The cat with three names.......

"Harrison/Jack/Charlie"

Two weeks ago one of our spay/neuter clients brought in a cat from her neighborhood that she had never seen before but believed it needed medical care and wanted to be sure it was altered.  Turned out the cat was an elderly, already altered male who was completely tame.  Unfortunately no microchip or collar.  The woman didn't believe he belonged to any of her neighbors and said she would gladly feed him, but he couldn't come inside her home that was already occupied by her own housecats.  Since he was old, thin, and somewhat feeble, we couldn't bear to turn him back out into the cold weather we've been having.  So, we set up a spot for him here at our offices until we could assess his overall health and temperment.  Meanwhile, we all fell in love with this gentle beauty with the giant paws (a polydachtyl) who would give you head butts and purr the moment you went near him.  "Harrison" (named after Harrison Ford) was happy as a clam all tucked into his cage with a cozy, heated bed, wet food two times a day and lots of attention.  Being as sweet as he was, we just couldn't believe that someone didn't own him.

So, last Friday, we printed out LOST flyers and headed out to the neighborhood where he was found.  We walked the beautiful old Santa Rosa neighborhood sticking flyers on mailboxes and signposts. 

We'd only just returned to the office when we got a call from a man saying "I just got home and found a flyer on my mailbox.  This is my cat Jack" he said.  We were elated.  As it turned out, "Jack" is "co-owned" by two neighbors who live across the street from one another.  He had shown up as a beat up stray cat seven years prior and they had taken him in, nursed him back to health and he lived between the two houses - getting fed at both places, sleeping in both garages and they were SO happy to find that he was safe and sound with FFSC.  What was even more ironic was that "Jack's" co-owner turned out to be one of our Pick of the Litter staff members!  She too was flabergasted to find a flyer in her mailbox with Charlie's (at her house they called him Charlie) picture on it and that Forgotten Felines had him.

Last night he went home with our staff member to live out the rest of his days as an indoor cat! 

And they all lived happily ever after.

"Ho hum.....I think I'll take a cat nap while they figure out where I belong."

 Meow for now,
Jennifer

February 11, 2013

Recently an article came out in the New York Times (and reprinted locally) wherein the Smithsonian Conservative Biology Institute and the Fish and Wildlife Service state that cats, both free roaming and pets, are responsible for killing 2.4 billion birds and 12.3 billion mammals each year.

Forgotten Felines of Sonoma County can’t speak to where they are getting their “estimated” figures or the validity of their data.  Our position on this matter, which coincides with our mission, is as follows:

We do not believe in killing one creature to save another.  The most humane way of controlling “community cats” (feral, free roaming) is through trap, neuter, return – the method that we have been using since 1990 when we were founded.  We are in complete agreement that:

1.)   Free roaming cats kill birds and small mammals – it is in their nature

2.)   Indoor only cats would be healthier, safer, and would not impact our environment

This is exactly why we work tirelessly to reduce the free roaming cat population.  We care about ALL living beings – not just cats.  This includes the impact that rounding up and killing cats has on us as human beings.  Killing (not euthanizing) a viable, healthy, living creature is bad.  It’s bad for the cat that is terrified up to the point that it is killed and it’s bad for the shelter staff who have to house, then kill the cat.  These people are members of our community and it’s bad to require them to take this action upon an innocent creature. 

If the goal is to figure out what is happening to our world  - whether it is a reduction in the bird population or destruction of our planet, we need only look as far as the mirror. 

Just like any community concern, it takes each of us to do our part in acknowledging that there is a problem, identifying the solution and taking action. Our goal is to reduce the feral cat population down to zero through spay/neuter, but we can’t do it alone. 

