Friday, April 15

A huge sigh of relief. A huge thank you to you all. And a check written to pay our veterinary bill! I am so very grateful.   

We had our Raffle last night. Many thanks to all who participated and to those who provided the items that were in the Raffle. Thanks to the mods for your help and promoting this event. Thanks to Canton for your FB info and to Dawnstar for the Raffle video. Thanks too to Diana and Katie for taking care of the tickets. We are a very grateful bunch here!

Here's the scoop:
Item A:   Go Cat Stroller   31 tickets sold=$155, won by Vickie H
Item B:   Rolling backpack carrier   30 tickets sold=$150, won by SoleeandDaisysdad
Item C:   Purple afghan   49 tickets sold=$245, won by Judeannlee
Item D:   3 Rings & Coffee   45 tickets sold=$225, won by Hencass
               also had a surprise! 3 people won a single ring: Kimkost, Jamiecat & Mary Braid
Item E:   Trivets   56 tickets sold=$280, won by FaithyMD
Item F:   Carrier x 2   64 tickets sold=$320, won by Cantoncat & Anonymous Friend
Item G:   Water lily afghan   80 tickets sold=$400, won by Zoolove
Item H:    Hello There afghan   129 tickets sold=$645, won by Joco

Total from above is $2,420

Then we had our wonderful Bump Up Friends--you all are extraordinarily wonderful!  Jo63, Dewbus, Eaglewatcher, EarthEyes, Farmgirl, Joco, Pat Thurs Vol, Lannml, Elliesue, Mich, Bbsmom, Faithy & Dixie and Pawlapurr.  This added another $1,160

Our Grand total now was:   $3,580

We are able to pay our veterinary bill in FULL with a bit to spare! Thank you so much--what a relief!  A very good feeling.

We also had consolation prizes, of course! Those winners were: Nancy Sku, Diann Bal, Wickedwings, Mary S, Ferole, Jacqueline Me, Sunniejack, Vaun the Mod, Janet Sch     Congrats! 

We also had BOXES last night! You all are appreciated!
FaityMD--For Catathon: LED cameleon flashlight, 2 thermo/ice bags, 4 outdoor plaques and one resin cat plaque
Justme--for the upcoming Operation: Feliz Navidad Raffle: Kindle!
Billie K--dream light-up resin rock for FFRC garden--has a bird at the top!
Anonymous friend--kitty t-shirt--cat on the front is designed from lots of little kitties! 

This blog's purpose is to give thanks to you all.  Surgeries are tomorrow! Keep us and all the cats in your prayers and good thoughts!  Have a great Friday! 

Thursday, April 14

Tonight is the Raffle!  BOXES are at 5:30 and Raffle is at 6:00 ish. See you there!

Saturday is surgery day! We have 14 signed up at the moment. 6 spays and 8 neuters. We have 19 physicals to do here for FFRC. These physicals take a bit of time. So, we have held the numbers down on purpose. Two of those spays will be for FFRC's 2 girls-KinneyKat and Shawnee

We had BOXES last night--wonderful boxes! We are grateful! 
Gill-Catathon: spa basket-6 tubes body creams -smells so good!
Debie/lostgirl--Catathon: spa basket: 3 body creams & 3 shower gels. Also bag of litter, and book for Litter Box Reading!
Barb W & Friday Mary vols-New fish bed to replace Clarissa's bed! Thanks.
Zoolove/Pam--3 bags Royal Canin Baby Cat, 1 case baby food
Anonymous Friend--Catathon: Frozen Twin comforter, Frozen Crayola art set, Mickey Mouse Waffle Iron, Hide and Play Giant Cube
Anonymous Friend from VA-15 crocheted Cat Spots. Special "spots" for Sevaun and Rowland! Lots of crocheted rectangular beds, toys, crocheted curly toys.  15 crocheted square beds and 2 XL beds, catnip, snackers, postie notes. Book: If I Gave a Cat a Cupcake, special sardines in a can toy for Jacci's cats.
Colleen P from CA-box tops for Caryn and girls
Joco/JoAnn-Puffcorn for everyone!!
Annette, Tuesday vol-Catathon-2 bags of cat pasta
Anonymous Friend-24 XL rolls Sparkle paper towels
judeannlee--2 bags Precious litter, 2 cases Fancy Feast, 3 boxes appetizers
June/painteddaisy-Catathon: awesome Wiliams-Sonoma Basket! 3 matching soaps for kitchen, Red Kitchen Aide 9 sped mixer, 8 and 10 inch fry pans, box full of utensils, 4 red/white towels, 2 & 4 qt stainless mixing bowls, Red oven mitt, set of stainless measuring cups & spoons, jelly roll pan, cookie set with cooling rack and baking sheet. 

