Sunday, September 14, 2014

Sunday, September 14

Lucy Ann has arrived. from BENCHES in Minnesota.  She is the girl that became sad and depressed being in a cage. The wonderful thing is that I got to meet Katherine, the director. She herself drove the many hours to bring Lucy Ann here to FFRC.  It was a joy to "talk shop" with her--a real genuinely caring person. Lucy Ann decided on the trip here, that being out of the pen was what she wanted and needed and became at ease. She is already out of her pen in the back Thumper's Room and seems relaxed. She loves head rubs! What a joy! 

The babies of CathyKay are doing great. I love their little fuzzy fur. They are already round!

We have a returned cat. Jatcat is back, but all is well.  Her mom/dad are wonderful and terrific cat owners. In this situation, they realized that they had a resident cat that has been unhappy about another cat in the house and made things uncomfortable for Jatcat.  While they have much love for Jatcat, they have put the needs of Jatcat above their own wants of having her. A very unselfish act for which I am grateful. I thank them for caring so much about Jatcat.

We have some thanks to give! 
Frances J--donation for FFRC
Jack & Tomi--donation for FFRC
Diane D/ruffle--case of Iams chicken kitten can

Let's talk about cat food! I love walking thru the rescue center and petting these cats. You can tell the difference of a newly arrived cat to one that's been here for a while. They are shiny---as they should be! Here's what we do here that I think works just fine. We take the dry cat food that we receive and mix it together. The quality is good, nutritional food. Also remember, Iams is kind enough to donate to us. There may be 4-6 different kinds, but all of good quality. Then when a cat is adopted, a bag of this is sent home with them. Normally, the dry food that the new family has bought is one of the foods that's already in the bag. It's an easy transition with no tummy troubles! The same goes with the dry kitten food. 

There's two things that are especially hard for me. One is never having enough room for all the cats and kittens that want to come here. It's simply impossible. The need far outweighs the number of homes that are out there. I worry. What happens to these cats or kittens? Are they ok? Are they hungry? I have to keep re-focusing myself to the task at hand and continue to encourage spaying and neutering. Such an easy solution--but one that meets with much resistance. The second is the health of the cats and kittens that are here. Oh my goodness---that is a constant worry. We clean, we vaccinate, we worm, we observe, we wash hands, we check and check ourselves--what can we do to help them be and stay healthy. This year we added the Bordetella vaccine which has helped immensely. But, like with any large group of cats, things still happens sometimes. When it does, we tackle it head on. The health of our cats is very important to us.

Let's talk about our adoption fee! Our adoption fee is $90. But, what that includes far outweighs that $90! In using our discounted prices, we still have at least $350 in each cat. What does that cover?! Let me list the ways--a capstar and bath upon arrival, 2-3 distemper vaccinations, 2 leukemia vaccinations, vet physical, 4-5 wormings, a leukemia/fiv/heartworm test upon arrival with a repeat of this test about a month after arrival, the spay/neuter, Bordatella vaccination, monthly flea prevention, ear cleanings. Anything else needed medically is then on top of that. We feel that if we take on the responsibility of a cat or kitten, then we are committed to good medical care. 

Who zips, zooms and goes like the wind? Cayden. Who has the thickest front legs here? Nobbin. Who loves the hammock in Dodger's Pen the best? Teva. Who waits above the door of the purple office each morning for breakfast? Mahogany. Who loves to step on as many breakfast plates as possible? Emma Jo. Who just ate my zucchini muffin that I was saving for breakfast?Jarvis--yes, Jarvis and I just told him he's in trouble, but he just grumbled and kept on eating it. Oh well--I'll have my cereal! 

Have a great day. Please....it's still officially summer. Reach out and grab a kitten or cat and hustle to a vet's office for a spay/neuter. Remember....those kittens that were born in March and April are possible baby-makers this fall. Please help...spay and neuter.