The photos came to me in an email....but watch this video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d79ArrL8VRg


if only us humans could take a lesson.

: ) Carol

TNR - - Catching on! Carol's Ferals is one of 250!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33060842/ns/health-pet_health/


Awesome article!
Thank you Kolene Allen!

Probably not the best option, if you're allergic to cats!

This is little Carlton, one of the kittens of a litter of mom + 5 boys taken from the shelter in Montcalm JUST IN TIME!

Adopted with his brother Stars, now Rocky, they have a wonderful life. Thank you Kat and Shandra for fostering them!

Their brothers Manny and Urban are still at my place awaiting adoption. You too can have a kleenex kitten!

BY the way. The cats were named for Montcalm Shelter Renewal key players!
Carlton = Sandy Carlton, Urban = Mike and Jeanne Urbanski, Manny = Carol Manos, Sheridan = named after the city where the shelter sits and Stars = has nothing to do with anyone except that all who participated in getting the class b animal dealer out of the shelter are all STARS in my book!!!

Meowtrageous Adoption Event Update!

Sorry it's taken me so long to update you regarding the adoption event. Needed a day to recuperate. And a day to run around like a crazed maniac first. We had a really nice turn out. I think Centerpointe was happy with the increased foot traffic. 5 kittens were adopted into forever homes. Still looking for the photos of all of them. But here is Sheridan with his new parents.

Kristen Slade and Nicholas Wittersheim

They will be naming him Milo!

Lots of wonderful people helped make this event a success. Thank you all who gave tirelessly of your time to put together a MEOWtrageous Extravaganza!

Thanks to all who baked for the refreshment table, donated raffle prizes and volunteered. And thank you all who visited us on our first ever Extravaganza!

: ) Carol

Testing direct blogging from email

trying to keep in better touch via blog via email.

let's see....is this thing on?

 

Please keep up with me by visiting my website or blog:
www.carolsferals.com
www.carolsferals.blogspot.com
Want to adopt a rescued cat or kitten?
Know someone who does? Send them this link:
www.carolsferals.petfinder.com

P.S. PLEASE SPAY/NEUTER YOUR FAMILY, STRAY & FERAL CATS!!!
Find low cost spay/neuter in your area: http://www2.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=now_aspcaspay


Help Michigan Shelter Animals by clicking here: http://carolsferals.com/helpmichiganshelteranimals.aspx

It's TODAY!!!

Carol's Ferals
MEOWtrageous Adoption Extravaganza

Saturday, September 19th
Noon - 6pm
Centerpointe Mall
Details:

http://carolsferals.com/Documents/CarolsAdoptEvent%20one%20pager.pdf











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It's a good day...

When one of the Montcalm County Commissioners calls you to see if you can use 8-10 boxes of household goods for a rummage sale!

Some of them ARE good guys! Thank you RR for the offer. I'm going to try to find a home for all that stuff. I'm not having a sale in the immediate future. And I surely don't have anyplace to fit 8-10 of anything!

Anyone know of a rescue organization in the area planning a sale? If so, get with me asap!

616 560-0555

Carol

Heart Sick

There's nothing quite as disheartening as knowing that no matter what you do to educate people, no matter what you say, they will still do things that aren't in the best interest of the animals.

Take for instance the man I've been helping with TNR during the past month. He has brought me a few cats here and there. But tonight....he hit me with it! He actually told me.....even a little prideful that....GET THIS.....He gave the litter of kittens to a farmer to mouse his barn. At first I had to think back. Did I fix kittens for him? I didn't remember, so I asked. Were they kittens I fixed? His reply was "no".

I then said, "Are you telling me that you gave a full litter of unfixed kittens to a FARMER?" He said "Yes". It was then that I realized that even though most people who call me ARE indeed interested in actually HELPING the cats and can see the BIG PICTURE, there are others who simply want to remove the problem.

Now, this man could have let me fix the kittens for FREE like I had been doing for the rest of the cats BEFORE giving them to the farmer. BUT HE DIDN'T! Which is even more upsetting because he KNOWS ABOUT CAROL'S FERALS! It made me sick.