And more thanks!
Roberta L from OH-donation to FFRC
Diana D-donation to FFRC, in memory of her friend/sister Karen
Lana H--donation to FFRC
Victoria R from AL-donation in memory of little Sheldon

Want to hear stories from early cats here at FFRC and their struggles and success? How about seeing a big roundworm or seeing an eye surgery? Tune in here at FFRC on April 30th at 2:00 Lots more to see! Also a chance at an iPad, XBox and a Kindle! More details later!

The dust is flying, hay is in the air, cobwebs are coming down, heater bowls are put away, all new bedding being laid, fresh stones being put in low spots--we're spring cleaning everywhere outside! The Porchies got a major brush job today and look fresh and clean. 

So sorry for such a short blog. Keyboard not working properly. Have a great day! 

Tuesday, April 12

1,2,3,4,5,6---that's how many cats are helping with this blog! Have room for one more to squeeze in! 

We had BOXES last night! Big thanks to you all!
Faithy--For Catathon: a Perfect Cooker (kitchen basket) also 3 mini shovels for the garden basket that says: Dram, Laugh and Love.  Also 3 cute girly pens, 50 x 60 tan soft throw
Anonymous Friend--case of babyfood
Mary, Fri. vol--TP, coupons, 2 Soft Soap.  For Catathon: craft items
Katie/Goofy, our visitor--kitty toys, lots of snackers, potty bags (no holes!), 3 cases Fancy Feast
Ellie/Fed Ex lady--baby food jars, 4 pkgs paper plates
Connie D's family Dianna/sister--2 cases Friskies, 2 lg. bags of snackers
Beth/eaglewatcher--kitty postacards with this months model as Clarissa
Pam/zoolove--Purr Pillow,  kong Wubba, 12 doses Frontline, case of KMR
Widdletigger--Catathon: camping items--meal kit, marshmallow sticks an over-the-fire popper, super hammock
Catlvr--poptabs.  Catathon: crochet/knitting basket--needles, tape measure, 16 skeins yarn
Stephanie & Jesse day visitors--dry cat food, Fancy Feast, kitty wipes & TP
Annette20--Easter card with donation
Pat, Thursday night vol--donation for the spay/neuter fund
Brenda/yarnlover--Catathon: Book 67 reasons Cats are Better than Dogs, pillow with cat saying, Trivet with Auglaize River/FFRC address on it from National Geographic
Phyliss B/kittiesmom--Catathon: Travel Monopoly, Minons Memory game, 12 movies

This past weekend we had another 2 adoptions! Makalah Sue is now home in Penns. with Emily and Lena. Rooney also went to her new home. Rooney is going to be queen of the household as she will be the only cat! 

We've had an update already on Makalah Sue. Cheri and Bob says she has no fear--goes everywhere. She's playing and is enjoying herself! Sounds like Lena is a big mama's girl. Emily loves the windows and bird watching! 

 We've also heard from Clarissa's new mom. She says Clarissa choose her and that she is being licked alot! This made me smile as that is what Clarissa would do to us here at FFRC. Clarissa is also sleeping on the bed with her new mom!

