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| | | | “A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.” ~Tenneva Jordan
“A man’s work is from sun to sun, but a mother’s work is never done.”
~Author Unknown
“Mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy…”
~Every 4-year old you’ve ever encountered.
-- Mother's Day is over... but Kitten Season is just getting started --
We hope everyone had a wonderful Mother’s Day! During kitten season, that last cry sounds more like the desperate cries of hungry kittens, their eyes not yet open, calling for their mother – at least it often sounds so in the world of rescue. Mother's Day often marks the start of the deluge of kittens we call "kitten season."
To “mother” something or someone is to keep a close eye on it, to protect it, to make sure that he or she gets the best start in life and/or to guide it on a path to a good life. At FFGW, we’re thankful for all of our mothers, thankful for the volunteers who are foster moms for the cats and kittens in our care (especially for the volunteers who foster our feline moms and their kittens – a double Mother’s Day!), thankful for the volunteer moms who, along with their human children, help to care for our cats in the Leesburg PetSmart adoption center, and thankful for the supporters who “mother” at risk cats into our care – supporters like Ana.
Our spring mailing is reaching your mailboxes this week (you can also read it HERE) and it tells the story of a special cat mom, Tissaia, and her kittens. Their happy endings would not have happened without Ana, who mothered them into our care. But, we wanted to tell you the rest of the story! |
| Tissaia’s story begins a year before, with a cat named Artemis.
Artemis is a pretty tabby kitty who used to come out of the woods to visit Ana’s house. As Ana tells the story, “Artemis used to come around our house every now and again, we had been seeing her maybe once a week or so, so we were convinced she had a home and was just an outdoor kitty. We had noticed she looked a little plump, but again, kind of assumed she’s just well fed because the belly wasn’t big enough for us to think she’s pregnant... Until one day, when she came around the house and she had no belly anymore! And her belly was clearly telling us she had just had babies!”
You don’t have to be a mom, or even a foster mom, to mother cats, and Artemis recognized what good souls Ana and her family were…
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| “My husband’s aunt and cousin live with us, so the little 14-year-old cousin, Johanna, was the one who used to feed Artemis whenever she saw her around the house. So when Artemis gave birth, she came to the house and was looking for her. When Artemis saw Johanna, she started meowing at her to follow, and when she did, Artemis led her to a burrow right across the street, in the woods, and it was filled with tiny newborn kittens!!!! She had 4 of them!"
"Artemis let us get near because she was familiar with us [editor’s note: because she knew what great folks you are!] but this was early spring, cold weather, and we were expecting a terrible rain in 2 days. The burrow she had given birth in was on a steep downhill, and we knew if it rained, the kittens wouldn’t make it.
I knew Lisa from McLean Animal Hospital, where I work reception, and she often brings FFGW kitties there for intake exams and surgeries, so I knew if anyone could help it would be her. I couldn’t imagine taking Artemis to a shelter was a good idea. It was a long shot when I thought about calling Lisa, but she was so open and receptive and immediately offered to help! She found a very nice foster, and by the end of the day everyone was making arrangements for Artemis. We were so nervous, worried we wouldn’t be able to catch her, but she was so sweet and friendly with us all, it was a breeze!"
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| | | Artemis was named after the Greek goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, nature, vegetation, childbirth, the Moon, and chastity.
All of the kittens, Star, Storm, Sophie and Simba, as well as Artemis, have been successfully adopted, thanks to Ana and her family (who adopted Storm!) – and thanks to a special FFGW foster Jess, and her family.
Jess began fostering kitties in 2008, but then took a break to raise her own family – 5 cats, a dog, a toddler and a newborn – and returned to fostering in 2020.
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| We’re so glad to have her back, and not just because she is so good with shy cats, helping them gain confidence and prepare for adoption. We just love how her whole family is involved. Jess tells us, “Although life is much more busy nowadays with children & a family, fostering moms & babies with my own children is an amazing experience. All of the kittens were our most socialized kittens ever. Lots of extra helpers and hands, and plenty of snuggles and play time to go around. Before the kids, it was just me in a quiet home. Great also, but the extra help surely benefits the kittens, and our children.”
