Go Costco!

It's always refreshing to me when a company I admire - and support - also supports a cause that's important to me. I was impressed that Costco included an article in their October Costco Connection newsletter about homeless cats and the value and importance of TNR.

I spend a lot of time doing TNR and also feed my homeless kitties the Kirkland dried cat food which is excellent and the cats love it!

Kittens - challenges and joys!

My children are all very furry and have paws. I'm also a foster mom every year for multiple litters of kittens. I think it's impossible to support a feral cat colony and not come across kittens who need to be trapped, spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and fostered.

Fostering includes socializing them. Since I work full time and have a healthy commute, it can be a challenge. And I admit I do the best I can, but it's never good enough. These kittens deserve more, and I'm 'it' with other rescue groups also at capacity and needing people to foster and socialize kittens so I do the best I can.

Someone told me a few years ago that cats decide whether or not they want to be socialized to interact with humans and I believe this. I've seen differences in kittens from the same litter - some decide to be wild fur balls while their siblings want as much human interaction as they can get. The socialization process also takes time with the conflicting reality that many people want to adopt kittens and not cats. So the clock is ticking to get them healthy and social for adoption.

Roxie, shown above and below, was trapped along the South San Francisco Bay Trail. Her two brothers were also trapped, but I still haven't been successful getting their mom which ensures more kittens in my future. This is not good for either me or the mom cat.

All three kittens were very sick when they were trapped although it wasn't apparent initially, it became evident after a couple of days and the stress from being trapped and separated from their mom. All had upper respiratory infections. A little Vicks on their noses and antibiotics got them on the road to recovery along with all they could eat kitten canned and dried cat food.

It's critical to have a vet you can work with to ask questions and get needed antibiotics when necessary. Kittens are a lot of work. They also are a joy to be around.

Happy ending - Roxie and her brothers are now living in a barn in Castro Valley with a friend who has taken in other feral and abandoned cats. All are thriving and enjoying barn life. So many mice, so little time...

Beautiful and cat like; sometimes fragrant

How long have you been doing TNR? Chances are if you've been doing homeless cat rescue for even a few weeks, you've encountered wildlife. You want to be respectful and remember that the raccoons and skunks are terrified when you trap them instead of a homeless cat.

I call on St. Francis to help me when this happens and talk and pray out loud. I respect all animals and wildlife. As we continue to encroach and develop land that was long open space, these wild animals are confused, scared, and just trying to survive.

Stay calm. Don't be afraid and remember they are far more terrified. And talk to them.

Alice got adopted!

Fostering kittens is a lot of work and does take time, but is VERY rewarding. One of my foster babies was adopted yesterday and while I'm sad, I'm so pleased she'll now get even more attention and love in her new home.

Homeless kitten fostering tips:

• Kittens should be kept with mom cat whenever possible if they haven't been weaned or are still very small. (She'll keep them clean, teach them how to use the litter box, and be a huge help in keeping them healthy.

Gertrude is the grandmother of these kittens. I trapped her first and while she had little milk left from her last litter of kittens, she was a huge help keeping her 7 grand babies alive. It took me several days to trap these kitten's actual mom. Haley, the mom cat, was spayed, vaccinated and returned to a managed colony. Gertrude continued in her maternal role for 2 1/2 months until these kittens were old enough for spay/neuter and eventual adoption.

• Purchase or borrow a large dog crate for kittens to live in. A bathroom will also work. Surprisingly, after living in the wide outdoors, these little guys will feel safer and be more relaxed in a small, confined space. If using a kennel in a room, I cover the kennel with sheets for the first few days. 
• You will need a small litter box that has low enough sides for these little guys to get into.
• Water and food dishes. I like Royal Canin kitten dried and wet food. It is expensive but I've seen great results when I have malnourished kittens. If you can't afford this, Fancy Feast does great canned food that's made here in the U.S.
• Dawn dish soap for bathing the kittens to rid them of flea and lice. Also talk to your vet about proper dosage of Frontline if the kittens have lice. I know it sounds gross, but lice will go after kittens who are struggling. 
• I'm not a vet. Consult with your vet and also visit 
• Caro syrup and and eye dropper is case of emergency and one of them stops eating. If their electrolytes fall to fast it can be fatal for these little guys. Call your vet and get to a vet pronto.
• Ally Cat Allies  provides a wealth of information and tips to also help you.

Finding homes for kittens can be really stressful

 Alice

 Ariel

Winston

I focus on trapping which is where I fell I can have the biggest impact on the quality of life for homeless cats as well as a positive environmental impact by stabilizing and then reducing the homeless cat population. 

Kittens turn-up no matter how proactive I am because people are dumping their pets. It's very frustrating and criminal to say nothing of putting these cats at the mercy of street life. It truly is horrible.

As a small organization without a lot of resources finding homes to socialize kittens and than people to adopt them is always stressful for me. The clock is ticking and kittens are easier although still difficult to find homes for.

These three fur balls are ready for a new home now.

Just add straw...

As soon as I added straw to this lovely cat house, the cats moved in! They can be sleeping and sunning in this beautiful abode.

When can I move in?

Thanks to the creativity and generosity of an employee at one of my corporate homeless cat colonies, this beautiful cat house was created. It is a thing of beauty and expression of love for the kitties who live in the corporate park.

It's a new year

So far no kittens or trapping action this year, but I expect that to change. Word from other trappers is their trapping pregnant females. Maybe the calm before a trapping frenzy for me. I'm ready after a successful year in 2012 with 65 cats/kittens TNRed.

2012 was a year to cheer for The Purrfect Catch

I concluded 2012 with 65 cats and kittens TNRed. The four kittens trapped in December in Redwood City, three initially with their mom and finally their sister late in the month, are either in permanent homes or on the way there.

All four kittens moved from my home to a new foster home in late December. They now reside with a lovely little girl to kiss and hold them, and get them ready to transition to forever homes thanks to Nine Lives Foundation.

The mom kitty who I was the most concerned about finding a home for because she was an adult and shy, making her more difficult to place, was adopted by a neighbor early this month.

Already much to cheer about entering 2013!