Get your pet microchipped on 4th of July!

While we celebrate the independence of our country, let's celebrate our pets and keep them safe in case they become independent of US!

While at an outdoor event in Grand Rapids two weeks ago, Christy and I found a beagle walking around without his owner. We captured the beagle and called the number on his microchip identification tag. Within an hour we had the dog at his home. The owner, Jessica wasn't even back from the event yet. She didn't even know that her beloved Charlie had escaped from the car. She had the windows open to allow sufficient breathing, but they were open enough for him to jump out.

Jessica's mother was home and Charlie was put safely in the backyard!

This is a testament to why microchipping is so important. Even if Charlie has slipped his collar, he would forever be identified by his chip. If he wound up in a shelter, he would be returned to his owner and not risk being euthanized like so many owned animals that wind up in such situations.

And this goes for cats too! Cats can easily slip out the door. It happens all the time!!!

GET YOUR PETS MICROCHIPPED!

Amy Pietras of Jandy's Home will be doing microchipping of dogs and cats on July 4th, from 9am - noon.
The cost is $20 and includes lifetime registration.

Contact her at jandyshome@yahoo.com for details.

Charlie in the back of my feral chariot.
In a pinch, a belt makes a dandy leash!

Operation Capture My Condo Cats! UPDATE!

Well, Scaredy Fuzzy is giving me a run for my money. I've been trying to trap the last of my 4 kittens (now 2 years old) for over a month now to no avail. It's EMBARRASSING, it is!!! I mean...God, I'm the feral cat catcher and I can't get this cat to go all the way into a trap!

I will have to resort to using the drop trap again. Last time, it didn't work however!

With an arsenal of stinky food, different sized and shaped traps and all the wear-with-all at my command, I can't get this last cat!

In trying to get her I manage to trap two other friendly cats who I now have to find forever homes for. GREAT! Just what I needed....to more hard to place adult cats!

But Gordon and Mavros are wonderful boys and with some luck and good promotion, I'll find them homes soon!

Keep your fingers crossed that I get this last cat soon. I'm at my wits end and I know the condo gestapo are going to start to bug me about the trap on my porch soon.

Here is a picture of Gordon....he likes to hug....just like my Monkey!




I'll snap a photo of Mavros soon!

Domino Gets A Second Chance!

Several weeks ago, Heidi Andree brought me yet another kitty to spay. She named this black and white girl Domino. It turned out that Domino was already fixed but she had an hernia that needed to be repaired. Dr. Langlois took care of that and Domino was ready to be re-released into Heidi's colony.

But Domino wasn't getting along well with the other cats in Heidi's colony. She was being ostracized by the others and wasn't fairing well at all.

I kept Domino for a while in a cage at Brooknelle, then brought her to the kitty room after a few weeks. She didn't do well there either. I guess it wasn't so much the cats of Heidi's colony that didn't accept HER.....it was SHE that didn't accept THEM!

Domino didn't really take to any cats at my place and I have some real lovers who get along with EVERYBODY both furry and skin covered!

Vic Cabot decided that some kitty Prozac might help so we started to medicate Domino to help her get over he anxiousness. The Prozac helped a little bit, but not enough to make her a pussycat. Domino was still stressed out all the time and not accepting much love from anyone. Even Arlene was kinda afraid of her cuz she would hiss a lot when she came to tend her and the other cats.

I tried a Feliway plug in to see if that would make a difference to poor old Domino. Still, nothing worked. Domino was just not doing as well as I'd have liked her to do.

Then my sweet, darling Marcia Bloomers called and said that she would take yet another misfit cat into her home. Marcia has both Cheyenne and Dennis who were never all that friendly to other people but seem to be THRIVING in her loving home that we should just call CASA KITTY!

Christy and I took Domino to live with Marcia this past week. Marcia is resigned to lavish lots of love onto her and bring her around to being a happy girl again. If anyone can do it, it's my compassionate friend to all living things, Marcia!

