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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
"Mew, mew, mew, mew, mew*!!" ~ Every 4-week old kitten you've ever encountered...
(* Mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy!) |
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In our last newsletter we predicted that a storm was coming... and with it, a flood of kittens...
That storm has arrived...
...and it brought with it not just kittens, but moms, and other cats in need. In February, FFGW took in just 15 cats, but in March we rescued 48(!) not all of which were kittens. It's a sad fact of rescue that kittens are usually quickly adopted, but their moms linger... and other adult cats who also find themselves homeless during the kitten storm hardly stand a chance.
It would be easy to rescue just easily adoptable kittens at this time, and to rejoice in the large number of adoptions which result, but FFGW is a rescue who has never taken the easy path and shied away from helping those desperate cats having no other alternative. We won't take kittens from a shelter and leave their mom, and we won't ignore the adult cats who can't compete with those cute, young fuzzballs for forever homes this time of year.
As we approach Mother's Day, our promise to cat moms is that we won't lose sight of you among the kitten storm.
What makes that promise possible is your generous support.
Our next newsletter will feature stories of some of the amazing moms - both feline and human - who FFGW has known. Meanwhile, our spring mailing will be soon pawing its way into your mailbox, telling the story of just one transport of cats (and some kittens, including a surprise litter!) that your generosity allowed us to save - you can also read it here:
The kitties are furever grateful for your support!
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| | | Mom! Mom! Mom!
I found a bunch of kittens!
As we approach Mother's Day, 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 happen!
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..."
Even if you don't see a mother cat, there may still be one nearby.
"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."
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| "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 the situation when the kittens are young enough to be socialized, their mother is feral and not friendly toward humans, and at the age of the kittens they're best to remain with their mom.
"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?"
Additionally, the best age to socialize kittens is 4 - 8 weeks, and leaving them with their mother where they were found also risks missing the window when the kittens can be socialized and not have to live out their lives as ferals. |
| 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, the age of the kittens, and importantly - the availability of a foster who is able to house both kittens and a feral mom.
Bernadette gives us very detailed guidance - and you can read her 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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| | | Thanks from the Pampered Chef!
Famous chef Guy Furry thanks everyone who contributed to our Pampered Chef fundraiser, which raised $150. That may not seem like much, but to a kitten who will be able to receive intake vetting because of your participation, it means the world!
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| | Featured Cat:
Garth sees that you love him just fine, thank you! Having one eye doesn't slow him down, either - Garth hasn't yet met a toy he wouldn't chase! This active boy does eventually wear out, and then he's cuddly - and good with kids! |
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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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| | | | We've Stopped Smiling... Because Amazon has ended its "Smile" program
The Smile program enabled designated charities received a contribution for each purchase made by supporters. Each year FFGW received over $1000 through this program. Sadly, Amazon has discontinued Smile. However, if you shop on line at Walmart, there is still a way for you to help the kitties with
Go to the link above, designate FFGW as your charity, and each purchase will be "round up" to the nearest dollar - with that change going to FFGW.
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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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We've Gone Home!
Adopted in March (25)
Peaches, Maxine, Erica, Colton, Tissaia, Roo, Rex, Crockett, Delaney, Landon, Tweety, Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, Ringo, Judo, Angelo, Nikkita, Sprite, Luna Lung, Milo, Patrick, Mr. Black, Rhoda & Gabby Gabby
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Adoption Fairs
Leesburg Weekly Fair Leesburg PetSmart - Sundays 12 - 2 pm
Next Event: Sunday April 30
--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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