Saturday, June 27

Tomorrow is the day---Catathon Day! How so exciting. We have the BIG TV here that will go under the Shelter House for all our visitors to watch. We have the Porta-Pot in place. The Werlor trashbin has been emptied. Cookies and Pies are here! The Shelter House is clean and ready. All Baskets and Big Ticket Items are smiling and ready too! Volunteers are ready and waiting to go! The Raffles items are busting to know who will win them! We are a go for a very exciting day!

It is pouring buckets outside. I don't think I've seen it rain this much ever all in one day. It's suppose to rain the entire day and then no rain tomorrow.....so, that is good.

I've talked to Terri and Evad and Mary Kay are doing good and already becoming friends. Terri's "normal" amount of cats that she always had in the past was 5. She would like a sibling to Mary Kay to help her feel more secure. I do believe Hark will be joining her soon! But 3 will be her limit!

We have thanks to give, as we had BOXES last night. I am so grateful.
Suzanne, Andre and sweet Freemont--lots of Babywipes  for those kitty faces!
Julie, volunteer--2 bottles of vinegar, Can Friskies, assorted kitty toys, cat nip, doggie treats
Lynn B--donation to FFRC
Jennifer B from CA--donation to FFRC
Jan from Hawaii--a donation for Catathon!
Carole R/zen--donation for FFRC, just because!
Ashley F--donation for FFRC
Lucy/lu-little & Benny--donation for Catathon!
Susan S/raspbearyjan--flag for yard, lots of sheets, syringes/alcohol preps, Snow cone maker with cups, straws and lots of flabors, Clever Mop
Lostgirl--snackers, 2-16 lb bags of Purina One & Pro Plan
Great Aunt Julie/tigercat from IA--4 boxes Purrfectly fish
Plee--3-40 lb bags of Precious Litter

The kittens are all doing great. The cats are wonderful. Friends are arriving for the weekend. Possible adoption(s) this weekend? What a lot going on!

This is a short blog, but I wanted to touch bases with you before the Catathon. Be ready for a couple fun things tomorrow!

Rescued Cat

Once I was a lonely cat, just looking for a home.
I had no place to go, no one to call my own.
I wandered up and down the streets, in rain, in heat, and snow.
I ate whatever I could find; I was always on the go.

My skin would itch, my feet were sore, my body ached with pain.
And no one stopped to give a pat or gently say my name.
I never saw a loving glance; I was always on the run.
For people thought that hurting me was really lots of fun.

And then one day I heard a voice...so gentle, kind and sweet,
And arms so soft reached down to me and took me off my feet.
"No one again will hurt you," was whispered in my ear.
"You'll have a home to call your own where you will know no fear.
You will be dry, you will be warm, you'll have enough to eat.
And rest assured that when you sleep, your dreams will all be sweet."

I was afraid, I must admit; I've lived so long in fear.
I can't remember when I let a human come so near.
And as she tended to my wounds and bathed and brushed my fur,
She told me about the rescue group and what it meant to her.

She said, "We are a circle, a line that never ends.
And in the center, there is you, protected by new friends.
And all around you are the ones who check the pounds,
And those that share their home after you've been found.

And all the other folk are searching near and far.
To find the perfect home for you, where you can be a star".
She  said, "There is a family who's waiting patiently,
and pretty soon we'll find them, just you wait and see."

And then they'll join our circle; they'll help to make it grow,
so there'll be room for more like you, who have no place to go."
I waited very patiently; the days they came and went.
Today's the day, I always thought, my family will be sent.

Then just when I began to think it wasn't meant to be,
there were  people standing there, just gazing down at me.
I knew them in a heartbeat; I could tell they felt it too.
They said, "We have been waiting for a special cat like you."

Now every night, I say a prayer to all the gods that be,
"Thank you for the life I live and for all you've given me.
But most of all, protect the cats in the pound and on the street.
And send a Rescue Person to lift them off their feet."

-- Arlene Pace,  September 18, 1998 --

As you read this poem, please know that these cats here are "our" cats. You are as much a rescurer as we are. The things we do are because of your support. The things we have already accomplished are because of your interest and donations. It's sheer relief to know "you have our back" here at FFRC. YOU all have become a huge part of this Rescue Center. And I thank you for this.

Now........on to Catathon! Let's have a fun time at this very exciting event!

June 25 Thursday

THREE days to Catathon! The cats and I are super excited. We have much excitement, along with the tummy tumbles and butterflies! This is a "big deal" for the Rescue Center. As you know it's our main fundraiser and it's a lot of fun. Lots of friends too will be here! The cats and kitties have already caught wind of lots of visitors---they love it as that means even more petting and loving. And you never know, maybe an adoption or two!

The Catathon Raffle is now over. I do not have a total yet, but that will be announced during the catathon. We will draw winners throughout the entire Catathon. I deeply appreciate the support of the Raffle. This Raffle amount will be added into our Catathon totals!

Pre-registration is still on until noon Friday. Just go to our website fofrescue.org and look for the link. By doing this, it will save time on the phone during the Catathon!

Yesterday we had our phone test. It worked beautifully! All 8 lines were hooked up and turned on. Many of our viewers then called the FFRC number to make all the phones ring and ring and ring. All phones are good and all connections were great. This year we have that added benefit of the fiber optic line!

Our wish is that you all enjoy the Catathon! It's meant as a fundraiser but also for a nice time for you all. So many people helping us, it's very very awesome to me. I'm amazed and so grateful.

We had BOXES so I would like to say a big thanks!
Earlier this week:
Alan C from UT--donation to FFRC
Sue M/macncheesemom from MA--doantion to FFRC
Jean & Tom L from Defiance--Chief Tapes
Mike/sophieandlucysdad from MI--coupons
Sandie E--big bag of Purina One Adult
Donavon S from OH--donation for Leonard and his buddies
Shirley M from Canada--donation to FFRC
Jill S from OH--donation to FFRC
Kelly L--donation to FFRC
Teresa T--donation for FFRC

From last night, Weds--
Joyce D--for pizza for our hungry tummies on surgery day!
Katie L--Lurker from Canada--4 boxes appetizers, 2 bags Purina One kitten, kitty snackers, 6 real cute containers of kitty snackers, Purina One adult, 10 bags coil toys, lots of catnip toys, 4 sm. microwave snuggies, 30 canisters Lysol wipes
Susan, Andre & Freemont--Royal Canin kitten food & bag of Purina One adult
Floppyjan--bag of Purina One
DeEtte P--4 big bags of Purina One Adult
Donnajb--4 bags Purina One
Eartheyes--2 bags Purina One, 2 cases FF kitten, 2 cases Wellness, 2 boxes TP
Shoo_lvr--900 baby wipes (!), 4 bags Royal Canin adult
Jatcat from CA--new bed for Camie, my doggie (she loves it!), case of Fancy Feast
Vickie B--6 bags Royal Canin Baby cat dry kibbles
Conii with Elliott & Iszabella--4 bags Iams dry adult
Straycatlady--20 lb bag Precious Litter
MacnCheese & Family--Westinghouse microwave!!!!  We were running room to room to heat things!
Linda S--2 bags Purina Cat Chow
LJ323--4 cans chicken, 4 memory foam mats, 5 cleaning mitts, Book: Who Pooped in the Park!!!, box of tic tac mints (to remind us of surgery days!!), Sunkist Fruit Chews, 4 cave kitty beds