Alone, I'm no good at all. But with people who care, like Heidi Andree, Vic Cabot and Marcia Bloomers, cats like Domino have advocates and caregivers that understand their special needs.

Thank you girls for caring for Domino.

Domino

The SIGNS They Are A-Changin'

Bob Dylan reminded us that The TIMES They Are A-Changin'. But feral friends, I'm here to tell you...The SIGNS They Are A-Changin'! And soooooo much for the better!

Take a look at the sign that Christy passed on Fuller earlier this week.



This sign was only up for a few days. Christy went in to speak with the family. Turns out they are local artists. Check out their work here: http://studiobeerhorst.com/blog/

They were unable to tell Christy where the idea for the fixed kittens sign came from, but confirmed that it was from somewhere on the internet. No matter where it was found, this sign was created and it's the single greatest thing I've seen in a LLLLOOOONNNNGGG time!

Last month I received a call from a man who got my number from his neighbor for whom I fixed 23 cats and kittens in early March. Ray Jones had 32 adults and 42 kittens at the time. I just about passed out. This was all from three cats that he started feeding two years ago. Since he started TNR on his property, he has fixed all but 5 adults. More kittens showed themselves before he got to the pregnant mothers, but he has gotten 14 kittens fixed to date. The other kittens are just waiting to get to the two month (2 lb) mark so they can be fixed as well. Here's the sign outside of Ray's place.



My dear friend and cat trapping advocate, Jim Schalk called me yesterday to report that he too saw a FIXED KITTEN sign when he was out and about earlier in the day. Can it be catching on???? REALLY????

I was recently made aware that the PDF on my website has my home number on it. Thanks Pat Schoen (C-SNIP). This will explain why I get so many calls at my home number still. I have redone the PDF and the correct information is now on my website.

Here is a downloadable pdf that you can print off: /Documents/NO_MORE_FREE_KITTENS_CAROLS_FERALS_CUTE_PDF.pdf

Keep copies in your car and hand them out to anyone who has a FREE KITTENS sign in front of their house.

If you are on craig's list or free cycle and see ads for free kittens, send them the link to this page on the website: http://carolsferals.com/freekittens.aspx

For every person we touch with this information, the lives of a litter of kittens (and their milk sapped mama) will be made better. It's a good investment of time. Even if you're not into talking to people and trying to change their minds....just hand them the flier and let my words do the talking. TOGETHER we can make a great difference!

Why can't we humans be like this???

The Hippopotamus and the Tortoise...

' Much of life can never be explained but only witnessed' - Rachel Naomi Remen, MD

NAIROBI ( AFP ) - A baby hippopotamus that survived the

tsunami waves on the Kenyan coast has formed a strong

bond with a giant m al e century-old tortoise in an animal

facility in the port city of Mombassa , official s said

The hippopotamus, nicknamed Owen and weighing about

300 kilograms (650 pounds), was swept down Sabaki

River into the Indian Ocean , then forced back to shore

when tsunami waves struck the Kenyan coast on

<>December 26, before wildlife rangers rescued him.



'It is incredible. A -less-than-a-year-old hippo has adopted a

male tortoise, about a century old, and the tortoise seems to

be very happy with being a 'mother',' ecologist Paula Kahumbu,

who is in charge of Lafarge Park , told AFP .



'After it was swept away and lost its mother, the hippo was traumatized.

It had to look for something to be a surrogate mother

Fortunately, it landed on the tortoise and established a strong bond.

'The hippo follows the tortoise exactly the way it followed its mother.

If somebody approaches the tortoise, the hippo becomes aggressive,

as if protecting its biological mother, Kahumbu added.



'The hippo is a young baby, he was left at a very tender age and

by nature, hippos are social animals that like to stay with their

mothers for four years, he explained.



'Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take,

but by the moments that take our breath away.'



This is a real story that shows that our differences don't matter

much when we need the comfort of another.

