Reduce the Ferals
Donation protected
Princess, the gorgeous multi-colored mom in the picture has had at least three litters so far in her young life, and probably quite a few more. Right now you can see two of her own babies, plus the tiny little black-and-white Grania that she adopted.
Princess is just one of a couple of dozen mom cats in the neighborhood. Just walking up and down our streets I can count at least 30 un-homed cats, and several of them have recently had more litters.
Like many communities, Buhl, Idaho has lots and lots of ferals roaming the streets and living under houses, in abandoned cars, in junk yards and the like. The lives of these cats are filled with pests like fleas, ticks, mites and others, as well as sicknesses like ringworm, FIV, rabies and so many more. Often, their lives are filled with constant terror. Between battling each other for mating rights, food, and territory, these cats also have to deal with countless stray and free-running dogs who would be happy to turn them into a meal. There are also opossums and raccoons to deal with, and sometimes coyotes and other predators, as well.
In addition to all of that, many of these cats have spent their entire lives in "the wild," so they are difficult to catch and it is often hard to teach them that humans (some humans) have their best interests at heart.
In the little "kitty condo" that I built in the backyard, Princess lives with her three kittens that survived from her most recent litter. With them is also the adopted daughter from another feral who lives under an abandoned house next door.
Between the two moms, there are six kittens that have survived. Before these litters were birthed, we noticed probably at least five or six mom cats in the neighborhood who looked pregnant, and there are plenty more that we never saw.
We are working with local veterinarians and volunteer agencies in Buhl and nearby Twin Falls to try to help do something about this problem.
Today Princess and her three original kittens got the first flea treatments they've ever had in their lives. Next week, all four of them are scheduled to be spayed or neutered. As you know, these procedures are not free and we are on a fixed income at the moment. Unfortunately, with the generous nature of springtime, the local cat colonies have grown tremendously, which means that many more kittens to feed, fix, vaccinate, and find homes for.
We do our best to put some food out for these babies, and to be kind to them, and to pet them when they let us. To try to get them all fixed is going to be an involved, long-term, and expensive project. I will be catching/trapping as many as I can and transporting them to the vets, and then returning them to their colonies. We will foster some of the babies after their surgeries while we try to get them adopted.
These are all beautiful little creatures who just need a bit of love in their lives, and a bit less stress.
We know that there is an awful lot going on in the world these days, but maybe this is a way you can help some of these cats have happier lives (and also make fewer stray cats in the future).
You'll also be helping to put some very loving kitties into some homes that could really use a new little purr machine. See how much happiness you can share?
So, with that in mind, if you can spare even $2 or $5, or $35 or $55 or however much you can, you'll be helping to give these creatures better lives, helping to reduce the number of them out there, and, with any luck, help put some of them into loving homes.
Thank you so much for any help you can give.
Sincerely,
Randy
Princess is just one of a couple of dozen mom cats in the neighborhood. Just walking up and down our streets I can count at least 30 un-homed cats, and several of them have recently had more litters.
Like many communities, Buhl, Idaho has lots and lots of ferals roaming the streets and living under houses, in abandoned cars, in junk yards and the like. The lives of these cats are filled with pests like fleas, ticks, mites and others, as well as sicknesses like ringworm, FIV, rabies and so many more. Often, their lives are filled with constant terror. Between battling each other for mating rights, food, and territory, these cats also have to deal with countless stray and free-running dogs who would be happy to turn them into a meal. There are also opossums and raccoons to deal with, and sometimes coyotes and other predators, as well.
In addition to all of that, many of these cats have spent their entire lives in "the wild," so they are difficult to catch and it is often hard to teach them that humans (some humans) have their best interests at heart.
In the little "kitty condo" that I built in the backyard, Princess lives with her three kittens that survived from her most recent litter. With them is also the adopted daughter from another feral who lives under an abandoned house next door.
Between the two moms, there are six kittens that have survived. Before these litters were birthed, we noticed probably at least five or six mom cats in the neighborhood who looked pregnant, and there are plenty more that we never saw.
We are working with local veterinarians and volunteer agencies in Buhl and nearby Twin Falls to try to help do something about this problem.
Today Princess and her three original kittens got the first flea treatments they've ever had in their lives. Next week, all four of them are scheduled to be spayed or neutered. As you know, these procedures are not free and we are on a fixed income at the moment. Unfortunately, with the generous nature of springtime, the local cat colonies have grown tremendously, which means that many more kittens to feed, fix, vaccinate, and find homes for.
We do our best to put some food out for these babies, and to be kind to them, and to pet them when they let us. To try to get them all fixed is going to be an involved, long-term, and expensive project. I will be catching/trapping as many as I can and transporting them to the vets, and then returning them to their colonies. We will foster some of the babies after their surgeries while we try to get them adopted.
These are all beautiful little creatures who just need a bit of love in their lives, and a bit less stress.
We know that there is an awful lot going on in the world these days, but maybe this is a way you can help some of these cats have happier lives (and also make fewer stray cats in the future).
You'll also be helping to put some very loving kitties into some homes that could really use a new little purr machine. See how much happiness you can share?
So, with that in mind, if you can spare even $2 or $5, or $35 or $55 or however much you can, you'll be helping to give these creatures better lives, helping to reduce the number of them out there, and, with any luck, help put some of them into loving homes.
Thank you so much for any help you can give.
Sincerely,
Randy
Organizer
Randy Cromwell
Organizer
Buhl, ID
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