Derecho, Derecho--the cat we all love! Many of you have noticed that he's having a bit more mobility problems lately. And yes, that is true. These cats with CH, they sometimes put a tremendous strain on their bodies, with all the bumping, balancing and falling that they do. Derecho too. While he can get to where he wants to (because he's super determined!), sometimes he has a harder time. Sometimes those vertebrae get a bit out of alignment with all that wiggling. Right now, he's on an anti-inflammatory. Dr. Bill has been working on his back and keeping things in alignment. The bottom line though is.........Derecho will be Derecho. While it may be worrisome to US, just take a look at him! He thinks he's as fine as ever! So, try not to worry. He's not!

Little Rios is doing awesome! He's walking better and better without tipping over much at all! And he's starting to eat by himself. We took in 3 new little babes 2 days ago. Two orangies and 1 buff, all boys. They are about 12 days old. Wow--they were screaming hungry when they arrived. I thought people would hear them downtown Defiance. To be so hungry that your tummy hurts so bad, hurts us. They had went 3 days without any food, had fleas and maggot eggs on them. But, now, they are clean, no fleas, no eggs and their tummies are already happy! We are syringe feeding these 3. Foster Peggy S still has her 2 little tiger boys. They are doing great.

Yeah--Mary Kay (one of the 5) finally got to her new home! Her mama is Terri, the same person that has Evad. I believe Mary Kay, just like Evad, will come around and open her heart to Terri. She's a very patient mama!

Since it's been a few days since the last blog, I should also mention that we had 4 kitty adoptions! Kenny & Emery went to their new home with MaryMort! I don't know who was happier---mama or kittens! Also, Artimiss and McKaela went to their new home together where they too will be much loved. These adoptions brought much joy to me. We have more kittens on hold and they will get to their new homes too soon.

This morning was nuts-ville! The cats were hyper, the kittens were crazy. Pure, high energy this morning. Some of it got the kittens into "trouble". It made me do some thinking. When the kittens are a bit snide with each other, we forgive them. When they pick and pick on each other, we just seperate and comfort. When they are downright mean (rarely happens), we easily overlook it. When they may snarl or grumble at us, we try to understand and help them. I even heard a Covie speaking ill of a Porchie the other day......and you know---that Porchie just sat there and smiled and gave that Covie a snacker! It's quite amazing--we lay our hearts open to them and accept them unconditionally. It got me thinking......wouldn't it be absolutely awesome if we would all do that with people as well?!!  How exciting to think of that! Instead of being impatient, critical, short tempered or maybe wanting to be negative about others, that we opened our hearts a bit more. That would allow us to forgive, and understand and possibly making a friend! It is far better to say something kind, than to say things that can hurt and sometimes that hurt is far deeper than we know. And THAT is what I love about our FFRCNation---the friendships we have, the "togetherness".

Take care, friends! THREE more days to Catathon!

Sunday, June 21

Seven more days to go to our 5th Catathon! Fast approaching. We are still full speed ahead for preparations! Today is the kick-off day for our Catathon Raffle. Check out our chatters fb page, the FFRC fb page and FFRCNation page along with Twitter---it's all there! There are 16 wonderful items. Tickets are just $5. Get as many tickets as you'd like! Afterall, it only takes one ticket to win! We will close this raffle at 9 am on Weds and do the drawing for these items during the Catathon. 

We had BOXES Friday evening. Our big thanks to you for your help to FFRC.
Mary, our Friday vol. from Archbold--Sheba, kitty snackers, broth pkts and appetizers
Julie C from IN with Anna Marie & Miss Mellow--donation to FFRC, 5 cans Fancy Feast, 12 sm red bags that say "You Had Me At Meow"
Plee/PatL from SC with Sandie, Miss Tortie & Lucy--21 handmade pillow cases!
tigercat54/Great Aunt Julie from IA--2 cases Fancy Feast Kitten, 16 lb bag Purina One
AJpritting/Audrey & Gary--Happy Birthday to Coralie--a new soft bed just forher!
Napa--donation to sponsor Pania
Michele & Frank--3 big bags Purina One cat food
Deb11111--6 wonderful bags of dry cat food (Purina One) & a case of Fancy Feast.

Many thanks to Warped and Joe for bringing a bunch of items for our PawMart FFRC Store! Warped and Deb also held a Flash Sale yesterday for which I am thankful. Warped spends much time and material to make these excellent items and then donates them to FFRC. Many thanks.

Surgery Day was yesterday--it's over and all is great! All in all, we did 22 surgerys--11 boys, 11 girls. 

Boys were: AJ, Emmitt, Macaroni, Cheese, Emery, Kenny, Major, Jete, Rourke, Jahzara, Ozwald
Girls were: Towanda, Anmarie, Jerusha, Ahimsa, Rapture, Radiance, Posie, Lena, Dorothy, Artemiss, McKaela

The surgeries have all recovered nicely. Ahimsa has been a bit slow but she's doing much better this morning. The kittens bounced right back. We had lots of post-op kitty holders, which is so important. Each person takes 1 or 2 and holds them--to keep them warm and to be sure their respirations and color is good. Then when they start really waking up, they are placed in a pen where they can start moving about. The next step is to put them in a room, where they can nap or walk about and eat. When fully on their feet, then they were allowed back out in the Main Room.

We ended up not doing the surgery for India and Induna. Induna was still a bit small and India is just now bouncing back from a little set-back this past week. We also cancelled Valeta's surgery (the siamese adult) as it does indeed appear that she is pregnant. It was a thought when she arrived, but I wanted Dr. Darcy's opinion on it. Now we play the waiting game with her. We also did not do Evad's surgery. The best thing happened for her--her foster mama is a foster failure!!  Yeah--that means she will officially adopt Evad. She's comfortable with her new mama and purrs and seems so happy. She is also considering adopting Mary Kay and possibly Hark as well. Terri is a friend and has always had cats until recently. Fostering Evad has made her realize it was time to have cats again in her home! We win, she wins, the cats win!!

