Feral Cat Fun

Thanks to everyone who came out to donate and participate in our Feral Cat House Challenge and Food Drive last Sunday!

Alisha and Alaina stole the show with their fabulous entry. The shelter, made from two rubbermaid bins, included both an entrance and emergency exit hole. Silver insulation was glued to the top and around the outside of the smaller bin, which fit tight against the outer bin. To frame the holes and adorn the shelter, Alisha chose Angry Birds duct tape, "because of the bird controversy," she said.  Staggered entry holes cut down on the wind, and patio blocks on top keep the shelter stable.

If you are caring for feral cats and need a shelter, contact us at outreach@felinerescue.org.

To read more about why Trap-Neuter-Return works as a humane, effective approach to feral cats:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/becky-robinson/trap-neuter-return_b_2815397.html

Feral Cat House Challenge and Food Drive this Sunday

On Sunday October 27th from 1-3, Feline Rescue's outreach volunteers will hold a Feral Cat House Challenge and Food Drive. We invite you to come learn how spay/neuter and Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) can help save more cats' lives and help reduce the number of homeless cats in our community.

Enter the competition with a cat house of your own or come help build shelters for outdoor cats that you or others are caring for. You can also bring canned or dry cat food for our cat food drive or donate to our spay/neuter campaign. This week, volunteers are helping to spay/neuter stray cats in a colony on St. Paul's east side. This year, Feline Rescue's Spay-Neuter-Outreach program has helped spay/neuter over 600 community cats!  With your help, we can help improve even more cats' lives.

For more information email: outreach@felinerescue.org

Happy traveler looking for a home

Ellie recently took a trip to the north shore with her foster family. Now we know that she's a good traveler, she adjusts quickly to new surroundings, and she gets along with-- and can even share a bed with--the family dog. 

If you're looking for an outgoing cat that can get along with other cats, likes dogs, LOVES people, and even likes to travel... then look at Ellie!

Ellie was abandoned outside at Feline Rescue, so she spent some lonely time on her own before some volunteers caught up with her and took her in to be spayed. Now she's hoping for a new home with the perfect family to give her all the love that a sweet cat like Ellie deserves.

Ellie is not shy about jumping into laps.  At night, she quietly crawls under the covers with you and puts her head on your pillow.  She's small so she's just the right size for travelling! If you have room in your bag for Ellie, call for more information: 651-295-3758 or email outreach@felinerescue.org.

Feeding your little carnivore

It seems like almost every day our volunteers field calls from people who are looking to give up their cat because of inappropriate elimination, are seeking medical assistance for a cat with urinary crystals, or are looking to replace a beloved cat that died following a painful urinary blockage. You can help your cat avoid a similar fate by feeding a species-appropriate diet of wet food instead of dry food.

Whether you choose canned food or a real meat diet that is carefully prepared with bones, organs, and supplements, your cat’s urinary health will benefit from a moist, meaty diet.  Feeding dry food to cats is also associated with other common health conditions like obesity, diabetes, and kidney disease. And dry food will not improve your cat’s dental health (does crunching on cookies or potato chips improve yours?).

While feeding dry food may at first seem more convenient or less expensive, feeding wet food—most any brand of canned food—will pay off with a happier, healthier life for your cat and lower vet bills for you. For more information from veterinarians on feline nutrition, see www.feline-nutrition.org and www.catinfo.org.

Mackryl, adopted from Feline Rescue in 2001, suffered from crystals and UTIs as a  young cat. Now on a canned food and raw meat diet he stays lean, healthy, and happy!

October 16th is National Feral Cat Day

Join Feline Rescue in observing National Feral Cat Month.