Elsie just zipped up the climbing pole here in the Purple Office, following Janessa. I have to watch with only 1 eye! They are trotting right along the cat walks at the top.  No fear at all in that girl. 

We have thanks to give:
Madisonpepper--donation to FFRC, in honor of chatter ipurr2 for helping her. 
Napa/Donna S--donation in honor of Pania's 4th birthday (special breakfasts for Pania!) 
Graweyr--donation to be used where needed
Jaroslav from Czech--donation to FFRC

For the month of March, ResQwalk has donated $50.49 to our account! Yeah--this represents lots of miles by you, our FFRC helpers! Thank you. Total of what we have earned thru ResQwalk, simply by walking, running and biking is $391.17.  Wow!  Keep those miles coming please! It's free, good for you and great for the cats.

Please mark April 30th on your calendar!  Probably about 2:00 ish.  It's a fundraiser called Operation: Feliz Navidad.  You just might see big roundworms, an eye enucleation, roundworms, Dr. Catscan, HUGE cats, advertisements with Meowy News and Facts,  x-rays of  a fractured bone that results in an amputation, blood drawn with a GIANT neeble.  Oh no--there's also a HUGE flea and tick.  What is going on???  And to add to the fun, there will be a Raffle for Operation: Feliz Navidad. Starting on April 26 and ending on the 29th (9:00 am), we will have 3 awesome items involved. The 3 items are an XBox One/360, 500 GB, an iPad Air and a Kindle!  Three wonderful items! All tickets will go towards the Feliz Navidad Fund.  There will also be stories and pictures of past cats that have benefited from the Feliz Navidad Fund.

You may ask what is Feliz Navidad Fund.  A special cat arrived here at FFRC on 12/17/09. She came in with severe problems due to hypothermia. But....she survived and lived 4 years here as my personal sweet pet. Hear her full story at our event and understand why this fund is so important to FFRC. Monies for this special account is used for the over and above medical needs of incoming/present cats. 

By the way--there is now 7 cats on my desk--another one squished into the pile of fur! And Elsie is back safely on the floor playing with a stuffed toy. 

April 9, Saturday

Happy Birthday to Joyful! This sweet quiet girl arrived here 12/29/12. Her birthday is in 2002 so that makes her 14 years old today! She is our white Persian that loves the Welcome Room--her favorite spot is a fluff bed on the table or on the top tier of the Kuranda Tower where she can watch outdoors. Joyful came from a dreadful place---had been abused, neglected and made to endure a house of drugs. It took her a while to help gain her trust. She still isn't too keen on lots of people petting her but once she has accepted you, she will be your friend. 

In the last 2 days, we've had snow, rain, sleet, hail and big winds. I believe I can say with confidence, we are all ready for spring! The Covies, Barnies, Porchies and Firecats and the farm animals are doing just fine but they too are waiting for bright sunshine.

We had BOXES last night! So exciting and we are so thankful!
Shari L from CA--Royal River Gems custom made necklaces/bracelets--Flash Sale items!
Katie L from Canada: for Catathon--for kitty butt/hiney basket: welcome mat, pillow, kitty metal hanger with multiple cats on it.
Beth/eaglewatcher: for Catathon--for Camping Basket: bonfire camp latern, 3 adult sleeping bags, Coleman sundome tent, tent accessories kit, Coleman camp stove
Anonymous Friend--Catathon:  camp lantern, camping cookware mess kit, sundome tent
Cheri & Bob--visitors/adoptive family of Makalah Sue! LOTS and LOTS of items--many different kinds of cat food.  Center supplies such as trash bags, towels, dishcloths, bleach, vinegar, etc.  For the VOlunteers:  snackers, PB crackers, candy.  Catathon: many items, some for garden basket, bird basket, peacock basket, disney basket, adult coloring books/pencils,m DVDs for movie basket.  Thank you so so much!

Yesterday we had an adoption--sweet Clarissa left. She went to a lady who has lots of time, a lap and much love to give. Clarissa seemed to already know she was going---kept hanging around us during her adoption paperwork. So sweet! 