Dr. Darcy also did a few physicals. Solee had her past heart murmur rechecked. This time it was not heard! Way to go, Solee! She also checked Seymour as his lymph glands were quite swollen last month--this time, all is good. Lymph glands are normal! Bender was also checked because of his troubles with his rear legs. We will now start him on a different medicine. He doesn't seem to be bothered too much by this, but we would like to see him walking better. Hopefully this different med will help. Cayden was also checked. You may already know, I've been concerned about his 1/2 rear leg. It continually gets a scab cap on it. Underneath it is not healthy. Beings he has a long stump, he tries to use it for balance, which is also not good for his hips. But it also compromises the stub end.  Due to a high risk of getting an infection in this, it was decided that he will have that leg amputated mid femur. This will keep the remaining bone healthy and help his hips. 

We took in a new kitten yesterday that came from Dr. P's office. Dr. Darcy brought him with her for us. His name is Cyrus (a Name a Cat name). He is about 3 months old and a grey tiger/white. They have already neutered him. He was found alongside a road, pretty banged up. His bottom lip was down to the chin so it required button surgery (where a button is sewed in to hold the lip in place during surgery). He also had a nasty abscess under his eye that needed surgical help. His rear leg had a large tear in it that required a good cleaning and sutures. We'll take those sutures out later. He is feisty, fun and sweet! 

We also lost one of the kittens that Peggy is fostering. Little Peter did not make it, but passed away peacefully in his sleep. He sure had a last week of major loving though and we are thankful that we have had them in their care. The other 2 are doing great. Hugs to Peggy.

Our other new itty bitty now has a name. It is Rios (another Name a Cat name). This little guy arrived about 4 days ago, in terrible condition. He was found alongside a very busy road, hit by a car. He was actually brought in for euthanasia, but upon arrival, we thought we could help him. He's doing much better. Rios is about 3 weeks old, a brown tiger/white. He must've landed in a terrible position because his whole body was kinked up. Dr. Bill has already adjusted Rios. This morning he's able to sit up and is taking his gruel better now, with a syringe.  I have him in the house with me! 

Whew--okay, I think we have you all caught up! Happy Summer.  And remember--7 days away!! Just as a reminder--my return emails may be rather slow this week and the blogs may be a bit sparse due to time. Have a great day! 

Friday, June 19

It's always interesting to me how the kitties "clump" together. Here in the purple, front office, the kittens of Jerusha (and all of her fosters) have stationed this as their area. High action and energy abound here! Then there's Clarissa and her 4 kitties plus a handful of extras that she watches over, have taken over in the Kitty Campus Room. This works very nicely for all! We weighed many of the kittens yesterday. All but one has gained a good amount of ounces in the last week. 

Tomorrow, Dr. Darcy will be here around 8:30 and we will begin right away with physicals. As usual, we will do the boys first, followed by the little girls and finish with adult girls. Somewhere in there, we will mix in a few physicals! By tomorrow evening, the place should be hopping with kitties again--it doesn't take them long to recoup! 

We have thanks to give from BOXES on Weds. evening. You are appreciated!
Tabbycat & Tween--4 bags of kitty snackers, bottle of GooGone, Zap Hand Cleaner and a new shower liner for Kitty Kastle
Pupacatowl--Mischief Box Kitty that grabs your penny while peeking out of the box! Fun!
Dib--Mouse toy to dispense snackers, kitty snackers, 2 purple kickeroos (approved by Zelda!) and other handmade very nice toys for the kitties--all laced with catnip!
Canton for Sevaun--10 lb roll of sisal (wouldn't it be neat to make a sisal wall?!
Jaquelin M from AZ--donations to FFRC for little Bows
Emma M--donation to FFRC
Hamilton, Niffie & Tootsie with mama Justme--Danglie Leg toys! These will help add to our "collection" of leggy legged stuffed toys that baby kittens like to snuggle in! Cow, Frog, Duck and 2 Platypus
Oldestmanalive--9 containers Clorox wipes
Kat & Laura from MI--day visitors--donation for FFRC
Margaret S from Pld--donation to FFRC
Anonymous Friend--8 rolls of Bounty paper towels
Warpedinmn/Connie--8,000 of 6 inch paper plates
Mary J--bag of 144 ping pong balls  (it's a ping-pong day!)
Anonymous Friend--Snuggle kitty with heat pads/heart beat with extra heating pads

Anyone have time to kittysit?!  As I'm trying to do this blog, sometimes I have 4 kittens, sometimes 5 of them on my desk. They just finished a nap and are rearing to go. This isn't like the adults who come up and stay quiet while I work. Nope, they are busy, ornery and into everything kitties! Hmmm, that's actually how I like them!

I once would feel awful when people on the cam would see a behavior from one of our cats or kittens here that may be regarded as "off" or naughty. But, I've long gotten over that. These are kittens and cats that have a mind of their own! 95% of the time, their behavior is sweet, friendly and so loving. But as is the way with any pet (or human), we all have our grumpy, bad days. Or maybe 1-2 resident cats like to mark their territory (no worries --everything is washable here!)  The other quality of living is forgiveness! When we see a little tiff between cats, one being a bit of a bully or one just having a grumpy day or maybe one is extra marking....we just try to soothe and we forgive. So, the next time something is seen on cam--have no worries. It all works out. Things are cleaned, little faces are kissed and made to feel better, calm is restored. It's all a part of having a Rescue Center--relax and enjoy the cats and kittens for who they are! 

Armstrong and Dot are doing wonderful. Their URI is doing much better. So active and ornery too. Won't be long until they are also here in the Main Area. They are super friendly.

Markie, Barky and Cubby are here in the Main Area and doing great. Very sweet. They will come right up and ask for petting. Mary Kay and Harp are a bit shyer. But we're working on them! Right now, there's 6 kittens on my desk. All of my papers are now on the floor. Those rascally kittens. 

The Catathon Raffle starts Sunday! How exciting. We have 15 items in this Raffle. Remember, for this one, the winners will be drawn during the Catathon. 

By now, you may heard of the flooding Defiance is experiencing. My heart goes out to those who are flooded. The Rescue Center is safe here.Even though we have river in front and back of us, we are high enough to stay clear of flooding. Our road going towards town was closed quite a while yesterday but has now receded enough to be cleared. Everything is very soggy. I believe today is a low chance of rain--sure hope so. Tomorrow more rain is predicted. But....the grass is very green! 

Have a wonderful day and a great upcoming weekend. We'll keep you posted about the surgeries tomorrow! And by the way, there are now 6 1/2 kittens on my desk!  (One is hanging way way over the edge!) 

Weds. June 17

My blogs are getting a bit sparse right now. This week and next week are going to be extremely busy getting details done for the Catahon. I am also a bit light on my emails so please have patience with responses. I sure appreciate that. This Catathon is our main Fundraiser of the year and we put our all in it. 