 

Forgotten Felines offers weekly, low cost, high quality spay/neuter services for all “community cats” (free roaming tame and feral cats).  (707) 576-7999

Sonoma Humane Society offers weekly, low cost, high quality spay/neuter services for all tame, owned cats. (800) 427-7973

Sonoma County Animal Care and Control offers weekly, low cost, high quality spay/neuter services for dogs.  (800) 427-7973

Petaluma Animal Shelter (778-7387), Rohnert Park Animal Shelter (584-1582) and Pets Lifeline (996-4577) all offer monthly low cost, high quality spay/neuter services for dogs and cats.

There are NO EXCUSES for any person in this County to have a litter of puppies or kittens.  Services are available.  One only needs to pick up the phone and take action.

 Our Mission:  Forgotten Felines of Sonoma County is dedicated to protecting and improving the lives of feral cats through local spay/neuter programs, placement services, community outreach and nationwide education.

Our Vision:  Forgotten Felines of Sonoma County is committed to a world where all animals are treated with compassion and respect.  We are dedicated to elevating the quality of life of feral cats and ending the pain and suffering of all cats living among us.

 

Meow for now,

Jennifer

Andy's thankful for Shelly

"Andy" before his ear was removed due to skin cancer.

Andy, a cat who wandered into one of our Forgotten Felines colonies at the age of seven, was adopted to a lovely senior citizen who gave him a wonderful home for six years and then was no longer able to care for him, went home again today into a "Forever Foster" situation with his new mom, Shelly.

Just like Andy, Shelly has been connected to Forgotten Felines for many years.  She was a volunteer kennel assistant and cat cuddler in our adoption room, a foster parent, and a special events volunteer.  Recently Shelly lost two of her own elderly cats and phoned us to find out if we might have a senior kitty who would get along with the remaining 13 year old female cat she had at home.  "I want an older cat." she said, "but I don't want to have the expense that could potentially go along with adopting a senior."  To which we replied "Hey, we've got just the thing for you!  Our Forever Foster Program."   You take home an elder or special needs kitty and we'll provide the medical care if/when necessary.

It is a perfect partnership that benefits everybody.  Kitty gets a home and the adopter doesn't have to worry about the potential additional veterinary bills that could come along with taking in a senior cat.

Andy is a gentle soul who had already melted Shelly's heart as soon as she walked in the door to meet him.  Now we're just keeping our fingers crossed that he'll also be as warmly welcomed by resident kitty.  Keep your paws crossed for him.

Thank you Shelly for opening your heart to Andy.  And good luck with the introductions.

If you know someone who might be interested in adopting a cat from our "Forever Foster Program", please have them contact us.  We have several to choose from and each one of them would love to be home for the holidays!

Happy Thanksgiving to all.....Meow for now,

Jennifer

"Blossom" as in Awesome Blossom!

"Blossom"

After eluding our efforts to bring her in for over a month, "Blossom" finally arrived at Spay/Neuter clinic this morning. 

On October 1, we received a call from a woman who reported that she had shared her Outback Steakhouse leftovers with a kitten who was begging in the parking lot the night before.  She was concerned for her well-being and wondered if there wasn't something we could do to help her.

We contacted the restaurant who knew exactly what we were talking about.  According to them, the cat (not a kitten) had been stalking customers in their parking lot for "a while".  When it first showed up, it was wearing a collar so they thought it belonged to someone living in the apartments across the way, but shortly thereafter, the collar disappeared.  The Outback wasn't crazy about kitty being there, but also hadn't done anything to remedy the situation.  So, we took it on figuring we could just send one of our trappers out to pick it up and bring it in.  WRONG!  Bottom line, this girl had figured out the system.  She would sit outside the door, follow customers (who were bringing home leftovers) to their cars and ask for a handout which she often got.  After Jeff, our trapper, made several attempts at just picking kitty up, it was obvious that this wasn't going to work.  And, now that we see she has an ear tip, it is obvious why she wasn't excited about going into a trap AGAIN - she'd already been there/done that once before.

Since Jeff isn't one to give up, he was finally successful in luring her into the trap last night and now we have her.  Turns out she is tame, a little frightened and apprehensive because she doesn't know us, but purred and was kneading the whole time we were examining her.   And, the best part, she may already have a home!  (Jeff's parents are thinking about adopting her!)