I told him that he HAD to get those kittens back to me so I could fix them. He informed me they were on a farm in the U.P. But the farmer took good care of his cats. YEAH RIGHT! He didn't want them fixed so he'll always have mousers! GOOD CARE! C'mon!

The man never consulted me. I was furious!!! I couldn't help but tell him how he damned those kittens to a endless cycle of breeding. He did the absolutely worst thing he could do. I could barely look at him after that. But I've got to, cuz he still have breeding cats on his property.

The people that I help, I EXPECT want the best interest for the cat. Sick to my stomach I am when I get someone who won't bother to trap a cat because they will have to take it back. They would rather leave it to breed if I don't take it off their hands.

I'm dealing with that currently! Makes me so sad! Those are people who just want to get RID of the cat. As if they can control the great outdoors. Maybe they need to eradicate all the birds too! I'd like to see the house with a giant net over it so nothing can get near the back door. I'm amazed by people who think they can live in this world and not have to encounter anything! ANYTHING!

Nearly two years ago, I had to start having people sign a form stating that they will use my traps ONLY to bring cats to ME and not the shelter. Who would borrow traps from me and want to do anything other than TNR? Let me tell you. The incident that prompted me to make people UNDERSTAND my position on the matter actually trapped several cats they were feeding and brought them to me from a great distance to fix. And then, a cat that was new to the area walked into one of their traps and they took him to the shelter where being a feral, he was promptly killed!! Not euthanized! He was a healthy cat. He was not a sick cat. She didn't like that he would bother her other ferals that she was feeding. She didn't give him a chance to be neutered and possibly would stop his fighting once the testosterone was out of his system! NO!!!
She left in tears for what she had done. Good!

Tears need not be shed when animals who are sick, injured beyond repair, or spreading disease that can hurt the cats of the surrounding area. That is humane. Spaying a pregnant cat and humanely aborting its unborn kittens is HUMANE! Ending suffering is humane! Ridding yourself of a problem....NOT HUMANE! NOT COOL! NOT FOR A SECOND!

I'm heart sick tonight!

Carol's Ferals - Featured in the Rapidian Launch

If you've not heard of The Rapidian, here you go.


The Rapidian is a hyperlocal news source powered by the residents of Grand Rapids, MI.

Groundbreaking to say the least!!!! Viva Rapidian!
Power to the people!!!


Here's our launch article:
http://therapidian.org/carols-ferals




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Viva Animals Lebanon

Animals Lebanon celebrates it's ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY!

Look at what these very dedicated people are doing to help animals under circumstances that most of us can only IMAGINE (gratefully IMAGINE and not EXPERIENCE).

I'm on the advisory board of AL.

Share their good work here: http://www.animalslebanon.org/







.

Somebody...get this cat a bowl!

Prince Charming and Prince Hal at home at Big Sids!

Sayder, now Prince Hal

Chuck, now Prince Charming!


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We can use your assistance.....

Hello Feral Friends,

On Saturday, September 19th, we will be holding our first MEOWtrageous Adoption Extravaganza. This event will take place at Centerpointe Mall in Grand Rapids, MI from noon - 6pm.

With our goal being Adoption and Fundraising, we are looking to bring in a large cross section of the community to adopt our friendly cats! And while we have an audience, we are hoping to get some financial support along the way.

We have a full day planned! Please see the linked flier for details.

We need your assistance! There are several ways you can help make this event a success.

Do you bake? If so, we can use some baked goods for our refreshment table. Cookies, muffins, cup cakes and items of that sort will be easily purchased and carried around while our guests learn about feral and stray cat care and hopefully adopt a loving cat or kitten. If you can bake, please contact Darla Alexander at: alexa@altelco.net

We will be having a raffle to raise money for Trap - Neuter - Return necessities. If you can donate items to the raffle that would be very helpful. We are looking for gift certificates or gift baskets that we can use as a fund raiser. Might you, your employer or a family member have something to donate to our cause? All donations are tax deductible. Please contact Darla at email above.