First, I'd like to say thanks. We had BOXES Monday evening. No matter how busy we all are, it's very important to always express our gratitude.
Tabbycat & Tween--4 wonderful colorful 2 1/2 gal. buckets! 
Eartheyes/Margaret--2-40 lb bags of Precious Litter, a great cat scratcher lounge
Anonymous Friend--case of Sparkle paper towels (already being used!)
Julie & David from UK--Happy 1st B-Day card for Vernon & the famous $5
Clark, Jessie & Family from OH--Happy B-Day cards for Vernon &  PB and two famous $5
Donna W from FL--Happy Flag Day & the famous $5  (this is Clark & Jessie's Aunt!)
Aunty Donna--card
Neil & Jean--donation for FFRC
Elskates--donation to FFRC for all the new cats & kittens
Geremy & Gloria K from WI--donation in honor of Carolie & Vern's BD! 
Gusti--donation for drinks for surgery day for everyone

We have a very busy surgery schedule for this Saturday. 
The girls we hope to get spayed are: Towanda, Anmarie, Jerusha, Ahimsa, Rapture, Radiance, Posie, Lena, Dorothy, Veleta, Artemis, Evad and McKalae.
The boys we hope to do are: AJ, Emmitt, Macaroni, Cheese, Emery, Oswald, Kenny, Major, Jete, Rourke, India, Induna and Jahzara. 
Physicals we would like to do: Bender (check legs), Cayden (check short leg), Hensley, Trucker, Pania, Seymour (recheck lymph glads), Solee (recheck heart murmur, Preakness.

So....a very busy day ahead of us on Saturday. 

The 5 returned cats are doing wonderful. Markie and Barky are already looking in thru the screen door. They're thinking they'd like to join in the Main Area's fun. Hark is coming along also. Cubby was shy at first, but now he comes and meets and greets us. MaryKay is still rather shy. We're lavishing on the attention to all 5 in hopes of helping them acclimate to us quickly. They're already all up to date on everything from their owner. 

The two new kittens are also doing great. The boy (beige/white) is now named Armstrong, after our Mayor Bob. The grey/white girl is now named Bows. Both are rambunctious kittens. They sure know how to flip and run and play! Their appetites are good. They are now caught up on their vaccines and worming. The slight URI they arrived with is so much better. And they're clean---wow, were they dirty. They were found in a wheel well of a car at a Defiance factory. The owner of the car heard and then saw them. He called us and then his wife brought them in. 

Big thanks to Joni and Derck for their Flash Sale on Saturday night--sure appreciated their help and your support! We try, as soon as PayPals or checks arrive, to get those items out very quickly! 

This Sunday is the beginning of the Catathon Raffle. It starts anytime on Sunday! It ends on Weds. at 9:00. Tickets are $5, as usual. Because this is for the Catathon, we have A thru O items. That makes 15 items!  Wow! These items are all things that have been donated for the Catathon! 

Take care everyone. Have a glorious day. Maiden Heaven sent this note to me long ago. It's from Albert Schweitzer and I've always enjoyed it:
In everyone's life at sometime, our inner fire goes out.
It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being.
We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle our inner spirit.

YOU all are friends to FFRC and constantly rekindle us here. Friendships are so wonderful! 

Saturday, June 13

The birds are still singing their morning song. The sun is trying to shine. Peacocks are in the yard checking things out. The kittens are in high activity play. The cats are busy grooming and keeping track of what's going on here. Sounds like it's going to be a great day!

The kittens that we kept in the back Thumper's Room for 4 days are doing awesome. They are 100% ornery and looking good. Appetites are good and all have nice FFRC tummies. There's alot of playing, jumping in the air, landing on each other and cats whizzing by so fast they look like blurrs! Life is good and so much fun for these kitties! It's wonderful that all the kittens get along great. And I'm tremendously thankful that the mamas are able to be out among everyone. 

We had BOXES last night! Big time thanks to you all!
Diane C--donation in honor of Coralie's birthday!
Vicki B--1000 of the 6 inch paper plates
Willard--our kitty Willard that was adopted from here! A card and a wonderful t-shirt!
Mary H, Friday vol--30 Fancy Feast, lots of kitty snackers, 1 doggy snackers
Beth A/eaglewatcher--6 cases Fancy Feast Medleys
Linda/mls--4 wonderful rugs, 30 x 34  These are for The House that Jonah Built
David & Laura C from MD--Kong toy for Zelda. Special rug for Seymour & Coralie, rug, crinkle bag, 2 blue bowls, 9 inch plates, Cuddler toy with catnip, 7 cans of Wellness, box of Huggies Wipes
Linda & her kitties Keir and Masie from Scotland. Marshmallow snacks for volunteers. For the Catathon--beautiful outfits made by Linda's mom. There are 6 sweaters, capsm blanket--all so wonderful. Special thanks to your mom!
Sandy E--12 Clorox wipes
Pauline/Deptford--box of approx. 25 fused glass cat designs/necklaces and a fused glass FFRC sun catcher
Pat M from CA--card and donation in memory of Zertyle
Ayako, a friend from Japan--many many different kinds of yummy snacks for the volunteers to sample! This will be fun! Also things for the cats--laser light, Catch Me mouse, wand teaser, and a welcome sign. Also a pillow, satchet, purse, sandal, placemats, quilt. 
Billie K from TX--Happy Birthday donation to Coralie
Roberta L--donation to FFRC
Tracy L--donation to FFRC
Cita--for Catathon--we received 25 small cheese wheels to be put in various baskets! What a wonderful addition. Also a big wheel of cheese / crackers for Steve, me--we will share! 

We had a special donation from an Anonymous Friend last night. This donation was an answer to prayer for help. I thank this friend and hope it's realized how very much this helps us. 

I have a friend of mine, Terri that will be taking Evad home for a week. She's off and has lots of time and wants to do something for us. So....Evad will get intense TLC and attention. This will be a good thing for her. 

Our friend, Joni/catlady will be here today and tomorrow! Look for a Flash Sale! 

Dawn E and her husband John are now in SC. They arrived there late last night.; Their mission is to pick up the 5 FFRC cats that their mama can no longer care for. They will pick them up this morning and turn right around and head back to Defiance. I don't expect them till 9:00 pm or so. It's a long drive with construction going on. Because of the lateness, we will probably just tuck the cats in for the night, feed them and let them have some relaxing time all night. We'll keep you posted of their journey today and when they arrive here tonight. 

