Paulette - Very Comfortable in Her New Home

We just received the following update from Paulette's new family and she definitely appears to be relaxed and comfortable in her new home.
Hello, I just wanted to send you guys an update about Paulette. She's doing great! She adjusted fairly quickly and now seems right at home.


She spent the first hour or two after we brought her home wedged between the wall and our fridge. It seemed like she wanted to wait in a safe place to see if there were going to be any other cats popping out of nowhere. After she came out of there she took pretty quickly to exploring.


Now she is comfortable all throughout the house. She'll plop down pretty much anywhere and roll around or just lay on her back. I ended up buying her a cat pheromone collar since she did seem a little insecure at first.


We do live in a big old house that I'm sure has a bunch of strange smells especially for a cat who is as inquisitive as her. At any rate the combination of a little time and the collar seems to have done the trick.


She is very loving and gets along with all of the roommates. At the shelter she seemed pretty quiet, but now that she is here she has become a pretty big talker.


Overall I think she is a great match for our household and I think she would agree.

Thanks for a great cat!
Allison

Mom cat and four kittens need help

A homeless man rescued a momma cat and four 7-8 week old kittens.
They are living in his car with him but it gets very hot, momma cat
was observed pacing and panting in the car.

They are in desperate need of a foster home. If you or someone you
know can help out, please call Cathy at 651.230.3263. Please forward
this to as many people as possible.

UPDATE: Good news, this family has found a foster home! But, we cannot help all the calls we get everyday without more foster help. Please call Cathy at 651-230-3263 if you can help.

Bandit, Peanut, Bonnie and Rascal

These spunky and playful kittens are ready for their forever homes! They were abandoned at a local feed store without their mother and were in need of some TLC and socialization. After a few months in a foster home they are now happy and healthy little kittens and will make great companions! Here are some photos of the little quartet.

First up is Peanut:Next we have Bandit:

Here is Bonnie, don't you love her impish expression here? :)

And finally, here's Rascal. He's a little shy at first but once he knows you he's a total sweetheart.

These cuties had a rough start in life and are fortunate to end up in an awesome Feline Rescue foster home! I'll leave you with a few photos of them doing what kittens do best--play!

For more information on them, please call Cathy at 651.230.3263.

Jim Bob, J.D.

Jim Bob is looking as handsome as ever in his new home and from the following update and photos from his person he's possibly learning a new profession while still looking for belly rubs.

I just wanted to make sure you knew that Jim Bob was doing just fine. He is so great. I finally got pictures onto my computer.

He still loves to play with "fishing pole" toys. For a big cat, he has good vertical in his jumping.

He also still has the habit of pawing my feet when he wants something - i haven't been that good at stopping him at that behavior.
As you can see, he took a very proactive role in helping me study for the bar...

Thanks for doing such good work!

Valeska

Tina, Feeling Super in Her New Home

As we've mentioned before our black kitties usually take a bit longer to find their families. Tina was no exception but after almost a year in the shelter she found them. From the following update it sounds like she's enjoying having her own people and from the photos of Tina rolling around in catnip it looks like she's learning to let it all hang out.

...Wanted to let you know that she's doing great. At first she was very fearful--even afraid of windows and sunbeams. But she's really come out of her shell and seems less afraid every day. She loves catnip and sitting in the window. She's extremely sweet and can't get enough attention. Still fearful of strangers, but she is bonding well with us and has become much more assertive.

She LOVES her toys, and at some point each day she turns into Spaz Cat, galloping through the house, tearing up and down the stairs. She seems to favor hard floors, chairs and tables to soft beds and couches, but she's very slowly starting to spend time on the couch, and we've even seen her on the bed sometimes.

So, she's making progress, acting more and more like a cat every day. And when she wants to retreat into Scaredy Cat Land, she crawls between the couch and wall and shuts her eyes--she's all black so she just disappears, almost like she has super powers. It's like she KNOWS we can't see her!
Next big adventure will be the first trip to the vet, hopefully in September.

We are so glad that shelters like yours are available. Thanks for taking such good care of the kitties!

