Oodles of Bundles of Joy

Spring has sprung! It's that time of year when the flowers start popping out of the ground. The air gets a little warmer. The sun shines a bit brighter. And lots of kittens are born. Lots. To all of  us at Feline Rescue, Spring is also known as Kitten Season! 

With so many kittens in foster care (or expected to be in foster care), we need a little help. Kittens need blankets, beds, toys, formula, and food. To help these new mothers and mothers to be, Feline Rescue is having a Kitten Shower! 

Help us celebrate our new arrivals on Saturday, April 26th. Drop in between 1:30pm-5:30pm at Chuck & Don's Edina Store (6821 York Ave. S., Edina 55435). There will be treats, games, and prizes! Also, meet several of Feline Rescue's foster caregivers and learn more about Feline Rescue's foster program, volunteer opportunities, and cats.

You can order items from our wish list - http://amzn.com/w/1T0P7FIH24X7K (which will be delivered straight to Feline Rescue). If you're not an on-line shopper, you can also purchase the items from your favorite local store and then drop them off at the shower (Chuck & Don's in Edina on 4/26). The items that we need most are:

• KMR kitten formula
• Wellness Core kitten food - both canned and dry
• Cash donations
• Pet store gift cards
• Toys
• Blankets
• Beds

In typical baby shower fashion, we'll have treats, games, and prizes. Attendees can enter the drawing for fabulous door prizes, which include: A brand new cat tower; a professionally matted & framed, hand cross-stitched cat picture; a new cat bed with tapestry design; and a fabulous cat carrier.

No shower is complete without silly games! We'll have pictures of past momma cats and you can guess how many kittens they had; match the cat to kitten face; and bingo!

Finally, at the shower you can meet one of the kittens your donation will support. There will be cute, fluffy, cuddly kittens in attendance. Different kitties will appear hourly. Kitten appearance times are: 1:30pm, 2:30pm, 3:30pm and 4:30pm.

Feline Rescue Kitten Shower - the happening place to be to play games, win prizes, meet fluffy kittens, and donate supplies. We hope to see you there!

Sunshine and her six kittens - Copper, Orion, Felix, Bamboo, Dante, and Misty

Listen up! Lindy, Laurel, and Goldy Update!

Rosemary adopted sisters Lindy, Laurel, and Goldy (now Pujah, Saba, and Simba) together about a month ago. She is having lots of fun working with the girls as they come out of their shells. At first, the shyer cats would only come near at mealtime, but soon they were coming out to play too. Pujah (Lindy) is the outgoing sister. She made herself at home on Rosemary's lap almost immediately. The three sisters are definitely moving at different speeds. Here are some updates Rosemary has sent along the way:

Greetings, thought you'd enjoy this...

The bowls are only 6 feet from me so the shy ones have to approach me. I will celebrate when I'll be able to send you both close ups of the shy ones!

All 3 cats are willing to play with me at the same time.  Simba/Goldy got within 2 feet of me before she became surprised and backed off.   This evening we are enjoying a fire in my fireplace. These two photos are "selfies" of Pujah. My heart is full!

Sunday Pujah played with a friend of mine (long handled toy). They all know I am the food goddess. Slow progress with Saba and Simba... Funny- the two shy ones are so much more shy in the mornings. They love a fire in the fireplace. I briefly got to brush Simba while she was eating--I don't think she realized it (!). Progress slow but we are hanging in there!

Hunting a box elder bug:

Last Sunday Pujah played with my friend Gary and 2 days ago she and Simba played with my friend Gail. Saba is still under furniture but she is watching, watching.

I am So pleased to tell you that this evening Simba/Goldy allowed me to pet her, brush her, and pick her up into my lap to pet her!!! Thank you both for your ongoing encouragement. In the meantime Saba is watching...watching...watching. It is all good!

We will keep waitng for that close up of Saba. In the meantime, looks like they are enjoying being together. And they sure love their new cat tree!

Catie and Coraline Update

Catie and Coraline were two of three sisters rescued through our outreach program. They came in malnourished and ill having been neglected. A wonderful update as a story in photos from their family.

The girls are adjusting beautifully. They have full reign of the house (except the basement), and have found lots of great places to nap, including baskets, beds, and piles of fresh laundry:

They are getting into just enough mischief:

They "helped" with last night's construction of their new cat tower:

And Coraline has let our poor dog know that from here on out, the new rule is that cats get first dibs on his bed:

All the best,
Leslie

Their sister Cassie, pictured below, is still looking for her forever home. If you'd like to learn more about her or any of our other foster kittens available for adoption, please contact Joan, volunteer foster adoption coordinator, at 651-705-6264.

Establishing Trust with a Shy Kitten

This was Prince Harry shortly after he was rescued from the cold along with Norman (who’s now at our Adoption Center) and the rest of his family. The little guy was very upset and afraid.

But Harry's foster mom has worked patiently with him over the last three weeks. She’s gaining his trust by using food as an incentive for him to come close to her. You can see how much Prince Harry enjoys petting now. And he’s traded in that hiss for a purr!

Bonding with and socializing shy kittens or cats is all about establishing trust. You can use the technique that offers food as incentive for the cat to interact and seek affection from you. First, set the cats up in a small, uncluttered room such as a bathroom or spare bedroom, where they can become accustomed to the presence of people. As the cat becomes more comfortable with its new environment, establish a regular feeding routine rather than leaving food out all the time. The cat will start to anticipate feeding time and associate you with the good food. The goal is to get the cat to feel comfortable eating in your presence so you can start to pet it. In time, the cat will become more comfortable with touch, begin to seek out your attention, and become friendly and affectionate—even when it’s not feeding time! This process can take a few days or several months, depending on the cat.

Prince Harry’s foster mom also uses play to draw him out of his shell. She says, “Prince Harry needs more work... He still requires patience… but he is hissing and swiping less and seems to enjoy being petted… Next step is to see if he’ll come out from his hiding spot without food if I sit very still.”

This adorable kitten is going to make a good little companion. If you’d like to help by working with one or two of Prince Harry’s siblings like Tanner or Daisy and Snowflake, contact outreach@felinerescue.org

Tanner

Snowflake and Daisy