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

The Ceiling Boys

"Window Kitties" Artemis and Mister (Now Gus and Didier) first came inside at about 5 weeks of age. Their mother, a stray, brought her 5 kittens through the open window of the apartment where a man had been feeding her. They went on to be fostered by some Feline Rescue volunteers. Didier and Gus were adopted a few weeks ago, and their new family recently sent an update.

They've taken 3 weeks to really join the household because they, unfortunately, found their way into our basement's dropped ceiling on the first day, and spent the first week up there!

But gradually they've come down and their only real barrier to full citizenship in the household is our jealous old cat, Natalie.

Anyway, here they are (Didier is the tuxedo, Gus [Auguste] the tiger):

Looks like they've gone from being Window Kitties, to Ceiling Boys, to just regular house cats!

Update on Sage

Sage had been living outside in St. Paul for three years, since the person who cared for her moved and couldn't take her along. Kind neighbors took over feeding Sage at their back door but could not bring her inside due to allergies. Even though she would rub up against the legs of the person who fed her, she shied away from touch. It was assumed that Sage was feral. Following the first polar vortex of the season, Sage’s caretakers contacted us because she was wobbly and they needed help getting her to the vet. I went over to see Sage and immediately fell in love with this beautiful cat. Sage was not afraid. She looked at me and said, "PLEASE bring me inside".

Once she was safely inside, Sage loved to be petted and purred up a storm. After a check-up at the vet, a course of antibiotics for a wound, and a brief stay with another kind neighbor, Sage was off to her new home. In a strange place with new people, Sage spent most of the first few weeks under the bed. But her new caretaker is patient and understanding. She recently sent this update:

Sage is coming along well. Here are some pictures. She no longer hisses but the silly girl still camps out under the bed when I visit!

I've lured her out with treats and head scratches, but she only peeks out about 1/2 way. Then eats and gets a head scratch and goes back under.

She adores getting scratched all over! I have to reach under the bed, but she is very accessible, and even reaches put her paw touch me, in hopes for a scratch. She is becoming very friendly, and with some more patience I think Sage will venture out from the bed at some point! She rolls over on her back and blinks at me..... So goofy! :)

Sage is enjoying being an indoor kitty. And her former caretaker created a cross stitch in memory of the “outdoor” Sage. 

Jacobi at Home

Jacobi was abandoned outside an apartment building in St. Paul. When a Feline Rescue outreach volunteer took him to the vet to have a cyst on his shoulder and a painful tooth removed, Jacobi also tested positive for the feline leukemia virus. It can be harder to place cats like this, but they deserve good homes too.

Pamela met Jacobi last spring but had to wait until she moved to an apartment that allowed cats to adopt one. Another volunteer agreed to foster Jacobi, and he was still waiting for Pamela in November when she was ready to take him home.

A sweet boy like this can live a happy, healthy life. A stress-free environment is important, and it looks like Jacobi's got that covered! Pamela recently sent this update:

Just wanted to tell you how much I love Jacobi. He is such a sweet guy and so good. I hate to go out and leave him alone. Many times he sits by the door as I am getting ready to leave and looks at me with sad eyes. I know he loves me, too. We have had a few visitors and he is very comfortable around other people.

I decided that his birthday will be May 17 - the first day I saw him and he is going to be "five" this year. Based on what you and Kate and his new vet indicated, that is the age I picked.  I had [the vet] visit him last month just to check him over and give me an update on his health.  He is fine, and I have to work on having him lose weight, more exercise, and cleaning his teeth regularly.  I have some new toys coming in the mail today. We are working on brushing his teeth. He keeps biting the brush. I attached some photos of him for you to enjoy.

Thanks to Pamela for giving this special guy a good home!