Can you help publicize this event? Please share it on your FB page. http://tinyurl.com/m5zaze

Would you post a flier at the workplace, school or gym? If so, here it is for easy download and printing. http://tinyurl.com/ksv9q5

Would you like to work the day of the event? Shifts are 12pm - 3pm, 3pm - 6pm, or all day! Please contact Carol if you’re willing to take a shift.
Dollmouse@aol.com. We will dress you in one of our new Carol’s Ferals T-shirts! Your gift for helping us out!

Please do what you can, where you can, to help the feral and stray cats of West Michigan.

~ Carol

MEOWtrageous Adoption Extravaganza!

Saturday, September 19th
Noon - 6pm
Centerpointe Mall
Details:

http://carolsferals.com/Documents/CarolsAdoptEvent%20one%20pager.pdf





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Please consider printing off some fliers and posting them around town!

Remember Greg?

Greg's story will be featured on SUPPORT CAROL'S FERALS cause page on FACEBOOK!

http://apps.facebook.com/causes/340554


Here it is, just to remind you all of how TNR changes lives for the better!

Greg: Life After Burger King

By Carol Manos, founder of Carol’s Ferals

From Cats & Dogs Magazine, January, 2007

It was early in March 2006 and I’d been trapping feral cats behind the Cutlerville Burger King for a few weeks. I’d gotten my first seven feral cats TNR’d (Trapped-Neutered-Returned) and was thrilled when I caught this big boy in my trap. I figured this mammoth Tabby Tomcat HAD to be the father of many of my young tabby cats that I’d trapped and released since beginning T-N-R in late February.

Thrilled till I got him home and noticed the huge gaping wounds behind his ears. Alas, I was seeing it; one of the horrible situations feral cats find themselves in. Seems that Greg was riddled with ear mites. And he had scratched the back of his ears bloody in an attempt to relieve the itching.
At this time I was taking all my ferals to C-SNIP (local low-cost spay/neuter clinic) who were still doing surgeries in their mobile clinic. Because of time and space constraints with respect to the mobile unit, the vet and techs were only
able to neuter him. There just wasn’t time for treating his wounds. Bummer for Greg.

I was beside myself. Believing him to be feral, I knew I couldn’t touch him. I was afraid to apply the topical medicine I had for him lest he bite my face off. With nothing else to do but release him, I made a last ditch attempt to help
him by calling Dr. Jen Petrovich of Crash’s Landing. Jen took in some of my recently trapped boys from Cedar Springs who were feline leukemia positive. I figured a call to her couldn’t hurt. She was to me after all, the patron saint of lost causes. I believed Greg to be just that, a lost cause.

As it goes, Jen took Greg into her program after deeming him not so feral, just really scared and shy. Funny, to me he looked ferocious. Within hours Jen had his wounds all cleaned up and he thankfully tested negative for feline leukemia
and F.I.V. He would go to Crash’s Landing in a few days after recovering from his ear surgery.

Usually Jen renames the cats I bring to her. I come in with really generic names like “Blackie” or “Callie” (for a Calico), and she just laughs and says, “You know, I’m going to have to change his name.” I always reply, “Do whatever it takes to get him adopted.” But this time, Jen kept the name, only she made it a little more proper by using the full Gregory.
I never thought Gregory would be adoptable.

I don’t know if Jen thought she would be able to find him a home either, but then Andy came along. Andy Hoban is a volunteer at Crash’s and he took special interest in Gregory. Andy worked with Gregory every time he would come to volunteer. Each day getting a little closer to slowly increase Greg’s comfort level with him. Each day allowing Gregory to get to know him a little better. He worked with him for a long time. This kind man even wrote me emails letting me know how Gregory was coming along. He told me that
Gregory had a girlfriend with whom he shared a “cubby.” Details like that. I loved it, and I loved Andy for it.

Then one day, Andy decided to take this poor bedraggled lost cause home. Now Gregory lives with Andy, his wife Alice and their other furry children. His official sleeping spot is on the bed between his adoptive parents. What a long
way he has come, huh? From eating from the trash behind a Burger King, to being King of the softest, warmest bed in the house.