Jess was the perfect foster home for Artemis, who knew that she had to ask for help with her kittens but still wasn’t quite sure she could trust humans. Jess says, “we all loved Artemis, Star, Storm, Sophie & Simba! Artemis was a very special girl and I still love getting updates on her and her babies.”
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| And then… a year after Artemis, out of the woods to Ana’s house came Tissaia, the subject of our recent mailing. Ana describes Tissaia’s rescue as a rollercoaster of emotions!
“We had seen Tissaia maybe once or twice before, mainly just passing by. But one night, it was the last day of February, and I remember because of how cold it was, we heard meowing outside the door. When we looked, it was this big belly kitty with what sounded like labored breathing! It was so cold outside, we let her walk in, and that’s when we became certain she is VERY pregnant.
I knew one person who could help, so I messaged Lisa, followed by a short video of Tissaia. Again, crazy receptiveness from Lisa, and she immediately started looking for a foster.
We named the kitty Tissaia, after a powerful sorceress from a show we watch, The Witcher, because she knew she had to get to a safety before giving birth to her babies, and she was so strong to walk to us in the cold, hoping for a warm place."
Ana brought Tissaia to the vet the next day, for her intake exam, to confirm pregnancy and to make sure she was in good health. That’s where the first bad news came, we were told she tested positive for FIV, AND Feline Leukemia, worst combo, Ana and we were all crushed. A foster couldn’t take her like that, as Feline Leukemia is contageous to other cats, plus it’s likely the kittens were infected, and everything seemed to be spiraling down from there. We reluctantly began looking to find a sanctuary that could take Tissaia and give her a good end of life, as heartbreaking as it was. In the meantime, at FFGW’s request, the hospital sent out Tissaia’s sample for another test at an outside laboratory to confirm - or hopefully deny - the results, as sometimes we can get a false positive.
The results came back and Tissaia did NOT have leukemia!
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She was still positive for FIV, but that’s a whole different story as we explain in our mailing! FIV is not contagious except through a deep bite, and cats with FIV can live long lives. The support of our donors enables us to request extra testing when needed, and we are incredibly grateful. The foster was once again ready to take Tissaia, and she had her babies shortly after!”
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| At FFGW, we are so incredibly grateful for all our moms, feline and human, who help us make these happy endings come true. Mother’s Day marks the start of “kitten season” – the time when we are flooded with pregnant cat moms and kittens. We appreciate your support, which enables us to have the resources to provide the necessary testing and medical treatment for those families. Please consider a monthly recurring donation, as kitten season continues until very late in the fall!
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| | | | | Mom! Mom! Mom! I found a bunch of kittens!
As our first story shows, it's not unusual to stumble across a litter of feral kittens... what do you do? Of course, your first instinct might be to scoop up the kittens and get them to safety, but that may actually not be the best thing to do!
To find out what to do, we consulted with Bernadette Kazmarski, a pet blogger and artist who has written an award-winning article on found kittens.
Bernadette writes a blog entitled The Creative Cat and sells her art through her website Portraits of Animals. Bernadette tells us, "The universal response to finding kittens is to presume they are abandoned and unable to care for themselves and to take them home, but not only is that rarely the right response, it’s not even the right presumption and can often be harmful to the kittens... The kitten decision game involves the approximate age of the kittens and the presence, or lack, of a mother cat, and the knowledge that kittens younger than eight weeks belong with their mother, even if she is feral." |
| "Kittens old enough to be spayed or neutered and too old to be socialized can be trapped with their mother, neutered and returned, but younger kittens, with or without their mother, present a lot of options, most of which involve fostering and sometimes a great amount of care.
Kittens can be socialized and adopted, even if their mother is feral, so they aren’t necessarily returned on the basis of their mother’s behavior."
The problem, Bernadette tells us, is when the kittens are young enough to be socialized, their mother is feral and not friendly toward humans.
