is far superior to anyplace else I’ve been, and the cardiology team can see him quickly. If he was going to be hospitalized, we wanted to give him the best possible chance.
Heart failure wasn’t even on my list of possibilities when I noticed his weird breathing yesterday. We are nervous, but he is in very good hands. Please keep our tubby sweetheart in your thoughts!

04/02/2025

Did you know that not all FeLV-positive cats show symptoms right away? Some cats can remain healthy for years, living full and happy lives with the right care! While FeLV affects the immune system, many cats with the virus experience long periods of wellness, especially in a stress-free, loving environment.

Our FeLV+ residents aren’t just surviving—they’re thriving! While they are permanent members of our sanctuary family, we’re here to spread awareness and advocate for these often-overlooked cats. With proper nutrition, regular vet visits, and lots of love, FeLV+ cats can enjoy a quality of life just like any other feline.

Want to learn more about how we care for our special residents? Visit ahimsasafehaven.org and help us educate others by sharing this post! Together, we can change the way the world sees FeLV+ cats. 💛🐾

03/02/2025

Love is in the air, and we’re so excited to share it! 💕 We’re creating special Video Valentines featuring personal updates from our amazing residents—but we need a few kind hearts to help get things started!

Whether you donate, like, or share, you’re bringing a little extra love to inboxes and making Valentine’s Day even sweeter for those who need it most. Thank you for being part of our mission to spread kindness to all living beings! 🐾💖

Learn more here: ahimsasafehaven.org/video-valentines

03/02/2025

Quinoa had another acupuncture appointment, followed by a bath because we found mites on him while we were there. 🤢 He wasn’t nearly as relaxed this go-round, but the mites could definitely have been making him uncomfortable. But it’s hard to tell if the acupuncture is working. Either way, he snuggled up in his towel and thoroughly enjoyed some mash (as you can see 😂) afterwards. Bonus points for being ultra cute! He has 3 more appointments scheduled and at that point we will re-evaluate if the acupuncture is making a difference. Keep your fingers crossed that it helps his pain levels. 🤞

01/02/2025

Goose is still on the hunt for his perfect forever home! This sweet boy is ready to fill your life with love, snuggles, and plenty of purrs. Could he be the missing piece to your family?

Visit ahimsasafehaven.org/adoptgoose to learn more, and please share to help Goose find the loving home he deserves!

29/01/2025

Hey, friends! Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and we've come up with something special. We're launching our Video Valentines! You can receive a personalized video from one of our residents. Not only will you be spreading joy, but your support also helps us continue caring for these amazing animals. You can get a video until February 13th, so there's plenty of time to get involved. Let's make this Valentine's Day extra special together! 🥰

Check out all the details here: https://donorbox.org/video-valentines-2025

27/01/2025

If you’ve been with us a while, you’ll remember Atreyu. She’s been here nearly 5 years now (!!!) after she escaped life in a battery cage, although with some major physical damage. She lost a wing and a leg, but she has shown us every day since that limbs are not necessary for leading a good life.
Last week she developed a little bit of a twist in her neck, and the last couple days it has become quite a bit more severe. Known commonly as “wry neck” in chickens, it can be caused by a few different things. It’s most common in babies with nutrient deficiencies, but in adults (and especially seniors like this sister), it’s worrying. We have started her on some supplements just in case, but we haven’t seen any positive change. She isn’t able to eat on her own at this point, and she’s now being tube fed. She is seeing the avian vet tomorrow and the appointment can’t come quickly enough.
She has been through so much in her life. Egg-laying hens in facilities like hers are typically slaughtered around 1.5 years old. She was probably around that age when she made her way here, making her 6ish years old. She has lived far more time in freedom than in a cage. But she deserves more. Atreyu has been invincible thus far. Please keep all your fingers and toes crossed that this is something fixable. We need our girl to stick around.