Caution, caution!  Here are a few plants that are toxic to cats and dogs.  Yew, Castor Bean, Peace Lilies, Lily of the Valley, Crocuses, Tulips, Daffodils and Hyacnths. Gotta keep our pets safe! 

We also had BOXES on Thursday evening! We give you lots of thanks!
Medic 101--2 cases Fancy Feast
Betz--case of Friskies
Judi Sp--3 bags of Precious Cat Litter
Cheryl L from WA--card in sympathy for Bella
Linda W from OH--family of Abe, Kit, Rooney & Cleo's mom--donation from her service
Nicolas from OH--coupons
Clark, Jessie & the rest--Happy 14th birthday to Mew with a chicken $5
Jan from HI--2 boxes tea, scrubbies, juice powder mixes. For Eldora: box of tea, hand towel & hard candies.  For Catathon: 3-D crystal kitty puzzle.  2 thermo bags, Hawaii Spirit tote
Katie L from Canada--Catathon items! HINEY BASKET--pencil sharpenter, 7 kitty key hanger, kitty hiney magnets, 2 books (about hiney/potty), kitty coin purse, wine stopper!
Adult coloring Basket--11 coloring books variety, color pencils, 2 blender pencils, pencil sharpener   For FFRC Kitties--15 mylar balls, Pet Fusion scratcher, critter toys, 4 big snackers.
Joanne P/joey3100--ream of copy paper, 3 boxes of 2 inch heavy duty packaging tape
Mich & Vern--Catathon: Frozen decals & movie snackers.  Also 6 Clorox wipes & coupons

Big thanks to Mich and Vern who did our Flash Sale on Thursday! I am so grateful. Also big thanks to the mods for their help, to each person who made/donated the items and to the viewers who participated in the sale. We made approx. $1,430.  These funds will go to much needed operational needs.  

We have a few other thanks too to give!
Mich & Vern--donation to be used where needed
Christine C from WV--donation to FFRC
Pat M/himmichigal--donation in memory of Bella
Thomas W--donation to FFRC

Happy Birthday to Mew--our handsome buff and white Porchie boy. He is now 14 yrs old. He arrived here at FFRC on 4/15/04 when he was 2 years old. He made his presence known by meowing, meowing and meowing---hense his name! He got a nice breakfast and much extra pets!

Catathon season is on!  Packages and Boxes are coming in! The excitement is building. Mark your calendar for June 19th! We have some Baskets already started (but we're always open to more/different ideas and items to top off the baskets!): Hello Kitty, Laurel Burch, Troyer Country Market, Camping Fun, Baby Girl, Baby Boy, Cat items for the Cat, Cat items for the Owner, Travel to FFRC!, Ferole Arts, Kitty Butt/Hiney, Adult Coloring & Accessories, Board Games, Disney items, Frozen items, Garden, Bird, Peacock, Movie Night, Crochet/Knitting, Puzzles, Sewing/Knitting/Crocheting, Spa & Relaxation, Doggie Items and Williams-Sonoma.   We are so thoroughly grateful for the help with Catathon--this is a tremendous event and possible by many who are willing to help! We normally have 40-some Baskets, 20-some Big Ticket Items. We will also have a Catathon Raffle in the week before the event with the winners being drawn during the Catathon. So far, for the Raffle we have a 50 inch smart TV and an iPadAir with 32 GB/silver!! 

Ever seen a 5 foot black/white cat?  How about a 5 foot tiger cat?  How about a physical being done on one of these big creatures? Well, hold on to your hats. We have an event coming up that should be fun and exciting for all to see! More as soon as details are "meowed-out"! 

Elsie is into investigating the top green cat walks. Somehow she knows they are there. Maybe she can hear the cats up there walking about. She will go as high as she can get and then sits and "looks" at those shelves. I just know that awesome brain of hers is thinking of how to achieve the next level up! Time will tell.  What is that slurping, slopping and very wet noise? It's Paddy Purr--daily he gives himself a bath right on my desk in front of one of the monitors. He sure enjoys it but he sure makes a lot of noise!