"Kittens younger than eight weeks are best living with their mother even if she is feral, but do you leave them there knowing the mother will likely move them, and hope to find them when they are eight weeks and ready for surgeries, or do you somehow foster a feral mother while socializing her kittens?"
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| | At FFGW, when planning intake from shelters, we won't separate a mother from her kittens, even though we well know that the kittens will be adopted quickly, and the mom will likely linger. With found kittens and a feral mom, such a commitment is even greater and more difficult, as it takes an experienced foster to handle a mother cat who is not friendly. Still, as Bernadette reminds us, young kittens really need their mom in order to have a greater chance to thrive - yet, the younger the kittens are, the better the chance at socialization and so at adoption. So, what to do with the clutch of kittens you just found behind the woodpile - a particularly hard decision, when they're very young and completely helpless?
The decision turns on a lot of factors, such as whether a mother is present, how safe is the location where the kittens are, and of course their age.
Fortunately, Bernadette gives us very detailed guidance - and you can read the whole article HERE.
So... when you come across that litter of kittens, resist that urge to immediately scoop them up, and think like a mom - do what's best for them even if that's hard! |
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Check Us Meowt! On Social Media!
Facebook, Insta, Twitter?
We try not to overflow your email inbox, and most months send just one Newsletter with a deep dive into all that's going on at FFGW, and some fun cat-centric stuff - but you can find out all the rescue happenings closer to real time on our social media! (And of course... see a lot more cute kitty pictures!)
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter below!
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| | | This Saturday! May 21 Noon - 2 p.m. We're back at the Kendra Scott Store in the Mosaic Center, Merrifield!
Cats for adoption, fun treats, and cat jewelry
>>A portion of the proceeds will benefit FFGW!<< IN STORE & ONLINE!
Use the Code Below Online
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Shop & Rescue!
You can shop and also help FFGW at the same time, by making your Amazon purchases through our "smile" link!
Use the button on the left for anything Amazon, select the Feline Foundation of Greater Washington as your designated charity. Your price doesn't change but a percentage of your purchase goes to FFGW!
In 2021 we received over $1000 through the Smile program, which donations were enough to provide 3-4 spays or 5-6 neuters - for an entire litter of kittens!
Thank you!
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I Feel Like Something Chewy!
Actually, not that chewy, but "Chewy"!
www.chewy.com is a pet product company specializing in home delivery of all things pet-related. FFGW has a "wish list" which you can find here:
Any products you select from our wish list will be delivered directly to us for use at our adoption center at PetSmart and by our fosters!
If you're new to Chewy, we'll even get a gift certificate for bringing in a new purchaser. It's a great way to help us in our mission to help the kitties!
Thanks to everyone who has donated food, treats, litter, beds, toys... Chewy's platform doesn't allow us to see the names of our generous donors, but please know that your support is very much appreciated! And if you drop us a line and let us know when you donate something, we'll be more than happy to send our thanks!
This post contains affilliate links. FFGW may be compensated if you buy something after clicking on these links. |
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Adoption Fairs
Special Event - Kendra Scott Saturday May 21 Noon - 2 (Details Above)
Leesburg Weekly Fair Leesburg PetSmart - Every Sunday Noon - 3 pm
Next Event: Sunday May 22
--Midweek Adoptions by Appointment for Cats in the Center--
We need volunteers to help care for the cats at Leesburg! Contact Brittany@ffgw.org
Looking for a new cat for your family? Get pre-approved for adoption by filling out an adoption form online today.)
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| | We've Gone Home!
Adopted in March & April (49):
Bambi, Kai, Marcus, Slyvester, Alan, Oxford, Jack, Captain Jack Sparrow, Mittens, Tucker, Elf, Morris, Rita, Sasha, Amelia, Avery, Thor, Neo, Morpheus, Stache, Rheana, Calliope, Dash, Precious, Triscuit, Purrdita, Boots, Twiggy, Abba, Warner, Rollins, Franny, Rachael, Angie, Josephine Baker, Coltrane, Stella, Smokey, Wendy, Acadia, Stevie, Moses, China, Chaplin, Poseidon, Mickey, Tristan, Candy, Michi
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