Have you heard about Peter--1 of the 3 brown tigers that Peggy S is fostering? I'll fill you in, in the short version. She put them to bed night before last and they were fine. In the morning, Peter was unresponsive, no heart beat, no respirations. She said a prayer for him and then tucked him in a container to bring to me.She called me and told me that he had passed away.  Soon she heard him making noises and he had slight respirations. When she arrived with him, he wasn't responsive but had a heartbeat. I kept him close all day, gave him an injection to stimulate him. Hour by hour, this boy revived and became stronger. By 5:00 he was walking about and hollering for more food! He seemed to have a neck injury. Dr. Bill looked at him late afternoon and put a vertebrae back in place. He's back at Peggy's house and appears to be doing great. I am so so thankful! 

Dates to remember:
Current--the pre-registration for Catathon is open now! Go to our website fofrescue.org and look for the Catathon 2015 link. 
Sunday, June 14--flag presentation to FFRCNation, here on cam at 2;00
Saturday, June 20--surgery day
Sunday, June 21--Catathon Raffle begins
Weds. June 24--Catathon Raffle ends
Saturday, June 27--prep day for Catathon
Sunday, June 28--5th Catathon!! 

Thank you all for being friends of FFRC. We enjoy sharing the cats with you all! 

Friday, June 12

Happy Birthday to Coralie! We have now had this wonderful cat for 1 1/2 years. She turns 3 years old today. Remember when she first arrived? She was such a sad sight. Little did we know at the time what extent were all of her frostbite problems. As most of you know, she lost part of her ears, 3/4 of her tail, both back legs and many of her front toes/claws. But, she still has little cute ear flaps, she can still wag her tail, she can still go about anywhere she desires and she can still use her front paws. She's a happy girl and we love her dearly. Happy 3rd birthday, Coralie!

I saw the cat! Yep--one of the missing two cats that were dumped over the fence. It's the same one that almost came to me that morning. She's very timid, but she was eating at the food dishes---I was thrilled. I sat down and just talked to her for awhile. She looks very thin and "moth bitten"--maybe fleas?  We will work on getting her in our care.

Snore, snore, snore. That would be Ahimsa! She is for sure not a morning person. I love how when the action starts in the mornings, she'll barely squint open her eyes at me. She so loves her sling and sleeps there every single night. By late morning, she starts to move about and joins us. Such a sweetie!

We had BOXES Weds. evening! Many thanks for your kindness and support.
Donnajb--an awesome colorful tent for the cats to play in. We took it in the back Thumper's Room where they enjoyed it. It is now out in the playground. The last I looked, there were 5 Covies laying in it!
Judy H--thank you card and donation to use where needed. Kitty cross stitch hanging, lots of very nice jewelry--kitty, fish, turtles, cross earrings, pins and necklaces. Scratch Art Kitty with butterfly framed and a kitty print in a nice frame
Nadine/Eclectra--metal pictures! These are really awesome. We now have one of Shawn the peacock, Magic, Ada Jane (for FFRC), Coralie, Vern & Derecho.
Clark, Jessie & Family from OH--Two famous $5 for two birthdays--Coralie & Cliff
Trudy S from Bryan--donation
Melissa L from NY--donation
Vickie & Pat from OH--doggie card!
Janet R from OH--donation
Bob & HElen N from OH--donation
Tom C from IL--donation
Diane/Hull--donation to cover Radiance's adoption. Her name is Boo and will be adopted by Sherri our volunteer!
Pat & Ellen--donation to FFRC for Farrah, along with extra to be used wherever needed. Also cans of chicken and paper plates. 
Domingo F--donation for FFRC
Tracy L--donation for FFRC

The six cats/kittens that were dropped off are doing great. They are a little shy but that is workable. All the things that we've done to them has not produced a single grumble, growl or hiss. Their door to their room, Cat's Corner Room, is opened every day for them to venture out. Little Evad though tends to be a hider--so if he's not in his room, we put him in pen #4 so he can be close to people activity. 

Dawn E (volunteer) and her husband John are enroute to S.C. to pick up the 5 cats that are being returned, due to health issues with their mama. The cats are: Cubby, Hark, Markie, Barky and Mary Kay. They will arrive there late tonight and proceed to pick up the cats tomorrow morning. They will then head back and are expected in the late evening to be here. Keep them in your prayers and good thoughts for a safe trip there and back. And also for their mom and the cats to make this transition smoothly. 

Catathon is only 16 days away! Unbelievable. We are excited and have been working on this event every single day! Pre-Registration is now ON!  Check out our website at fofrescue.org.  Look for the Catathon 2015 link.  The reason we do like to encourage the Pre-Registration is because it will take less time on the phones at the time of Catathon. Each phone call requires a name, address, phone number, chat name (if have). If you are pre-registered, all we need will be your name! We will take this info until June 26 at noon. 

This Sunday is our Flag Presentation to FFRCNation at 2:00, here at the Rescue Center. You are welcome to join us on the cam. Our Mayor Bob will be here for the presentation. 

The kittens in the back Thumper's Room haven't been in the Main Area for a few days. It was noticed that one of the kittens had a sore on her tongue. Because we play on the side of caution, we wanted to make sure that all were well before they could come back up. They are doing awesome! Expect them up again real soon!

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Tuesday, June 9

What an adventure last night--we had a doozy of a storm. We lost power at the beginning of the storm. I was confident, because of the generator. Just as the generator geared up to start, the lights flickered on. The generator went down, as it should, the lights went off again, the generator started up again, And again the lights flicked back on. This time, when the generator started, the fuse went out. So....until we had it figured out, we had no generator. Between Steve getting a new fuse and Bill reinserting the fuse, the generator powered up and stayed on until the electricity came back on its on. What a beautiful sound---that generator humming along! We've learned a few things about the fuses. Also that there's a manual switch too. Gustwillers, who installed it, will come out this week, at no charge, They will go over everything and make sure all is well--like a generator physical! We sure love this generator! 

The concession is over! We had a bit cooler weather this year and on Sunday, had to deal with a bit of wind. We had a couple volunteers hanging onto the pop up tents! Steve went up and held down the poles! We did very well as this is a fundraiser for us. We cleared $910, which is what we usually make, on average each year. The recital itself was beautiful.  Thanks to these wonderful people for working the concession--Tabbycat, Tween, Peggy S, Jimmy, Steve, Faithy, Gem, Patcat, Bill, Angie, Kathy R, Buckeye,

We had BOXES last night!
Kittykattlady--box of FF, 24 pack of poultry & beef and another 24 pack of pate
Medic/Laura--2 cases of Fancy Feast
Plee/Pat L from NC with Miss Tortie & Sandy--a beautiful Walter, Walter, Walter Quilt (ideal for a raffle item!), 3 bags of kitty snackers & 3 cans Sheba
Sandy E--12 containers of Lysol wipes, 2 cases of Chicken baby food
Diane/DiBme--Lots & lots & lots of wonderful handmade cat toys! 2 collars, 6 bags of snackers
Heather--Phil and Judy's daughter--chicken feed, 6 large bags of kitty snackers
Dewitty--made a donation to help with 2 spays/neuters for Defiance community  Big thanks!
Jakesmeowmy--donation to help wherever is needed
Alice & Lou D from NJ--donation to help with the 8 cats that were dumped off. 
Brian  & Liz B from NY--donation for FFRC