We've had another adoption too--Bruno, our orange/white cat. Late fall, Bruno had spent a couple months out on the farmyard. But he needed some medical help so he was brought inside and there he stayed. He's been in the Main Area for a few months. But it's become very obvious that he would be much happier back out in his big back farm yard. Bruno is now a Barnie and seemed to be much happier this morning! We'll keep an extra eye on him to make sure he's a happy boy.

Little Dakota is doing great. His mama, Shawnee is also doing good.  We have her and KinneyKat scheduled for their spays on 4/16--next Saturday. For this surgery date, we will be doing a few FFRC cats, some public cats and many physicals on our FFRC that need their spring check up. 

Thursday, April 7

This afternoon at 2:00 ish will be a Flash Sale! Mich and Vern are coming back to help us with another sale! So appreciative of them. Lots of items including leggydews and biggydews! Come, enjoy and have fun. 

We have several adoptions coming up. Today at about 12:45, Clarissa will be adopted! Yes, our Clarissa girl! I do believe she picked this new person. The lady that is adopting her has a lap all for Clarissa! We are going to send her beloved fish bed with her and will replace it. 

Bob and Cheri will arrive tomorrow morning. They will be coming from Pennsylvania and last month adopted Emily and Lena. They love little Makalah Sue and have waited this whole time for her to be spayed, to recover from her eye enucleation and to get healthy. We are now at that point and she is more than ready to be adopted! An extra sweetie girl. They will leave on Sunday.

On Saturday, the lady who has been here several times to visit with Rooney will be coming about 5:30 in the afternoon to adopt this beautiful cat. Rooney will do just fine and has come a long way since her arrival. Love her long fur and how she sits so proud and pretty!

On the 16th, we have two things going on. That is our FFRC surgery day. In addition to having surgeries, we have a lot of physicals that need done. These physicals take time and so will have to watch how many surgeries we take.  We also have Pat and Vicki visiting for the weekend. The big project is the dog's pen! We will be adding the fence bend bars to the top of their pen. This is the same set up that we have for the LJ Playground. Once this is done, we can let the resident cats out in that area to enjoy themselves. 

We had BOXES Weds. evening. We give you our thanks for your generosity!
Katie L from Canada. All for Catathon:  many items for a great Kitty theme office items--magnets, tape dispensers, pens, picture hanger, journal, kaddy kitty with paperlcips, sticky mems, mousepad, magnetic note pads, smart phne holder, stapler.  Also a kitty earring tree and a Crazy Cat Lady Board Game for other baskets.
Widdletigger--box of 2" scotch tape, 4 cases babyfood
Lostgirl--4 cleaners for variety of surfaces.  For Catathon: camping basket--storm proof matches, scissors, LED flashlight, box of kindling for starting fires
Mary vol from Archbold--20 pks Fancy Feast Broth for Jolene
Betz from PA--2 cases Friskies
Helen N from OH--donation to FFRC
Clark, Jessie & the rest--Happy 12th BD Joline and chicken $5, Happy 14th birthday to Joyful & chicken $5.
Pat/bedheadsdad--donation to cover lots of leggydews for cats/kittens being adopted
KellyR/littleonemine--4 bags snackers, case of Purrfectly Fish, 6 cans sardines, 2 lg. cans tuna, case of Meow Mix cups, coupons
Mary R/prisotis--In memory of Bella--beautiful windchime for outside. Catathon--another beautiful windchime
Karla C/beachkatz--note & donation of a beautiful kitty stone for Bella in the Angel Garden.
David H/wolfpatch--poof pink plaque saying Bella Is Out to hang above her doggie door with her collar and tag attached.
Eugene & Lillian H from FL--donation in memory of Blanche M. She &daughter visited FFRC
Judi C from OH/Bams other mom--a thank you note and donation
Plee--for Catathon: a beautiful cross stitched and framed picture "Window of Kitties".
Susan M/macncheesemom--donation for spay/neuter program in memory of Macaroni
Trudy S from OH--donation to FFRC