Feline Rescue's Feral Cat House Challenge,

Food Drive and Feral Cat Information

Sunday, October 27, 2013

1:00 PM to 3:00 PM

Feline Rescue shelter, 593 Fairview Ave N, St. Paul

  You have three reasons to join us on Sunday, October  27^th –

1.   Participate in the Fabulous Feral Cat House Challenge.  Colorful, creative, technologically advanced, or simply super functional—we want to see what you can come up with to help keep outdoor kitties safe and warm this winter. Design and build your own shelter or customize one you purchase.  The challenge is yours. Bring your cat house to the event by 2:30. We will award in two categories—most creative and warmest for a MN winter. After the competition, keep your shelter for cats you are feeding or donate it to our outreach team to pass along to other cats in need.  For ideas, go to Alley Cat Allies - http://www.alleycat.org/ShelterGallery

2.   Bring some cat food – canned or dry – for our community cat food drive.  The outreach team will distribute the food to those feeding feral cats.

3.   Build your own shelter.  Materials you need to bring are: 1 Rubbermaid-type 18 gallon plastic container with snap-on lid, 1 Styrofoam cooler that fits inside the plastic container.  We can help you cut the holes.  We will provide the straw.  Dress appropriately for outdoor weather.  View this type of shelter at Alley Cat Allies - http://www.alleycat.org/ShelterGallery

**The outreach team does have a few houses already made that we are willing to give to those feeding feral cats.  We have a variety of different kinds of houses.**

For advice or assistance on Trap-Neuter-Return or low-cost spay/neuter or this event, call FR outreach volunteers at 651-642-5900 ext 4 or email outreach@felinerescue.org

Best Buddies

Stefan and little Bobby Crawley met in their foster home and are now the best of buddies. They love each other to pieces and really want to go to a forever home together. 

These guys have the best personalities.  Stefan loves people and other cats. Though he is slow to let people get too close to him, he'll play with toys with you and boy does he wrestle good with Bobby. Bobby on the other hand will give you lots of hugs and kisses and cuddles before dashing off to roll around with his best bud Stefan. You couldn't find a more fun-lovin' pair than these two. Stefan is close to a year old and Bobby is only 4 months old, so now is a great time to scoop them up and make them your own. 

 

If you're interested in these young fellas call Molly at 651-295-3758. 

Help spread the word to spay and neuter

Feline Rescue outreach volunteers kicked off our Spay-Neuter Campaign for Community Cats on Saturday. Throughout October, volunteers will be conducting an educational campaign to inform people in St. Paul about proper care of community cats and to let folks know about low-cost options to spay/neuter cats.

This friendly, unneutered, neighborhood cat volunteered to carry the door hanger with our important message home to his caretakers. (Don't worry, this guy was a willing participant: no cats were harmed.)

If you want to volunteer to help with our next literature drop in the Frogtown/Thomas-Dale area, or if you need information on spay/neuter or caring for outdoor cats, please contact outreach@felinerescue.org.

For more information on community cats and how you can help them, check out this video from Alley Cat Allies:

A Family Moment

Henry (right) met Charlie and Trinket in foster care, but they look like they could all be related.  And they get along so well.  This could be your family if you adopt all three of these beautiful, happy cats!

For more information email outreach@felinerescue.org or call 651-295-3758.

Shy but sweet cats need a place to stay

Often the shyest cats make the sweetest companions. It just takes time.

Gus and Gladys were living outside until last winter when their elderly caretakers could no longer care for them. Feline Rescue outreach volunteers took them in, intending to get the cats spayed and neutered and relocated to a farm where they would be cared for properly. But after getting to know these two, we no longer feel that a farm is an appropriate home for them. Gus needed a lot of dental work, and now he has hardly any teeth! He needs a safe indoor place to stay, where people are willing to provide soft food that keeps him healthy.

Gus and Gladys are bonded with each other. With people, they are sweet but great big scaredy-cats.

Gus and Gladys will need a patient person who is willing to let them be themselves and come around in time. They are spayed/neutered and healthy, enjoy petting, love to eat, and are totally non-agressive. They need a place to go ASAP. If you can help provide them with a safe, comfortable room and two meals a day please call Molly at 651-295-3758 or email outreach@felinerescue.org