Another happily ever after here at Forgotten Felines.

Meow for now,
Jennifer

P.S.  Blossom is named after the Awesome Blossom Onions at the Outback - so bad for you, but so good!

In Memory of Tim

Today we had a woman, Janet, come into the office to make a donation in memory of her brother, Tim.  She told us that Tim was a single man, kind of a rough and tough guy, former Marine who on the outside would never be perceived as a cat lover.  But he was.  He had seven feral cats that he fed and they brought him so much joy that at the time when he was faced with death, his greatest concern was "what is going to happen to my cats?"  Fortunately for Tim, he had a kind and caring sister who took it upon herself to remove that burden from her brother's heart.  Janet called Forgotten Felines and we armed her with all of the tools to successfully trap the cats Tim was caring for.  We set her up with appointments at our spay/neuter clinics and last April she completed the goal for her brother.  But now that the cats were altered, there was still the dilemna as to who was going to care for them after Tim was gone.  Well, that was easily solved as all of Tim's neighbors rallied together promising to continue to care for the cats.  Upon Tim's death, he asked that friends and family bring cat food to his neighbors rather than flowers for his funeral.  Tim passed away in May knowing that his cats were altered and will continue to be looked after.  A heartwarming story to end the week.

Meow for now,
Jennifer

National Feral Cat Day

National Feral Cat Day 2012 is Tuesday, October 16th.  This event was spearheaded by Alley Cat Allies a national non-profit organization promoting (just like we do), the care and control of feral cats.  Forgotten Felines will be participating in this event by offering FREE spay/neuter to all feral cat clients on Wednesday, 10/17/2012.  The Petaluma Animal Shelter will also be celebrating the feral cat by offering FREE spay/neuter to all ferals on Saturday, October 27th.  To sign up for the Forgotten Felines clinic - call (707) 576-7999.  To sign up for the Petaluma Animal Services clinic - call (707) 778-7387.

One of the beautiful white feral cats that attended
our spay/neuter clinic this past week.

Meow for now,

Jennifer

 

You can visit the Alley Cat Allies web site at www.alleycat.org to see all of the events planned for this nationwide event.

Both Forgotten Felines of Sonoma County and Alley Cat Allies were founded in 1990.



Name Your Price Adoption Promotion - and more...

Lots going on right now......First we have an adoption promotion - something we've never tried before.  The "Name Your Price" adoption special.  Folks actually go to our adoption room at the Rohnert Park Animal Shelter and adopt for any fee they'd like to pay.  Our normal adoption fee is $95 which includes neutering, vaccinations, Advantage, de-worming, microchip, multiple vet health checks and all the love and care each foster parent has given our precious cats and kittens.  So name your price could be OVER the $95 normal adoption fee too.   How can you put a price on love anyway??


My foster babies - Linus and Lane

 

This weekend (October 13 and 14) is the Bay Area Pet Fair from 10am to 5pm at the Marin Center, 10 Avenue of the Flags in San Rafael.  Should be a huge event with lots of animals for adoption and pet related items for sale.

FREE Rabies vaccinations for dogs sponsored by Sonoma County Animal Care and Control and VIP Petcare.  For dates and locations visit: 
http://www.sonoma-county.org/health/announcements/20121007vaccinations.asp

Sunday, 10/21/2012 - Big Cat/Little Cat Event benefiting Petaluma Animal Shelter - 2pm to 3:30pm at Petaluma Sheraton.  For more information visit:
http://www.petalumaanimalshelter.org/work-view/cras-convallis-sodales/

FREE Rabies vaccinations for dogs AND cats sponsored by SRJC Petaluma Campus and Petaluma Animal Shelter.  Sunday, October 28th from 10am to 2pm.  For more information call Petaluma Animal Services at 778-7387.

Lots to do and see.  Please pass the free vaccine events on to anyone who may need those services.  Thank you

Meow for now,
Jennifer