Stephanie and John

FREE Cat Claw Clipping Clinic, Sat., Aug. 22

Feline Rescue, Inc. FREE Cat Claw Clipping Clinic

Date: Saturday, August 22
Time: 11 A.M. - 1 P.M.
Location: Chuck & Don's Pet Food Outlet
MINNEAPOLIS
Calhoun Village Shopping Center
3246 West Lake Street

-FREE nail clippings for cats and kittens
-Learn why cats scratch
-Tips on clipping your cat's nails
-Recommendations on cat scratching posts/surfaces.

****All cats and kittens must be in carriers****

Olive and her 21-day old babies

Another message from Olive's foster father:

Olive’s kitties are all out and about now on day 21. Everyone is gaining weight and we’ve been supplementing Lentil’s [the runt] feeding with a few CCs of formula for the past few days. He takes it nicely and is getting bigger each day.

One kitty made her way to Olive’s food dish to take a little taste. It was very sweet to watch her see mama’s example and then dig right in for a new treat. We’ve put out extra soft food tonight expecting others will want to try some too.

Watch more of Olive and her babies.

What's the buzz? Bees ready for adoption!

You may remember the story of Queenie, the tiny black cat, who had EIGHT kittens that we quickly declared were like a swarm of bees. Well, Queenie was adopted with her fluffy tabby son, Busby, and Beasley was also adopted as we learned in a previous post. Five bees are remaining, three girls and two boys.

BREEBree & Bobbie, the two littlest girls, are best friends for life and must be adopted together. They are going to be small like their mom and they just can't get enough petting and cuddling.

BOBBIBixby is the only fluffy medium hair kitten remaining and he is just like a rag-doll the way he drapes himself over you for all-over petting.

BIXBYBarbie is a bigger, short-haired black girl with a small white star on her chest. Like the rest she is playful and loving.

BARBIEBarnaby is a short-haired black boy. He was the smallest boy, but is passing up his sisters now. He's a bit of an imp with a twinkle in his eye.

BARNABYAs their foster mom, I'm hoping to find them their forever homes soon while the adjustment will be easy and their new families will get in on the fun of kittens growing into that teenage stage!

Prayers answered for Pumpkin; he's coming home

I'm so so so happy to report that Pumpkin is all better and ready to come home. He has been purring all morning. All tests are normal. The vet thinks that it was a toxin and that the toxin was flushed from Pumpkin's system. The vet wants to re-check kidney function in a couple weeks to make sure that all is still well.

I still have no idea what Pumpkin could have gotten into. I've checked and re-checked my bathroom, and can't find anything that he might have eaten or licked. As weird as it sounds, I do hope that it was a toxin, though, because that means that he has normal kidneys. (I'm hoping that he doesn't have normal readings simply because he has been receiving so many fluids and medications.)

Thank you for your prayers, support, thoughts, and well-wishes. I can't wait to tell Benjamin and Claude that their brother is coming home. (Although they won't be able to see Pumpkin for awhile - Pumpkin has already started taking his Metronightazodnsodoskdlfjlksdlkfjsdfa (a big long medicine) for his diarrhea, and Claude and Benjamin will start in a couple days. I have to keep them separated so that they don't cross-contaminate/re-infect.)

Stacy
foster mom

Prayers for Pumpkin

Pumpkin is in the hospital with acute renal failure. We don't know what caused it. Dr. G thinks it may be congenital, a toxin, or a combination of the two (perhaps he was exposed to something that another cat with healthy kidneys could tolerate). I've searched and re-searched all areas they have been, and can't find a possible toxin.

PUMPKINPumpkin seems happy and alert, but his back legs are shaky. I visited him this morning and got lots of purrs and kisses and snuggles. They are running the tests again first thing tomorrow morning to see if the numbers are better. I visited Pumpkin this morning when I took in Claude for tests (to see if he, like his brother, has something wrong). Claude's tests are normal. Pumpkin said *hi* to Claude.

CLAUDEPlease say lots of prayers for My Little Pumpkin.

Stacy
Foster mom to Pumpkin and Claude

Olive and her 19-day-old babies

Here's a message from Olive's foster father. Brace yourself for possible death by cuteness before you watch the videos.


All 6 kitties are doing well. Olive has been taking very good care to keep her babies well fed and clean. While they mature and become more identifiable (including their male/female parts), only the smallest kitty has an official name – Lentil. For now, we have them numbered 1 through 6 and track their weight daily. We have unofficial names such as “wavy hair”, “fatty”, and “grey roots” until we can be sure of their anatomy and pick proper names. If Fatty is a girl, I’ll be lobbying for her name to be Jolene.