We could all learn a lesson from these two creatures of God,

'Look beyond the differences and find a way to walk the path together'

Glorious News! Pearl and Midget ADOPTED!

After a year's commitment to the cats rescued from the horrible hoarding situation last summer, I'm very happy to report that the last two cats, Pearl and Midget were adopted into their forever home Saturday.

When we took these cats in from the Humane Society after being surrendered by the woman who unsuccessfully tried to rescue 68 cats I didn't think that we would ever find homes for them all. But Gina was resolved to save them and after learning that all the other cats were euthanized for various illnesses except for two others, I just tried my best to RELAX and put it in God's hands.

God sent us Michelle Hills and Cyndi Caponi who took a special interest in these cats and did all they could to make the lives of these cats as nice as possible considering they had to live in a garage at Brooknelle. Michelle's mother and father adopted Chloe and Madison.

Pearl and Midget enjoying the post makeover room.

Chloe and Madison with Michelle's dad.

One of the cats was a feral named Nadia. She was actually the first to find a forever home. She is living the life of feral luxury at the Eastwood's Feral Estate.

Nadia this past winter sitting on the front porch of her feral shelter.

Cyndi Caponi took the remaining 6 cats to her home so that I could use the extra space at Brooknelle when I had to do a top to bottom bleach cleaning of my rehab facility space. They stayed with Cyndi for two months. During the time she had them with her, she was able to get Sox, the only boy of the group adopted into his forever home!

Sox, a strapping brown tabby with white undercarriage,
resting atop a cushy cage at Brooknelle after the makeover!

Shortly after that, (much to her protest) Cyndi brought the 5 remaining cats back to Brooknelle. Her son is highly allergic to cats and she was keeping them in the lower level of her home where he son resides when he's not away at college. I suggested she find a forever home for her son, but she is kinda partial to him since he is part of her own actual human litter!

The cats were dubbed the Foxxy Five and volunteers were put in place to care for the cats daily. RC Kula had been tending these cats at Brooknelle for several months nearly on his own. In order to give him a break, relief came in the form of several volunteers including: Cyndi Caponi, Marilyn Hamill, Kim Grant, Kathleen Oliver, Mary Eteo, and Betty Wood. These loving women visited the cats each week and made sure they were well loved and cared for.

During one of Gina's Kitten Adoption Events, a couple decided to take a LOOK-SEE at the adult cats and fell for Flicka. She went home with Derek and his wife. Shortly afterward, they called to adopt Honey as well! What a great day that was!!

Flicka

Honey

I'm not sure how soon after it happened, but not to long afterward, Tilly found herself adopted by a really nice man who just adores her!

Tilly

That left Pearl and Midget! Michelle was making fliers each time one of the cats was adopted. What started as the Great Eight, became the Six Pack (named by Cyndi who enjoyed a beer with them - - for herself only - - when they lived with her). Then they were the Foxxy Five. Then the Fantastic Four. They were only three cats for a short time, then the Dynamic Duo - Pearl and Midget were the only ones left.

Michelle was resigned to get these cats adopted before they hit the ONE YEAR anniversary at Brooknelle. And so she applied the hard selling final push. A new flier and an ad on Craig's List.

This is what the ad read:

Kittens? We don't need no stinking kittens.

Reply to: comm-719214392@craigslist.org
Date: 2008-06-13, 10:30PM

Why would you want a kitten? Seriously, you don't know what their personality will be, you have to go through the whole training process, the list is endless. Why not consider an adult cat or two that are desparately seeking a forever home.
We two lovely ladies have had our faces posted on this and other sites for over a year and yet time and again we are overlooked due those stinking kittens.
We want nothing more than for someone to take pity on us and give us a home. We are sure you are aware of our plight. We were given to a rescue, that turned out to be nothing more than a cat hoarder. Then animal control came and got us but lucky for us and 7 others we were spared and Gina and Carol from Focus on Feral and Carol's Ferals took us into their adoption program. Things are much better, we are loved and cared for by an army of volunteers but we have to be honest, our digs (a garage) are not all that great.
Please won't you come and visit us, take us home and keep us forever?
We are both spayed, vet checked and are up to date on shots.
Anxiously awaiting your call, Midget and Pearl.
Oh yeah, contact Gina at 616-826-0927 and come visit us soon.....