As a rescuer, knowing my kitty is in a home brings me unimaginable joy. I set out just wanting to do something to curb feline overpopulation. I had no joyous expectations. I never thought my cats would end up in loving homes. I certainly didn’t think I’d meet kind souls like Jen and Andy. I am just amazed by all the wonderful people who have come into my life since I started doing T-N-R. With their support and assistance, I’ve been able to help a lot of cats. Since I met Gregory, I’ve been able to touch the lives of well over 2,700 felines. All are fixed, some have been relocated to safer places, and a few lucky ones like Gregory, are in good and loving homes.

Gregory in the live trap when

Carol sees his wounds for the

first time.

Gregory recovering from being

neutered before his ears were

treated.

Gregory at his new home with

Andy Hoban.

Join Our Facebook Cause: SUPPORT CAROL'S FERALS!

Please join us on FACEBOOK to bring 500 members together and raise money for traps!

With $500 memebers and $500 for traps, we can really start moving along!

To join us on FB, go here: http://apps.facebook.com/causes/340554/50623334?m=6d54c0aa

This is the place to learn more about Carol's Ferals. Communicate with the community of Feral Caregivers and find out how you can help feral and stray cats in your neck of the woods.

Here is our appeal:

A CHALLENGE: $500.00 and 500 Members!

With just one week to go until the end of our trap campaign... we're issuing a challenge.

By September 14th, can we pull together to...

1) Raise $500 for new traps

and

2) Get 500 members here on our CAUSE page?

It's so easy to do if we all pitch in!

If just SIXTEEN people donate $25... we've met our goal!

If just THIRTY people recruit 10 friends each... we've met our goal!

How much do you know about trapping, and the importance of trapping to Carol's Ferals success? Here's a great interview with Carol - check it out!

Question 1:
Tell us about T-N-R. What is it? What does it do? And how is it important to Carol's Ferals' mission?

Carol:
Trap - Neuter - Return is the practice of humanely capturing a stray or feral cat in a live-trap. Once the cat is captured it is spayed/neutered and returned after a brief period of rehabilitation. Once the cat is trapped, it can be tested for feline leukemia and FIV , vaccinated and treated for illness/injury. RETURN is the key word. For the best interest of the cat, it needs to be RETURNED to where it was trapped.

Question 2:
How many traps does Carol's Ferals own?

Carol:
Currently, Carol's Ferals owns 30 traps. These traps are always in circulation in the community. An unused trap is a worthless trap!

Question 3:
How many traps are currently loaned out / in use? How many calls for trapping do you get each week?

During trapping days, which are currently Sunday - Tuesday, all traps are in use. On "off" days, traps are secured open with a bungee cord to get cats used to feeding in them so that trapping is easier on trapping days.

Carol's Ferals usually receives 15 - 30 cat calls per week. Kitten season brings more calls as people usually don't react until they see the "helpless" kittens. Kitten season is from February - October here in Michigan.

Question 4:
Who can trap? Is it easy?

Carol:
Trapping is very simple. Detailed instructions are available at carolsferals.com under "How to trap a cat". The work is gratifying when you realize that trapping one cat will circumvent the birth of up to 11,000 cats over the next 5 years.

Question 5:
How much do traps cost? How many will you be able to buy through the Trap Campaign funds if our goal is met?

Carol:
The easiest to use, most reliable traps cost $60 each plus $15 for delivery.

With discount for multiple trap purchase, Carol's Ferals will be able to add 7 traps to the arsenal once we meet our $500 goal.

Question 6:
How will adding these new traps affect your day to day operations and mission?

Carol:
One of the greatest challenges is keeping equipment in the hands of people who are wanting to trap cats. We have a system for tracking traps in the field, but the more traps we have, the more cats we can catch, and the more cats we catch, the fewer cats will be born to trap later!!

Question 7:
Why is trapping important, how does it help the animals and humans of our community, and what outcomes to traps provide?

Carol:
Every cat that is trapped has it's life changed for the absolute better. Besides being spayed/neutered, closing a chapter of endless pregnancy, birth and early death, the cat is treated for illness/injury, fleas, ear mites and worms.