We have names!  Our 6 dropped off kitties have names! 
Dorothy--Black/white mama, female, white whisker pads & chin
Lena--black/white adult female, with black dots on shoulder area
Jahzara--grey & white kitten, female
Evad--long hair grey kitten, male
Artemiss--siamese kitten, female
Valeta--siamese adult, female

Bill came out last night and adjusted Valeta's neck, which was indeed out. He also rechecked Derecho and adjusted him as well. Yesterday we cleaned all of the 6 cats' ears again. They are all much better. We did pull out a rather large plug from Lena's ear. I'm sure it feels great to her to be able to hear. The diarrhea from Lena and Jahzara is much better today. Five of the 6 has gained weight already.They all are still recovering from a massive overload of internal parasites (worms). 

Let's talk about some of the cats and behaviors. This is sometimes a difficult thing. We work with A LOT of cats and kittens here. Sure, we want them all to get along beautifully. For the most part, they do. It can be difficult for this many cats to find their space for peace and quiet. That's why it's always important to balance our numbers. We also realize that sometimes there's a cat that sometimes "bop" or grumbles more.  Our goal is for every cat here to be happy and healthy. We try our best. To keep everyone "safe" from one another would mean to cage them all individually. We won't do that. While I do not like seeing any swatting or grumpiness, it's a cat's world here and it will happen sometimes. I know many of you feel Coralie is overly "boppy".  I know many of you cringe when Hensley gets a bit grumpy to the other cats.  I also know it's hard to see a cat with CH bump into others and causes a few to fall over. We cannot protect everyone all the time here. The alternative is to cage but the benefit of freedom is hugely important to us and to the cats. Most of the cats and kittens learn who to stay clear from. We try to help out this situation by soothing the stressful times. We try to pass out extra hugs to those that might've gotten swatted. And remember, with Coralie, she has all of 2 claws left and they neither one work correctly. She can't do damage from her claws, but the "bop" may be a bit tough. So, enjoy the cats. Know that there are far more hugs, kisses and soothing tones that go on behind the scene, that isn't even visible on cam. We love these cats and will do our best to keep them happy and healthy. Thank you for caring. 

Keep an eye open on our website---won't be long until the Pre-Registration for Catahon os on the site! Jenni has worked hard this past week, getting all the pictures of the Baskets and Big Ticket Items. All are done and getting organized to be shown soon for your preview! 

I have not seen the 2 missing cats yet....but we don't give up easily. We're still searching. Blake though is here several times a day now. I found out where he's sleeping at and it's in a safe, protected area. My plan is to put a couple blankies in this old shed for him! He also brings along Tangie, the short haired orange cat that's been coming to eat for the last couple of months. He is already neutered. Azar has been coming quite a few times each week to get his dish of kitten Fancy Feast--his favorite! 

Saturday, June 6

All is peaceful and quiet. Kittens are played out, or at least for a few minutes. Lots of limp, sleepy furry bodies all over! We again have Jerusha up in the Main Area and she is doing very good.  We will put her in the back soon so Clarissa can be out with her babies. I'd rather two mama cats not meet yet! 

The kittens are so brave. They think they can climb anything no matter how high. Sometimes they can get down, sometimes they have to meow for help, which of course, we do. They all look good. Happy, round and active. The best is that they are all healthy.

Cayden is laying on the floor here in the office--all sprawled legged, looking quite content with himself. He was just having a wrestling match with a catnip toy! Lucy Ann is on the Feline Snoozer all curled up, looking relaxed. She's such a nice girl. NeeMu is napping too--must be because she worked hard at breakfast trying to get into every can I opened. She's very agile--proof is how many plates she can get her feet on! I keep telling her that her feet better be clean. But, she just looks at me with that sweet face. 

We had BOXES last night. 
Widdletiger--lots of great mattress covers for our Princess Bed.
Widdletiger/Tabbycat/Tabbytween--for Catathon--Mickey Mouse & Minnie Mouse placemats, bowls, plates & tumbler and Mickey Tote
Judy Sp--2-40 lb bags of Precious Litter
Nona/nycbird--60 cans of KMR
Anonymous Friend--4 gals Mr. Clean, Lg Tide and 24 rolls TP
Karen B--Chief Tapes
Shannon S from OH--paypal for Leonard and friends!
Hallie G--donation for FFRC
Gusti--PayPal to cover Jessie's dental and enough to get some snackers for all of the cats

Wow--These cats must be well loved, which pleases me to no end! Of course, I know ALL the cats are loved, but the support shown for these 8 cats that were dumped is astounding. We received more financial help. Many said, if need to use it for other cats, it's quite alright. Tiy all continue to amaze me. I am truly a grateful person.Many thanks to the following:
Attilla the Mum, Jobear, MaryAnn B from SC, Mary S from MD,Glenn & Kathy R from PA, Jacksmom, Nancyerin, Evelyn M, Kimkost, Lynnszs, Deb11111.  I have given these cats many hugs and kisses for you all. The little long hair grey one still remains so worried about life. But, I'm hoping she will realize that all is well--no worries. 

Dr. Darcy is at some educational classes this week. She is trying to find more help for Trucker. We are determined to get that boy where he has normal stools! So....back to the drawing board with a new treatment plan. We shall see how it goes! Where there's hope, there's possibilities! 

This weekend is our fundraiser--we do the concessions Friday, Saturday and Sunday for the dance rehearsal and the actual shows. Will keep you informed as to what we make on this. Last year, I believe it was about $900.

The Barnies are doing great. I fed them their breakfast. Such a great family of cats they have become. The  new 9 cats that we took in last year are mingled right in with the other Barnies--one big happy cat family! I have been seeing Blake every day, several times a day even, for the past week. He waits in a certain spot for me to feed him! He looks good.

Bender is right now, working his way from a 9-tier Kuranda Tower clear down to the floor. His balance is good! Little Induna is playing with some feathers on the floor. What a sweet little baby! Markel and Sparkle are doing very good. So little, but are mighty!  Corby has decided to follow Kiara's lead--he now likes to snuggle into the warm laundry too! Derecho got his extra helping of chicken today--who can resist that little tiny "chicken squeak" that he does?! Not me! 

Friday, June 5

Jerusha is up in the Main Area. And she's doing pretty good! It's always a bit "touchy" introducing a mama cat into the whole group, as mama cats are very protective of their babies. But, it's time to progress.  All "her" kittens are in the Main Area playing and running about, along with her. We have most of the other cats in different rooms, but she's doing great. She is such a people-lover cat. So very sweet. 