As of Sun Aug 16, 2009, they are 18 days old. Their eyes have been open for around 1 week and its fun to see them becoming more aware of their surroundings. They are trying hard to climb out of the den and I am sure we’ll find ‘em out and about one morning very soon…

FREE Cat Claw Clipping Clinic, Sat., Aug. 22

Feline Rescue, Inc. FREE Cat Claw Clipping Clinic

Date: Saturday, August 22
Time: 11 A.M. - 1 P.M.
Location: Chuck & Don's Pet Food Outlet
MINNEAPOLIS
Calhoun Village Shopping Center
3246 West Lake Street

-FREE nail clippings for cats and kittens
-Learn why cats scratch
-Tips on clipping your cat's nails
-Recommendations on cat scratching posts/surfaces.

****All cats and kittens must be in carriers****

The Brightons are out of the woods

On Monday the Brightons' world expanded into the 4x6 ft "foyer" immediately outside of the nursery (i.e., the bathroom), and they had a ton of fun.



Their health problems are not yet behind them, but they all weigh over 1 1/2 lbs now, they can eat on their own and they obviously have a lot more energy than when they were clinging to life in the incubator.

That much exercise does require some serious naptime, too.

CHESTER IS SO INDEPENDENT


THAT'S BETTER


POOR CHARLIE


WE'RE GONNA NEED A BIGGER BED SOON!

The Brightons leave the hospital

In our last installment we left the Brightons in the veterinary hospital, sneezy, wheezy, malnourished, dehydrated, and blind. Things seemed to get worse before they got better, and one kitten even required forced tube feedings. However, a skilled foster caregiver was willing to take them home and nurse them around the clock, and was permitted to do so after demonstrating that she could get reluctant Chadwick to take 10 cc of formula from a syringe, obviating the feeding tube.

Oh, yes, the Brightons have first names, too: Chester (dark tabby), Charles (b/w tuxedo), and the twins (brown tabbies), Chadwick and Chauncey. Yes, four boys, though we had a Chelsea there for about a week until his itty bits descended and we realized he needed a more masculine moniker.

CHESTER IS READY FOR HIS PHOTO OPCHARLIE, CHAUNCEY AND CHADWICK STARTING TO FEEL BETTER
If you've never done it, be assured that getting up every four hours to bottle feed kittens is a chore. It can take close to an hour to make the formula and cycle through four reluctant eaters, plus medications and cleaning up. Fortunately, the Brightons began eating from a dish after only a few days, first Chester, who was barely sick, then Chauncey, then Charles, who was still completely blind, and finally, a week later, reluctant Chadwick. We think he just liked the bottle.

EATING ON THEIR OWN

That is SO much easier. Then we moved from six to five feedings a day, with six hours to sleep at night, and after a few days, four feedings with a full eight hours over night. Heaven. But they are on their third round of antibiotics, three still having respiratory symptoms, and 3 bad eyes, down from 5 when they came home. A mixed review, but better on the whole.

To be continued...

Meet the Brightons!

As part of Feline Rescue's outreach program this summer, dozens of cats and kittens were trapped and spayed/neutered or put in foster care from one particular location. Most of these cats were living outdoors much of the time and many of them were completely unsocialized (feral). One feral mom cat seemed to understand that the volunteers were there to help and she brought out her four tiny and very sick kittens to them.

They were rushed to the vet hospital and spent a week in an incubator getting subcutaneous fluids, antibiotics and bottle feedings round-the clock. Though about 4 weeks old, they each weighed only 6-8 ounces. They all had very serious upper respiratory infections which were affecting the lungs of at least two kittens, and severe conjunctivitis, with their eyes nearly glued shut with the secretions.

INCUBATOR BABIESONE WAS DOING PRETTY WELLBUT THE OTHER THREE WERE STRUGGLING
After the first few days in the hospital, Feline Rescue volunteers began making daily trips to assist with feeding, cleaning, medicating, and socializing the kittens. The volunteer tapped to foster them eventually named them the Brightons, feeling certain that only a brighter future could await these poor babes.

To be continued...