When I say early death, it's because an intact (unfixed) cat is exposed to much more peril than a fixed cat. Un-neutered males fight for territory and reproductive rights. Fighting spreads disease like FIV and Feline Leukemia. And the traveling a neutered male will do to find a female in heat makes him prone for being hit by cars. Mother cats risk life and limb to care for their kittens, constantly moving them from location to location to better their chances for survival, ultimately being pray to other animals or road kill.

It's not perfect life for stray and feral cats. But it can be a very much better life. Cats that are "fixed" live longer and are healthier. Lucky is the cat that is trapped for the purpose of TNR.

Photos of traps are posted on the media board - check them out! Pictures of some of the cats and kittens Carol's Ferals has helped, and their stories, coming soon as well. Be sure to check our causes page often for updates!

Don't forget to donate, and invite your friends to the cause today. Only you can help us reach our $500.00 and 500 member goals!

Thank you for your support!

Cute video - under a minute!

http://www.dula.tv/watch.php?file=cat-and-his-leash.flv





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PS 740 cats fixed so far this year!

Chuck & Sayder go to Big Sids!

On July 21st two sweet boys came to get fixed. Sayder came in with a Grand Rapids Resident. Chuck came in from Cedar Springs via Lisa Barnette. Lisa has brought over 65 cats over the past two years. Only a few were from her own property. She has gone up and down her street fixing everyone's barn cats. She's amazing!

Sayder was to be fixed, tested and vaccinated. Chuck was simply to be neutered. Something told me....that little voice inside...."test Chuck". So I circled FELV/FIV test on his cage card and dropped them both off at Bruce's clinic along with a slew of other cats.

I pick cats up the following day at 5:30 pm. It's had been a while since I had any test results come back positive so I was shocked to find not ONE but TWO cats that I took in the prior day turn up with POSITIVE RESULTS for Fe-leuk! And there is nothing positive about POSITIVE RESULTS. It's bad news always!

Damn! I had to break the news to both caregivers. They couldn't have the cats back to be released as Feline Leukemia is easily transmitted through nose to nose contact and sharing of bowls. And while they were both looking healthy and strong, a feline leukemia positive cat needs special care and can't just be out on his own even if it weren't contagious!

As usual, I think immediately of calling Jen at Big Sids Sanctuary. But she like all rescues is full to the brim with cats and usually has no other choice but to say NO. And she did this time too!
But after some begging and what I have to call some hardcore bribery, she caved and agreed to take them in a month or so.

They once started off in different cities, and were caged separately but when I knew they would both be going to Sids, I tried them in a cage together. They got along pretty well. No big hissing or swatting. Chuck would sleep atop the carrier, with Sayder inside. Seems Chuck liked the upper bunk! All was well.

Then a big cage became available and they LOVED it! No more cramped quarters, they had plenty of room to stretch out....big boys that they are!

And now, they will have all of Sids to explore. After a short caged period at their new residence however.

Here are photos of Chuck and Sayder. And some pix of Big Sids where they will soon be roaming free!

Chuck on left, Sayder on right.

Thank you Jen Petrovich for all you do for the strays of West Michigan. And for giving sanctuary to special cats like Chuck And Sayder. I know, I know...you'll be changing their names! It's OK. Take care of them for the rest of their lives and you can call them anything you like!

Comfy digs!

What's not to love?

Check out all the cubbies!

Room became available at Sids and Sayder and Chuck were taken there yesterday! : )


THIS JUST IN!!! NEW NAMES FROM JEN: They are the Two Princes: Hal (black boy) and Charming (tabby) LOVE them to pieces, esp that Hal - he is so handsome:)

Mouse Murdering Jonas Brothers NOW IN BARN HOME!

Erica Boon brought me the Jonas Brothers a few months ago. Three boys, two black and one orange/white that I've had to name the Menendez Brothers because they KILLED MY MOUSE who has been living at Brooknelle for over a year!

When cleaning their cage last week, I smelled something bad. And it wasn't the usual kinda BAD that I'm used to smelling at Brooknelle. It was DEATH kinda bad! At first I feared that one of the boys crossed over the rainbow bridge (which I'd not ever notice quickly because the boys always had their carrier turned facing the back of the cage as they were feral as all get out!)