And we have 2 more kittens--Foster Mama Peggy has brought Sparkle and Markel back to stay. They have graduated to being bigger kitties! They've been back and forth so many times that they are quite comfortable with everyone here. 

Every morning we come out to lots of shreds of rope on the floor in the purple office. Such fun to shred that rope--and then to gather it into piles to run and splatter it all over! I've seen them do this many times--they use their hind feed to ball it all up. We have such smart cats. Cayden also has a fun thing he does. If there's any amount of litter that has gotten out on the floor, it becomes his rolling area. He can spend 15 minutes wallaring on 3 TBS of litter! 

We have taken on 6 more cats. We had an incident yesterday morning where someone pulled in the parking lot (still dark time) and dropped off cats. We happened to hear the car come in and went out to see what was going on. They were in the process of trying to leave. There were 2 boxes of cats, 1 cage of cats and they also let 2 cats loose on the property. That's the part that is hard to handle. Now we have 2 intact cats loose on the property. I've been trying to find them but have only seen one of them once. We will be setting traps too. So, all in all, there were 8 cats.

So, the 6 that we have here are here in the Rescue Center. We have 2 small kittens (about 6 weeks old), 1 older kitten (maybe 4 months), 3 very young adults. One of the adults appears to be the mama of the two smaller babies, but we're not sure. I tried to get information from the two women who dumped them, but they weren't talking. All they were interested in doing was leaving. These things are difficult when you have people intent on dumping--sometimes no amount of talking helps. It truly was the business of dumping 2 of them loose on the property that was the most disturbing and them being unwilling to share any information about them. I know the two loose on the property are scared.

These 6 that we took on appear to be friendly. Two are siamese mixes. 2 are black/white, 1 is long hair grey and the other is a grey tiger/white. All are sweet. None of them are spayed/neutered. All have severe ear infections. One has a severe head twist (maybe from ear infection??), a couple have diarrhea, all have severe round worm infestation. A couple of them need to have their teeth looked at. And two have slight eye issues. These things are all workable and will be tended to. 

Vernon is a love-bug. He so loves to be cuddled. Bender is doing very well walking again. Seems to be stronger in his walking again. Jersey loves looking out the window of Kitty Campus Room---I think he is keeping track of the cars going in and out!  

Posie is an ornery little girl--she's here, there and everywhere--so much energy. Oswald and Major are zippy-dos. Both love to race! Today I saw Kerry, a Barnie run so fast, it was worthy of a cheetah run! Emmitt and Annmarie are extra good friends--always napping together. Clarissa is becoming a very laid back, relaxed mama. She knows her kitties are safe. Amani and Jete are little play-cats. They wake up playing and fall asleep in the middle of playing! I have seen them countless time, in the middle of playing, to simply fall asleep!

Jenni has been here all day yesterday and again today taking pictures of the Baskets and Big Ticket Items for the website. So exciting! Today starts our Concessions with the dance rehearsals and recital. It runs all weekend. 

We had BOXES last night. Many thanks to you.

Clark, Jessie & Family--Happy Birthday cards & famous $5 for Cayden and Kiara!

Eclectra--metal art picture of Wanderin' Wigglin' Walter! This will be a raffle item. 

Jatcat from CA--2 Lasko wall mounted fans---one for Kitty Kabana, one for the back Thumper's Room. The one that was in Kitty Kabana, will go to The House that Jonah Built.

Pat, our THurs vol--4 crocheted wash cloths.

I was in a huge shock this morning when I started my emails. I noticed alot of PayPals, the majority of them to help with the 6 (hopefully 8) new cats. I was humbled and  blown away. They were hard to keep working on, as I couldn't see thru my tears. These were tears of gratitude. You all "out there" never cease to amaze me. Apparently after hearing the full details of the story last night about the arrival of these 8 cats, our FFRCNation was quick to come of help. For this, I am extremely grateful. This Rescue Center could not possibly do all what we attempt to do without the support you give us. I am truly honored by this and will, as always, use every single penny wisely. Big thanks to the following:

Kathy M from MN, Dianne E from AZ, Vicki B from NY, Phyllis B from MI, Charlotte W from PA, Wavy, DonnaJB, Jatcat, Eaglewatcher, Cassiecat, DiBme, Betsy P from MA, Zoolove, Lostgirl, Warped, Mudjie, Diann B, Sonnykat, Timbrwolfpup, Yarnlover, Eartheyes, Leannereinelt, Littleonemine, Joanna B from NH, Doubleydibleydoouk, Newfiedogmom, Dewitty, Kathie S from FL, Helmin, Faithymd, Belltime, Kikkocat, Napa, Lynne W from CA, KB_id, Beachkatz, FloppyJan, Mary M from MN, Piperjo, Kkat, Beth C from CT, Anita S from NY, Dixie D from WY, Christom and Mich, 

Isn't that just wonderful? Now you can see why I was just so so surprised this morning! Are you ready for this.......the grand total was......$2,255.  Each cat that comes in, initially costs us $350 for all the Check-In Protocol that we do. For 8 cats, that comes to $2,800! We are assuming that we WILL find those 2 cats! This is a magnificent surprise and gives us a HUGE start on this! I am deeply grateful. This FFRCNation's support is strong and uplifting to me. I think I need a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup in celebration! LOL   Have a wonderful day! 

Thursday, June 4

It's happened! The Covies spent their first night "free"---free to choose whether they want to go inside the Cat's Cove or maybe nap in The House that Jonah Built. Or maybe sleep on the picnic table. Or perhaps, in one of their cat barn houses. So many choices to make! Do they watch the farm animals or do they go on the other side and watch the woods?  Or do they potty in a litter box inside a building, or in the big sand box or perhaps use the grass---such decisions to make! It's so wonderful to be out there in the playground and watch them. I saw Rory sprint from one end to the other--he looked like it was great fun. LaDonna is doing good too--she seems to be feeling better. Sometimes that Vestibular Disorder takes weeks to fully recover. 

Yesterday bright, colorful cat walks were put up in The House that Jonah Built. Screens were put in. The screen door was also put in. Inside, 7 red and yellow tubes were put on the wall for them to nap in or to play in! They are already using their kitty-door to go in and out. Soon, we will be adding a few of the Porchies as well.

