As a small sanctuary, we are limited of course, by how many kitties can actually stay forever with us. In an effort to help more cats than just our residents, we work with other rescues and often foster kitties. Right now we are particularly busy with foster kitties. All of these cats have a story, often sad, and simply need time to heal emotionally. Below are two of their stories.
Arianna (above) was clearly someone’s cat in her early life. A trap/neuter/return (TNR) volunteer was called when homeowners complained that Arianna was killing the birds they fed on their property. No one knows how long she lived outside and not only had to fend for herself, but also deal with being a mother. This kitty was simply trying to feed her babies. Arianna and her two kittens were humanely trapped. The kittens are adoptable, although they may always be shy because they missed the 4-6 weeks age window when socialization to humans is very easy. Ariana is now spayed and staying with us, while we work with her to gain her trust and build up her confidence. She enjoys spending time with Lyle more than with me at this point. Semi-feral and feral cats are often very skilled at colony living and more comfortable with other cats than with people.
Coco (above) is affectionate, chatty, and bears no grudges in her life, despite having suffered turmoil throughout her short seven years. She was originally adopted out of a local animal shelter, but returned three years later due to inappropriate urination. Peeing outside the box is almost always correctable. There are many causes and sometime it’s a combination of these issues: a UTI or crystals caused by poor diet, another cat in the home harassing the kitty when’s he tries to use the box, not enough boxes or boxes all placed in only one location, unclean boxes/infrequent scooping, covered or too small of a box. Long haired kitties like Coco often find certain litters distasteful because they cling to their fur. When these issues arise, it simply becomes easier to pee elsewhere.
When Coco was returned, the shelter sedated her, tipped her ear, and listed her as a barn cat. (Municipal shelters are often lacking staff and volunteers, so perhaps they did not have time to seek a foster home for Coco, which might have given them some answers as to why the peeing was happening.) Several years later, Coco ended up in a neighborhood far from the barn home, living as an outside cat. Coco was attacked by a bob cat and a neighbor cleaned her wounds but put Coco back outside. A kind lady set up a covered area and fed her for over a year, but never brought her inside. Eventually the lady brought Coco back to the same animal shelter, where we picked her up. Coco is now ready for her forever (inside) home. She is understandably defensive around other animals, so she will need to be the only companion animal in the home.
Each of these kitties has had rotten luck up until now, but hopefully only brighter days are ahead. We need more foster homes on board to change more kitties’ lives. Please contact us if you think you and your family might be interested in fostering, or adopting one of these precious kitties. We can make a difference one cat at a time.