It was when I started sweeping up the litter that I noticed MY MOUSE.....DEAD!
RIGHT BESIDE THE STILL FULL FOOD BOWL!

I was a mixture of sad and nauseous! Anyone who says that a barn cat needs to be starved to catch mice is sorely mistaken! This mouse had the life of Riley before I did my major overhaul at Brooknelle. It was messy enough and there was always a piece of stray kibble on the floor. There was a time when a large roll of vinyl flooring laid on the floor making a perfect tunnel home for the mouse. I found kibble in there one day and realized that one of my volunteers was feeding him. It was fine with me. He made a nest in a "too large" an order of cat food once and I had to throw away a bag or two....but he lived well and didn't cause any other harm.

I didn't really think about the implications of laying a new floor and starting such a regimented cleaning routine.

But with the new cleaning regiment brought desperation on behalf of the mouse. And I guess one fateful day last week, he wandered haplessly into the cage with the Jonas Brothers. Probably with the carrier turned facing the back wall, he thought he could quickly come in for a quick nibble and run out.

WRONG!
DEAD WRONG!

And that was the last of my mouse!
I nearly cried. I would have but I was too busy trying not to have my gag reflex do it's desired duty.

I immediately called Polly a fine gal who has a barn and horses and wanted the Jonas Brothers to mouse her stable. I told her to come and get them as soon as possible! The MURDERERS!

She came and got them last night.

They will have a very nice life unleashing plenty of mayhem on the rodents of her property.

RIP Mouse.
I'm sorry we cleaned up so good!

: ( C

Pauley Got Adopted Today!!!

That hot mess of a cat that Laura Wertenberger brought to me in mid-March has been ADOPTED!

Pauley, Pauley Wallnuts to be more specific had a rough life until he stepped onto Laura's porch and was brought to me! He looked so rough and tumble. Messed up ears, eye, sick with URI and matted to hell and back!

Recovering from neuter surgery.
Suffering still with URI and conjunctivitis.

This is Mr. Walnuts after he was well enough
to join the other cats in the cat room.
Bad hair cut. Hair cuts done by Bruce's techs are quickies
done during spay/neuter surgery before the cat wakes up.
This is painfully OBVIOUS!



Today Pauley was adopted by another kind woman named LORA!
Seems Loras and Lauras are in his life for a reason!

Lora and her husband Pepe' who didn't come today to pick him up but did come to meet him last week, have a cat that was allowed to go outside! BUT Huey is no longer allowed outdoors because I don't adopt to homes with indoor/outdoor cats (for reasons of bringing in disease). So Huey was kept inside and sprayed with a squirt bottle all weekend and he's learning that outside isn't an option any longer.

But in about 5 minutes, Pauley will be giving him plenty of distraction!

Lora also likes Tina and Jett a whole lot.
But just look at her with Tina.
Tina is her BABY! She looks just like her!
Tina is going to stay with me till a final decision is made.
A couple in Utah are considering
adopting her as well.

Some people shoot at them......but in Esther's neighborhood..... : )

Hello Feral Freinds!

This little snippet comes from Esther Whitlow, a very cool lady I'm helping with TNR in her neck of the woods. I love stories like this!


ESTHER:
I don't know if I told you this but I went around the neighborhood this summer and talked to everyone about the ferals. Most people knew about them. One couple told me the colony has been here for over 20 years. The neighbors are all thrilled with the care they are getting and are now pitching in. One couple said they never dared feed them because they go away a lot in the winter but now are comfortable to put out food and water. She called this morning and told me the cats are now staying in their yard until about 11am every morning playing. They lay on their pool cover in the sun in the late afternoon. They have a completely fenced back yard and the cats feel very safe there. Her husband is putting up a shelf on the inside of the fence so they have a place to sit as a group in the sun because they noticed they were taking turns sitting on one fence post. Without a doubt this is one spoiled group of cats. They currently live next door to this couple but they are thinking about providing housing for them in their back yard. She said we don't have animals anymore because we travel...I said actually it sounds to me like you have 5 cats.

Thought you all could use a good little story to start your day!
: ) Carol