--------------------------------------

Within days an email response came from Val who wanted to adopt Pearl and Midget. Val was approved for adoption and on Saturday, came with her daughter to pick up the girls and take them to their forever home!

The happy ending!

From the bottom of my heart, I thank all of you who have:

Given time to make their lives more enjoyable during their transition.
Sent money to help care for these cats.
Brought toys, bedding and cat trees for them to climb on.
Provided loving support when times were rough.
And who prayed for perfect human matches for these very deserving cats.


And thank you to Dr. Bruce Langlois for doing really expensive testing (pro bono) on the cats when we needed to know their health status.

Celebrate this victory!
: ) C

Dr. Langlois in the news...in Onatrio this time!!!

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Check out this nice article featuring our main man....Dr. Bruce Langlois!
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http://www.soonews.ca/viewarticle.php?id=17690
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Dennis and Cheyenne

Look at this wonderful photo of Dennis and Cheyenne looking out the window at Casa Bloomers!

Marcia snapped this pix and sent it to me today. I love seeing these two cats together. Both not wanting anything to do with people when I found them, my darling Marcia came to the rescue and took them in. Not completely feral, but just very shy, the outdoor life wasn't kind to these two and they needed to be indoor kitties. Not needing anything in return from these cats, Marcia adopted them and NOW LOOK AT THEM. What a picture of happiness.

This photo makes my heart sing.

Thank you Marcia for giving love to the seemingly unlovable.

Dennis and Cheyenne looking out Marcia's window.
Bird watching no doubt!

PS If you ever want to search the blog to get some back story on an update, there's a place in the upper right corner where you can type in key words to find blog entries that include them.

Critter Cottage INFO

Amanda and Andrew have a business blog set up for their 2Feet-4Paws venture. Check it out at: http://blog.2feet-4paws.com/ This pertains to everything animal related....not just dogs!!!

Also, the Critter Cottage has new hours:

Effective Monday, June 16 the hours of operation at the Critter Cottage will be changing. We will be open 12PM - 6PM Monday - Friday and 10AM - 3PM on Saturday. Special adoption appointments with Vicky's Pet Connection can be arranged outside of these hours. We will also continue our Thursday evening Hoof It and Woof It dog walk. Meet at the Critter Cottage at 6PM on Thursdays and walk around Ada with your dog(s)!

Digging and scratching is not just for dogs and cats! The Kent County Road Commission is flexing their paws on the rough pavement in front of our store this month. Thornapple River Drive between Fulton and Ada Drive is under construction until June 27. Although the road will be closed to through traffic, local traffic to homes and businesses is allowed so you will still have access to the Critter Cottage.

Vicky's Rescued Cats

Good Grief! I'm so behind in alerting you all to who Vicky has rescued that I don't quite even know where to begin. I hope I can do with without missing anyone's rescued kitty. I'm gonna give it a shot!

Here goes!

Still, some of this text is being underlined and I can't bug anymore about it, so deal with it!

Rescued, May 5th, a mother and kittens.
The name of the mom cat that Vicky rescued is Taffy.
Her kittens are Tanya, Tatum, Tammy, Tina, and Teddy.

Responsible for the food purchased that saved these cats are:
Mooey Kaila & Templton (AKA Vic Cabot), RC Kula, Kim Grant & Mary Roth (three).





This cats name is Vicky.
She was rescued by someone named Mikey
(or perhaps that's the name of the pet of the rescuer...not sure).
The person who adopted this kitten said she named her Vicky
because she won't stop talking and she eats a lot. Too funny!!

Deacon: Rescued by Becky Gainey.