We had BOXES last night. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Plee/Pat--4 lg bags of Temptation Snackers
Susan456--Caribbean Cruiser Ship
DiBme--for Catathon--journal, 2 prs socks with lotion, pipe cleaners/stickers/pokie dot journal.  Also 4 bags of kitty snackers, lots of kitty toys that she makes! And a tape measure for Mich for Flash Sales. A collar for Hensley
Herta--a Drew framed kitty print called Hangin Out.  It's awesome. This will probably be a special item for a raffle--very very nice!
Geremy & Gloria K--HB Seymour & his famouse $5, bag of milk rings to play with
Dewitty--for Pawmart--8 prs of blue kitty socks
Mayumie from Japan the Tokyo Branch of FFRCNation--2 cases Tuna Tulle, case of Chicken Filet pkts. And butterfly magnetic stickers to make a mobile for BUtterfly Room
Joco--12 gal. Stanley Wet/Dry Vac to be used for when/if we flood in the office again!
Bob & Marty from OH--donation and a very nice letter
Frances from TX--card with donation
LostGirl/Debbie--coupons
Sherri/neuromom & David W from NY--card with donation in memory of Tomasina and babies
Charlotte L from WI--note with a donation
Jean M from CA--card for loss of FFRC kitties
Jane W from TN--donation to be used any way needed
Janet M--donation to FFRC
Douglas E--donation to FFRC
Michele & Frank--6 gallons water, 4 gallons vinegar, 4 gallons bleach

Ahimsa ate a real good breakfast by herself today! And then she ate 2 jars of baby food for Denise! She likes to be pampered! And we like to do the pampering! Tabitha is playing with the toys in Dodger's Pen. We leave the door open so Ahimsa can go in and out as she wants. 

Merri is here beside me--she's watching the kittens play. I'm thinking that she thinks they're a crazy bunch of babies! Clarissa is doing great being out and about--a patient mama and not grumpy with the other cats. Jerusha is wonderful too--she loves people. Little Induna, our newest kittie has fit right in with the rest of the kittens. 

Walter is his wonderful self! He was playing with the kittens yesterday and was being gentle. Jackson even plays with the kittens. Either that or likes tripping them--I haven't figured out yet which it is! But either way, he's having fun. Franklin is a special boy. He so loves the other cats and people too. Sometimes he gets going so fast, he kinda boings along. But, he gets where he's going! 

I would just like to give out a big big thank you to our volunteers. They are an awesome group of people. They come over and over and over again, with smiles on and a big heart. No matter how grungy a job may be, how tedious, they still do it. Their payment? kitty purrs, cat head bumps, leg wraps, lots of cat action and energy to make us all smile. The cats give so much love back to us all. Thank you all too for being a part of what we do here. 

Tuesday, June 2

This is the month. It's Catathon Month--our 5th one! A very busy time ahead as we prepare for our biggest fundraiser of the year. Please mark your calendar and join us. It's June 28, Sunday from 1;00 to 4:45 ish.  At the end we will be able to give the grand total.

The Catathon will consist of 7 rounds. It includes 46 Baskets and 23 Big Ticket Items. Each round is 25 minutes, with a 5 minute break in between to allow us to set up the next round. Big Ticket Items are in two rounds. So, Round 1 and 2, Round 3 and 4 and Round 5 and 6 will be Big Ticket Items along with Baskets. Round 7 is all Baskets. These Baskets are overflowing with awesome items.

The Sunday before the Catathon (June 21), will start our Catathon Raffle. It consists of 15 items. Tickets are, as always, $5 each. The Catathon Raffle will be done at 9:00 am on Weds.(June 24). This will run as a normal Raffle. But, the winners will be drawn during the Catathon. Two items per Round, except for Round 7 will have 3 winners announced!

Right away on June 29, items won will start the process of being packed and sent. This of course will take us a bit of time, but we are good packers and senders!

We will soon have the Pre-Registration ready for the Catathon, which will have information in our Website. This will allow everyone interested in bidding, the opportunity to save time by pre-registering. You simply fill out your name, chat name (if have one), address, phone number. That's all! That way when you call in, you can say you're already registered and don't have to give out all the info then. It just shortens our time on the phone!

This is a telethon Catathon--all bids are taken on the phone. You don't have to be on chat. All the action will be right there on the FFRC cam. It's an exciting time for all of us here.

You will also be able to view the Baskets and Big Ticket Items soon on our website. Each round of Baskets individually will be shown with a description of each Basket. The Big Ticket Items will also have pictures and a description. THis will give you an opportunity to know what is in each round ahead of time.

While we're on fundraisers, we have another one scheduled for this weekend. It's the Annual Dance Recital Concessions. The rehearsals are Friday evening and Saturday morning. The dance is Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon. FFRC has the privilege of selling concessions. We are happy to have this opportunity.

I'd like to give thanks to the following:
Beth/eaglewatcher--your two Karunda Towers have arrived.They will soon be put together and placed in The House that Jonah Built.
Shannan W--donation to FFRC
Deb11111--donation to FFRC for the Paddy boys!
Sarah/romeomom--donation to FFRC, in memory of her little boy, Romeo
Geremy K from WI--donation to FFRC, for Trucker's Happy Birthday.

Ahimsa will miss Sonja, her caretaker during her visit here. We will miss Sonja too. Ahimsa is doing pretty good. We're still working on her appetite, but I believe she's enjoying all the extra attention and that is quite alright. I saw her playing on the floor yesterday which made me smile. She's a beautiful girl. She is right now enjoying watching out the window,

Clarissa and kittens Towanda, AJ, Emmit and Anmarie are out most of the days. They still spend bedtime in their room. All are healthy, round tummies and have energy galore.

Jerusha and her kittens and all the other kittens that are in the back Thumper's Room are also doing great. It's a real circus act back there. They too spend alot of day time here in the Main Area. We have to do the kitten-shuffle to avoid stepping on any of them.

We took in a new kitten yesterday. It's a male, black and white with the 2 cutest spots on his chin. Lisa (our morning person) spotted him on a main road in Defiance, with cars whizzing right past him and over him. The poor guy was hunched down, terrified. Lisa to the rescue. He's here now, safe and sound. He's 5 weeks old and his name is Induna (pronounced  in-dew-nay). This is a Name a Cat name and means Commander of Warriors. He is indeed a brave boy. He also was so so hungry---we thought he was never going to get full. And such a sweetie too!

Seymour had his birthday yesterday--he is now 2. He received lots of kitty snackers and a card from his Mamas Patricia and Rita. That's what he had for breakfast!

Lorenzo is a snuggle-boy. If you come to visit, be sure to hold him--he melts in your arms. Vernon too--he becomes a super slinky while held. Joyful is so enjoying the long window in the Welcome Room Office--she likes all the action. Joline is doing great--no mouth problems at all. Tabitha is working on her latest roll of paper towels. Corby is teaching the kittens how to play chase. Such joy to have here!

Our next surgery date is June 20th. It will be a very full schedule as all the kittens will be of weight for their spays/neuters. Some of the kittens are already on hold, but must wait for their important surgery to be done before being able to be adopted. 

Do you know of a cat that's not neutered or spayed yet? Maybe you can reach out and help that cat! You would be saving many lives.