Many thanks too, to the following:
Brendan D--donation to FFRC
Sean & Kelly I from TX--donation to FFRC
Hallie G--donation to FFRC
Shannon & Donavon S from IL--donation for Victor, Leonard & Jackson & all their friends
David D--donation to FFRC
Michael JW--donation to FFRC

So much love and caring pouring out for the loss of our Bella. She is sorely missed and most certainly was A Big Deal.  Many thanks to the following for making a memorial donation for Bella.
Kittiesmom, Judeanlee & Phil, KimKost, Lucy/Lu-Little & Benny, Saqueekymom (flowers), Mary Ann B, Vaun S, Lynda S, Jakesmeowmy, Knittinkitten, Geremy & Gloria K.    Also many thanks to Wolfpatch for the purchase of a special sign for Bella.  It says" Bella is Out" and mimics the sign we put on the dog's door so we all knew if Bella was inside or outside. It's on a poof pink color and also has her Big Deal tag attached to it. So very nice. 

Shawnee and Dakota are doing great. Shawnee arrived here with an upper respiratory infection which is probably why her babies passed away. She is now much better. Dakota continues to grow and become more active. He sure is a good slurper of his food! Such a little baby with a big personality already.

That Franklin Tommie--what a special boy he is. He loves action, loves to play and can go from morning to night at high speed. Vivienne is doing great. We still have not had to express her bladder as she is urinating quite nicely on her own. It appears her bladder is healing! We still have to contend with her kidney issues but for right now, that is doing ok. Her fractured femoral head still needs attention. We have her scheduled for her FHO (femoral head osteotomy on May 11th. 

KinneyKat is out and about part time! Yesterday she decided she would like to venture out and explore. What a wonderful thing to watch. We do put her back in Cat's Corner Room for short times to make sure she is eating. This little girl is a talker! You can carry on a conversation with her--she'll talk to you when you talk to her! Such a really nice cat. 

Monday, April 4

Spay/neuter----we want to do more, more, more!  That is the real answer to the cat overpopulation problem. Today was our second Transport Spay/Neuter day. We sent up 36 cats to HumaneOhio! I'm thrilled and would love to do this more often. Out of those 36 cats, 34 were females and 2 were boys. Check ins took about 40 minutes. Right after the last cat arrived, we loaded up the bus. They will return about 5:30 - 5:45 this evening and then we will do check outs and explain their procedures, etc to each family. 

Here's the total picture so far:  As of today, we have helped with 158 spays/neuters!  The breakdown is 81 females and 77 males since 1/30/16.  This involves 3 FFRC surgery dates, 2 Transport events and 11 vouhers. Every cat that is spayed/neutered, WILL make a difference to that cat! 

You can help--simply reach out. Take a stray cat, ask a neighbor if they need a cat spayed or neutered, help finance a spay/neuter for someone who can't afford to have the surgery on their cat.  Help us. Help the cats. Be a part of the overpopulation problem--part of the solution. 

We had BOXES on Friday evening. Big thanks to each of you for your support!
Mary, vol, from Archbold--4 jugs handsoap, 8 washtowels, coupons
Linda S/mls--4 jugs handsoap
Lannml--Catathon-Stained Glass kitty light
Nuthatch--Catathon--Mickey Mouse Kettle Popcorn Maker
Anonymous for Janessa--box in a box, in a box, in a box, in a box! Fun & yes she chewed it! 
LJ323--2 memory bath mats, 2 blankies, 2 soft beds, 12 cans Chicken, 2 bags Fruit Gems
Sarah, Contessa's daughter--Easter card with photo of Sarah
Donna B from GA with Flash, Kitty, Jabby & Coralie, Tory--sponsorship for Coralie, 2 snackers and 4 catnip toys
Lostgirl--7 large jugs Mr. Clean--smell good kind!
Brenda from OH--visitor--paper towels, cat food, lysol wipes, snackers, canned cat food
Leslie from OH--visitor--card with donation
Insun S from S. Korea--donation to FFRC