Dewey: Rescued by Mike Burcon


Dillon: rescued by Mike Burcon


Duffy: Rescued by Gina Marvin.

Pecan Today

As promised, a current photo of indoor dwelling, loving, happy, well adjusted Pecan.

Here he is with his new mama, Christy.


Pecan loves his other rescue cat buddies. He nuzzles Neo, the black and white cat that Christy brought to me to fix after finding him wandering in front of the coffee shop she frequents in East Town. Often the boys groom each other!

I think Pecan was once an owned cat who was turned out at an early age and became feral after experiencing life on the hard streets. I had him in a cage at Brooknelle for nearly two months before Christy came along and tamed him. In the time I worked with him, he was a lunging, spitting, hissing feral cat. She turned him around in about a week. And the rest is history.

: ) A happy ending for Pecan!

Midget and Pearl - Please download and post this PDF

Midget: Why haven't we been adopted yet?
We're in good shape, good looking and fun!
It must be that dreaded kitten season.
God help us mature cats!

Pearl: Yeah, what are we? Chopped liver?
I mean, c'mon. We are WAY better than a stinky little kitten.
We won't keep you up at night or get into mischief.
We are lap cats for God's sweet sake.
We are no trouble!

A REPEAT PLEA FOR HELP!!!

Help Pearl and Midget find forever homes!

What started as 9.....are now two!

You can help find the last of the cats formerly known as "Sink Room Cats", "The Great 8", "The Six Pack", "The Foxxy Five", "The Fantastic Four", and sorry but I can't remember what we called them when there were three.

Pearl and Midget are now dubbed "The Dynamic Duo".

Go to this website page, print off a flier and post it somewhere that cat loving people might frequent.

Your church, coffee shop, vet's office, gym, business, or breakroom perhaps!

Whom ever's flier gets these cats adopted will get something special from me!

http://carolsferals.com/Documents/Midget_Pearl1%5B1%5D.pdf

Thanks!!!
C

PS Thanks Michelle for making yet another flier. I hope it's the last!
PSS Look for Pearl and Midget featured in the June issue of Cats & Dogs Magazine.

Tales from the Critter Cottage - June 2008

We hope that the warm and sunny weather finds you doing well. The summer months are a busy time for everyone, us included. Please note that the Critter Cottage will be open limited hours on Friday, July 4th (9AM - 12PM) and will be closed on Saturday, July 5th. If you're in Ada to watch the Fourth of July parade we hope you'll stop by and see us.

During the month of May we've been Hoofing It and Woofing It. Dogs and humans have been enjoying some time in the nice weather. All of those who walk during the month of June will be entered in a raffle to win a prize pack from Celebration Cinema. Weekly walks start from the Critter Cottage at 6PM.

They Say It's Your Birthday

On June 8th Haven (r) and Beacon (l) will celebrate their 5th birthday. They want you to celebrate with them. During the month of June all West Paw Design plush dog toys will be on sale for $10.99 each. And they don't want to let the cats out. All kickin' chicken, octopal, cheddar, hip nip pouch, teddy for kitty, crawly critter, and star chaser cat toys will be on sale for $3.99 throughout the month.

Kitten Season and Puppies Galore

'Tis the season for kittens. Shelters, rescues, and even feral communities are not in short supply of kittens this time of year. While they're cute and cuddly, many of them will not survive. It's this time of year when those in rescue are reminded even more about the over population of animals not only in the Grand Rapids area but across the country.

Vicky's Pet Connection saves as many kittens as possible from the Kent County Animal shelter each week. And while there is not a shortage of kittens this time of year, don't forget to look at older cats as well if you're looking to add to your family.

Vicky's kennel is crawling with puppies. There are two lab mix and one terrier mix litters which will become available for adoption during the month of June. A six pack litter of hound puppies is just two weeks old. A total of 35 puppies!! That's a lot of mouths to feed and poop to clean up. These bundles of joy and energy can't wait to start off the summer in their forever homes. Keep checking Vicky's Pet Connecction list of available pets for when these three litters will be posted if you're looking to add a canine addition.