Book Fair this Saturday

FREE cat Claw Clipping Clinic, Sat., Aug. 8

Feline Rescue, Inc. FREE Cat Claw Clipping Clinic

Date: Saturday, August 8
Time: 11 A.M. - 1 P.M.
Location: Chuck & Don's Pet Food Outlet
1661 County Road C West
Roseville, MN
(Located in north corner of Byerly's Shopping Center)

-FREE nail clippings for cats and kittens
-Learn why cats scratch
-Tips on clipping your cat's nails
-Recommendations on cat scratching posts/surfaces.

****All cats and kittens must be in carriers****

Making Mischief – Kitty Capers in the Caves

In case you missed our spectacular 10th Anniversary Gala in 2008, here’s your second chance! Mark your calendar for Feline Rescue’s 2nd Annual Gala Event, on September 18th, 2009 at the Wabasha Street Caves in St. Paul, MN. Stay tuned for updates in our eNewsletter and on our Gala Web site.

This year’s event is shaping up to be bigger and better than ever, and will feature live entertainment by Sweet Jazz, both live and silent auctions, and the announcement of the winners of our annual Photo Contest.

The Bandit (fka Beasley) settling in at his new home

Beasley, one of Queenie's B's, went to his forever home last week to befriend a cat named Smokey. Apropros of being the elder cat's sidekick, he has assumed a new name: The Bandit.

After much cautious sniffing and some initial growling, Smokey warmed up to his little friend. The Bandit has given Smokey a new burst of playfulness and will be a great companion when the humans are away at work or off on their Harleys for the weekend. And he doesn't even mind sharing his comfy cat bed.

If you have a solo cat who needs a young friend, The Bandit has plenty of brothers and sisters who would be happy to oblige.

FREE Cat Claw Clipping Clinic, Sat., Aug. 8

Feline Rescue, Inc. FREE Cat Claw Clipping Clinic

Date: Saturday, August 8
Time: 11 A.M. - 1 P.M.
Location: Chuck & Don's Pet Food Outlet
1661 County Road C West
Roseville, MN
(Located in north corner of Byerly's Shopping Center)

-FREE nail clippings for cats and kittens
-Learn why cats scratch
-Tips on clipping your cat's nails
-Recommendations on cat scratching posts/surfaces.

****All cats and kittens must be in carriers****

Harry & Elijah, sweet foster kitty friends

Harry, a medium-hair black-and-white kitten, and Elijah, a silky, short-haired black kitty, are hanging out in foster care until they're ready for adoption. They're not brothers, but they've become great friends and love to play together. They're both very mild-mannered and love to sit on laps to receive nice pets.

Elijah's origins are a mystery - he was dropped off at the shelter. But Harry found his way to Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis (he was found in the parking ramp) because he was in desperate need of medical attention. He had a nasty abcess on his shoulder and a low red blood cell count (anemia). He's building up his strength in foster care, but soon he'll be fixed and ready for adoption. Elijah's already been fixed - hopefully he hasn't been frightening Harry with horror stories about the procedure.

Elijah has a very sweet talking voice, but Harry's is rather odd - instead of meowing, he croaks. Check out this video to hear them talking to their foster mom (probably asking for wet food).

New State-Wide Phone Directory for Spay/Neuter Services

An exciting new service is going to be available to Minnesota residents very soon. A Minnesota state-wide directory of spay/neuter services, this directory will be a valuable service for residents of Minnesota, as well as animal welfare advocates looking to promote spay/neuter services.

This service will be broken down into two primary categories: TNR programs for feral cats and Low-cost/no-cost spay/neuter services for companion pets.

Programs in these categories will then be broken down into different areas of the state, and different service types.

Even more importantly, this new directory will be able to accept toll-free calls from anywhere in the state, and to connect callers to the programs in their area that best fit their needs. Think of it as a centralized, "411" for spay/neuter services.

Currently, there are about a dozen programs around the state that are to be included. Your assistance is requested to help ensure that no program is left out. There is no cost for being listed.

To ensure a program is listed, simply send me an email titled "Spay/Neuter Directory"

In the body of the email, include the phone number used to accept calls from the public regarding spay/neuter services.

Include the name of the organization. Also include a general description of the program including relevant information, geographic area served and other relevant information as you deem appropriate for example, is there an income requirement and, if so, what is it. The information you provide will be used to help ensure that callers directed to your program are somewhat pre-screened for compatibility.

Please share this email with others in the Minnesota animal welfare community to help ensure the directory does not leave anyone out!

--
Mike Fry
Executive Director of Animal Ark