It's been a hard couple days since the loss of Bella. She has been here for the majority of the years that FFRC has been opened. The next morning after Bella passed, I was rather down in the dumps. The reason is that it got me thinking of all the past cats that we have lost--many from the early times of FFRC. What a bummer. And then I walked out into the Rescue Center and there were so so many that I saw--Farrah, Trucker, Derecho, Sea Turtle, Jessie, Paddy Bros, Coralie, Asha, Pania, Alma, Joyful, Joline Merri, Walter--these are just a few. These will be "the next generation" of cat friends. Time does change things. We have lost awesome cats over the years. And still, we will continue on with our rescue work. To not continue on means no new cat friends and I sure don't want to do that. So.....let us continue, have peace with what happens and enjoy each and every cat that comes our way. Afterall, every cat DOES matter, here at FFRC.

We have much gratitude for the donations made in memory of Bella: Mrs.BoomerNC, Janet K from NY, Amy Coyl from IL, Oilsandsgirl, Cheryl B from AZ, Karl M from IA, David P from Netherlands, Gusti, Fergiesguardian, Christine C from GA, Eartheyes, Elliesue, Kaseyann, OldestManAlive, Minnkitty

Thanks to Gusti for her donation for Jessie Sr's happy birthday. Jessie is now 17 years old. She arrived here at age 15 years old. Jessie is a spry oldster. She loves her chin rubbed and the movement of the washer to take a nap!

Happy birthday too, to Merri. Merri is now 9 years old. She arrived here at age 6 yrs from Long Island NY. She is one of our CH cats. A beautiful girl! 

Saturday we had ice, snow, rain and big winds. Have no worries though--the Barnies, Porchies, Firecats and Covies are all snug. Lots of warm blankies and cuddle areas to stay warm. 

Shawnee has decided that it's time for Dakota to stop nursing. So, we are mixing up little bits of gruel for this tiny baby. It's so funny to see him standing in a plate with all 4 feet in it and him slurping up his meals! He has also found Bella's pink poof and climbs right in the middle of it and naps. He looks like a black speck in a pink mountain! He's growing and is strong.

Another Volunteer Profile! This one is on Pat C, our Thursday evening volunteer.  Thanks, Pat!
How long been at FFRC?  4-5 years
How many pets do you have at home?  5 cats
Do you have a hobby?  Crochet, cross stitch, reading
What are some of the best things you like about FFRC? Helping make things better for the cats
Name some of your favorite cats--Fatima, Camvie, Trucker, Joey, Merri, Asha
One of your favorite events from FFRC--adopting Fifi!

Friday, April1

First, let's do the updates on Bella and Vivienne.

Bella:  When she arrived for Dr. Darcy to examine her, she was shaved on her upper, inner thigh where it was wet. (Bella started leaking fluid yesterday morning and her front paws also became swollen).  It's not a bite wound but several holes. This is because her skin was so tight with fluid, that the skin had to "give". Fluid was taken and examined under the microscope. Dr. Darcy saw a lot of fluid filled tissue/cells. She then did an ultrasound. It showed a much inflamed area. Her diagnosis is Panniculitis. It's a condition where the layer of fat just under the cat's skin becomes inflamed. This fatty tissue then concentrates and turns into a nodule. That's why her leg got so big and hard. The inflamed tissue can break through the upper layers of the skin. Sometimes a secondary infection can set in. The areas involved may be sensitive, especially after rupturing. There's no bacteria with this alone, but because she now has several open areas for drainage, we have her on antibiotics to prevent a secondary infection. The treatment of choice is an anti-inflammatory--a steroid. Her treatment includes that and the antibiotic.