And for those of you keeping track of how many cats Vicky has rescued due to the March food drive, her total is at 21. She has 10 more to go until her promise to rescue one cat for every large bag of cat food donated is complete. Just in time for an upcoming food drive in July and August! Stay tuned to see if Vicky will once again rescue one cat for every large bag of cat food that is donated.

Home Sweet Home Times Three

Over the past few months one family has not only adopted one or two cats from Vicky's Pet Connection but three! All three cats are doing well and here's what their family has to say about them.

We had a senior citizen named Poopie, who was starting to have health problems. The thought of not having her was hard to comprehend. So we decided to add a member to our family. Ben (black & white) is his name. We fell in love with him quickly. He is very easy going and reminds me of a loving little old man. Shortly after Ben joined our family we were saddened by having to put down Poopie who was almost 18. We knew that no other pet could take her place, but we knew that Ben couldn't be alone either. He is a social bug. So we went back to the Critter Cottage and met Darcy (calico). She was quick to get to know us and pawed her way into our hearts. So baby number two entered our home and fit right in. Ben taught Darcy the schedule of the household, like in the morning sitting next to the shower, then waiting in the kitchen for food, and sitting by the door when Mom comes home. However, we had so much love to give and not enough babies to go around. We found ourselves back to the Critter Cottage one more time to adopt Lucy (brown tiger). She is of course just as loving as Ben and Darcy. Lucy and Darcy are like long lost sisters and Ben is like the father who protects and teaches. My three children Riley, Triston and Ashton, love our new babies so much. When they get off the bus they run in the house and find a cat to hug and play with. Ben, Darcy, and Lucy have brought my children and I so much joy and love in the short period that we have had them. We are all looking forward to our future together and all the love that the cats bring to our home.

Thank you to Nancy and Vicky for having a special place to match people and pets. You have made my family very happy. And thank you to Amanda for her support with the food, supplies and questions that we have.

Hugs and Meows,

Cindy, Riley, Triston, Ashton,

Ben, Darcy, and Lucy

Busy, Productive, Fun Weekend & UPDATES!!

OK, I know I said I'd be better about blogging. But last week, I was prepping for my neighborhood rummage sale and it really paid off! I was half tempted to just bag it cuz I was super stressed out about getting everything set up in my garage, but Christy talked me off the ledge and I set up all my junk and sold almost everything! I had a bunch of left overs from my antique mall days. Mostly 60's and 70's housewares and some guy from Cedar Springs came and bought me out LOCK, STOCK and BARREL! That was great cuz nubmer 1) Ineeded the money and 2) I needed the space in my attic and garage! And hanging out all weekend with Christy, Dave and Kaylyn was fun. And I got a lot of sun which was much needed as well.

I have to update you all on a few things.

PECAN: First of all, I need to tell you about Pecan! He was one of the cats brought to me a few months ago by a couple in Royal Oak who needed to get the cats out of their neighborhood cuz their idiot neighbor had called in a "critter control" company AKA: EXTERMINATORS! A sweet couple who raise chickens adopted Bitsy and Butch, two black and white youngsters. But Pecan was starting to come around with Christy's feral cat whispering so he just hung out at Brooknelle awaiting his nightly time with Christy. One day about a month ago, Christy was all abuzz when I arrived. She was carrying Pecan in her shirt like a baby kangeroo. Then she put him in his big cage and basically swabbed the floor with his body while she hung onto his back legs. This was a little game they played together. Kinda showed that he was trusting her to do just about anything she wanted to him. Super loving and submissive now, Pecan was adopted by Christy and lives with her and her and her brood which includes two other cats and two other dogs! Pecan is fine with all of them! Here is a photo of Pecan BEFORE TAMING. Prior to Christy coming to volunteer, Pecan was basically feral wallpaper in the back of his carrier. When approached he's lunge, spit and hiss. Christy will provide us with a happy family cat photo soon! Thank you Christy for working your MAGIC!

