Cause for Some Paws

Dear Friends and Fellow Animal Lovers,

As some of you may know, last August I packed up and left Los Angeles, CA and moved to Memphis, TN in pursuit of my Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Memphis. My time here has been full of so many opportunities, and I’ve met countless wonderful new friends…including some with four legs!

Here’s Where Our Story Starts:

The day after we (Me and my two cats Olive and Arlo) moved into our new home, I saw some stray kittens out in the rain, and instantly new I had a mission to try and make them comfortable. I built a shelter out of some of our moving boxes, and sort of left it at that for a while. Over the next two months I noticed some regular faces popping around and started feeding them the leftovers that my two hadn’t finished, waste not want not!

Come late October, I pulled into the driveway and saw the tiniest puff of white sitting next to my backyard fence and as I approached, the cat I call Mama bounded up and said “Stay away from my kittens!”, and I listened! Knowing that the cold winter was approaching, I built another shelter out of some plastic bins, straw, and a weather approved heated mat. Time went on, they snuggled in for the winter, and some cute ones left my yard, and three stayed!

My two cats are the greatest source of joy I have in my day-to-day life, and they were both rescues, so I felt the need to provide the same opportunity for the three kitties who have staked claim to my backyard. The youngest of the bunch I have named: Wild Alice the 3rd (lovely, I know) a sweet white marshmallow fluff that has loved sunbathing in my windows. The next up is Mama, well, because she’s Wild Alice’s mom! The last of the three I’ve so lovingly named Wilfred, who is a tortie with some sass! I wasn’t sure if she was a boy or girl, but it was a cute name so it stuck.

My goal in all of this is to get them fixed, and either socialized to find a home, or release them back to live out their days how they would like. Two weeks ago, I successfully caught Wild Alice and Wilfred and have been housing them separate from my two cats. They’ve been enjoying play time, lots of food and blankets, and just a reprieve from the Wild West of Tennessee Suburbia! I still have plans to catch mama, but she’s a smart cookie and I’ll have to up my game to get her!

Wild Alice has been a sweetheart from day one, and loves to snuggle and still sits by the window, this time from the comfort of a dry windowsill! Wilfred has been scared this whole time, but I’m not giving up and have slowly earned a little trust. This past Monday I went back to feed them and noticed Wilfred lounging uncharacteristically calm in a more open spot than usual…I popped over excited to see some progress and boy was I shocked…SHE HAD KITTENS!!! Sweet Wilfred was pregnant all along, and has brought four beautiful babies into this world, and I’m so excited to be on this journey with her! I just saw Mama this morning, and I do believe she is pregnant as well, so if I can catch her I’m more than excited to share the space with her growing family too!

Here’s where I’m asking for YOUR help:

I currently don’t have much of a job, I work as a graduate assistant at the University of Memphis, but schooling takes up all my available time, and so outside work has been unavailable to me. I certainly have no intention of leaving them to their own devices and will foster them ALL until they have what they need and can move on comfortably, whatever that may look like. I am currently fundraising for the medical and home care of these sweet cats. If you feel so led to donate towards these sweet ones, this is what you’d be helping with:

-Wild Alice’s Spay (She is scheduled to be spayed this upcoming Friday, April 19th)

-Wilfred’s Spay (Once she is far enough out after birth, she is eligible to be fixed!)

-Kitten and Adult Vaccinations for Wild Alice & Wilfred

-Well Checks for Wild Alice & Wilfred

-Well Checks and Vaccinations for All 4 Kittens

-Welfare items for all in need (Food, Litter, Supplements, Bedding, Toys, Cleaning Supplies, etc.)

I know these few lives are just those, a few, but I am only in control of how far my reach goes, and these sweet ones who have called my yard their home will be taken care of! I truly thank you for reading this far!! Your time and compassion are equally important to me as anything that’s listed above. I will continually update on how all of the cats are doing, and I’m so grateful that you are joining all of us on this journey!!!

With the warmest regards,

Erin Duke (Olive & Arlo)

by proxy

Wild Alice the 3rd

Wilfred and her babies

Mama Cat