Vivienne:  As you know her FHO was cancelled due to her more pressing urinary problems and her running a fever. An ulstrasound (Afast 4-point) was done on Vivienne, where all 4 quads of the kidneys are checked. The diagnois is Polycystic kidney disease. Also known as PKD1. It's the most common inherited renal disease of cats.  It progresses as portions of the kidneys are replaced by cysts. These cysts then compress the function of the kidney, thereby decreasing the kidney function. Cysts numbers and rate of growth are high variable.

Polycystic disease affects approximtely 6% of cats. It may affect up to 37-50% of Persians, Himalyayans and some believe Siamese also. Many times breeders do genetic tests to determine if the parents may be carriers before breeding.  It can affect any breed though. They generally don't live a full life. There's no definitive cure, condition is inherited and it's irreversible and progressive.  Vivienne's kidneys hae the appearance of swiss cheese.  Her bladder is good but possibly have nerve damage from the accident. This nerve damage is what is causing the present urinary problems we are having with her. We have TWO conditions with her--the polycystic and the nerve damage. We are hoping the bladder will start functioning normally.  In the meantime, her bladder will be expressed twice daily to relief her of that desire to urinate without results. That will also give her bladder time to rest and heal. Her urinalysis was good other than it showed the urine was not concentrated. This is an early sign of kidney failure.

Vivienne may live years, may not. Yes, this is caught early. No, we do not know what her future will be. In the meantime, we have her on antibiotics. Her FHO surgery repair is secondary now. She can actually live her entire life without this surgery. But, we would still like to do it when we get her more stable. The reason is that, hopefully, it'll make that hip/femur area more comfortable.

We have past adoption updates too!
Bobbi--remember our sweet Bobbi girl? Her new mom says--she is such a love. She loves the piano and sits on the bench when the piano is being played. She also is good friends with their puppy. The puppy washes Bobbi's ears and she enjoys it!

Bender and Bam. Bam is now called Kenda. The new mom says--Both are an absolute joy and they bring much happiness to the family. They are perfect and best friends!

Many thanks to our FFRCfriends:
Billie K from TX--donation to FFRC for Vivienne and Bella and in memory of Sheldon
Sylvia D from UK--donation to use where needed
Gusti--for the meds we used for Sheldon

When you use Amazon to order items, whether it be for yourself, family or FFRC, do you go to our website and order thru the Amazon button?  If you can do this, we'd sure appreciate it as we get a little kick back from it. FFRC received $586.89 for the month of March! Thank you so much!

I understand how when watching our cam, those ads can sometimes be annoying. But did you know that FFRC also receives a kick back from those too?  For the month of January, we received $952.04 from Ustream! Thanks--sure makes those ads alot more bearable!  Thank you!

Today is April Fools Day. And I've been tricked a whole bunch already!!  First thing this morning, I went to go into the Purple Office and practically bounced off a big strip of tape blocking the doorway. At first I thought---what is that there for????  So, I took it down. But then I realized there was more!  The middle cabinet was tied shut. The second and third cabinets were all switched around as were the drawers--completely in reverse.  When I opened the first cabinet, a string dropped down with a big big plastic spider on it (I'm saving that for Elizabeth!). Then I went to open the refrigerator--almost pulled my shoulder out of joint......it was taped shut!!!  In the middle drawer was a big April Fools sign! As you may guess, this produced much giggles and laughter from me---I enjoyed it. After breakfast, I sat down at my desk--couldn't find the keyboard---it was under a big sheet of contact paper, taped down on each end! Magic helped me find the keyboard! Oh---and most disturbing. You all know how I HAVE to have my green/blue bowl for breakfast--it wasn't to be found at first---it was covered in contact paper. What a great morning. And now, waiting for Lynnette to come---I noticed things are "different" in the PawMart store! hee-hee   Not from me---from the April Fools Prankster(s).  Okay---so who did it all? I won't tell anyone if you tell me!!  lol