Pecan BEFORE Christy.

Pecan, now a very much loved and loving boy.
Pictured with his feral whispering mama, Christy.

CONDO CATS: I have been able to trap 3 of 4 of the ferals in my condo complex. But one of the original kittens is giving me a run for my money! I can't get Scaredy Fuzzy into a trap. So I'm going to have to resort to drop trapping her. To add to the confusion, there are other cats in my complex who I have seen on my baby monitor. Last night, I spotted another light colored long hair and a black cat with a white spot on it's chest. I also captured a cat two weeks ago when I began trapping these guys who is a super loving brown tabby. Gordon is now in my adoption program. He's wonderful. He hugs just like my cat Monkey! I love him cuz he went a little too long before getting neutered so he has a muscular physique and those big tommy cat cheeks. Back to my stress>>>>> The need for a feral sanctuary is great. I must get a piece of property to put these cats onto! It's imperative that I move out of this vinyl village and get some land to do what I want!

Pardon the blurry photo.
This was taken with my camera phone!
Tilty, Brave Fuzzy and Tippy!

TURTLE: Loving all of God's creatures, it's not just cats and dogs for Vicky's Pet Connection. Vicky and Nancy called me weekend before last asking for help with a turtle that was found on the side of the road with a shell injury. Obviously the poor guy was hit by a car and suffering. Christy and I picked up the turtle and took him to Peg Markle who runs Wildlife Rehab Center in NE Grand Rapids. Peg was taking the turtle to a specialty vet who would repair his shell. Once rehabbed, he will be set free again! But he will have a fancy new shell made out of some material that I can't remember. If you ever know of a wild animal in peril, Peg is the woman to call! Here's her website: http://www.wildlife-rehab-center.org. Yes, it takes 3 rescues to save 1 turtle!

Ouch!!

More news and updates to come when I get myself back on track! Which may or may not be in 2008!!!

Petapalooza Update

Hey Feral Friends-

Petapalooza in Holland was a blast! Dr. James Bader from Mapleview Animal Hospital and his wife Mary are very much into rescue. They organize this yearly event. Held outside on a beautiful day, this years Petapalooza was a great success. It was my first year doing it, but I plan to attend in the future. By the way, Dr. Bader WILL fix feral cats. So if anyone in the Holland area needs help with a feral, he's the man to see!

Christy, my volunteer who I've been telling you so much about came along for the fun! She's a real trooper this one!!! She got into the trap at noon and didn't leave till she raised $100 for her spay surgery. See, Christy was posing as a feral cat who needed to be fixed before being released back to her outdoor home. Ever the team player, Christy called people over to her and begged for funds. If the kids that visited her didn't have any money, she sent them to get some from their parents. She's the absolute perfect person to have in a trap! Super friendly, good with all people, and having a great sense of humor, she's the PICK OF THE LITTER!!

After raising her $100, Christy was released with the help of Spider Man and some other kids including Dr. Bader's daughter Corinne. Then.....she coerced Michael (a cool guy from another rescue) to get into the trap for her. He hung out for the remainder of the event. He raised $20. In addition to begging money, we educated a lot of people about TNR.

Visitors who came to see us included Stu Mackenzie who dropped a nice big bill into my hand. This money wasn't to be put toward Christy's release....so that was a bonus! Also, I was happily surprised to see my most amazing friend Marcia Bloemers who came by with her lovely daughter Jill who didn't seem to mind too much when I mauled her mother! You all know how much I LOVE Marcia. She's the one who has both Cheyenne AND Dennis (two unadoptable cats to whom she is giving sanctuary and love). God bless you Marcia!

Here are pix from the day!

PS Don't ask why this is all underlined! Glitch in the system, I suppose!

Me and Marcia!

Me and Christy!

Christy being attacked by Panther!

Christy's release. Thanks Spidey!

Michael in the trap!
Thanks Michael for beings such a good sport!