SAFER CATS ON THE BORDER PROJECT
SAFER “Cats on the Border Project” update #4.
April 13, 2017
Spring has sprung and with spring comes kitten season. As you all now know…kitten season arrived right on time. We shook off the dust of winter and are back in full TNR mode!!!!
Our trappers are busy, busy, busy trying to catch up with the back log that winter weather brings. We have reached a milestone in that we have now spayed or neutered slightly over 500 kittens and cats!
Winter is almost a distant memory, except for the three feet of snow in the middle of March, and we are happy to announce a successful Cat Spay Day offered on February 28 to coincide with National Spay Day. We targeted the mobile home parks in the community of Rome, PA and were happy with the response. The residents of the parks were happy to have the assistance and talking with them pointed us to colonies in the community that we didn’t know about. Trapping in those colonies started last weekend and we hope to be done within the next couple of weeks.
The Circle of Compassion program continues to be instrumental in the placement of 25 kittens and cats so far. We could not find homes for most of the cats we pull from colonies if we didn’t have this program to help get the kittens and cats out of the area and into regions where there are more homes. We can’t thank Paws & Claws Society and C.A.T.S. of Ocean City, NJ enough for their continued assistance and support of this program and our project.
We are happy to announce our little group of volunteers has expanded by two. We met Priscilla when we asked to use a township building for our cat spay day program. She had been told by other animal rescue agencies in the area that there were no groups in the area really addressing the overpopulation program and when she talked to us, she immediately asked “How can I help? I want to get involved!” She is now a new foster home…and has already failed foster home 101 and adopted the momma cat in her care. We are waiting to see how many of the kittens she won’t be able to part with. Priscilla is also learning how to trap and is learning about the behind the scenes administrative work.
Kristen started off as a small hobby farm colony and has graduated to a super foster home for kittens. Her children are chief kitty socializers and were instrumental in the adoption of their first two foster kitties, two litter mates who came into the program a bit fearful and went to their new home as perfect pets. Kristen is waiting for her next fosters and her children are thrilled to tell everyone who will listen that they rescue cats and have foster kitties. Her three year old is a ‘crazy cat lady’ in training and for Halloween wanted to dress up as a cat lady (Diana…aka Dinana). Her outfit consisted of granny eye glasses, work clothes, muck boots and a small cat carrier. So cute. Can’t wait for her to grow up and officially join our cause.
We have had two planning sessions since December and we are working on looking at and potentially implementing other PACS programs in the two target communities. Targeting the feral colonies is a huge first step but we strongly believe that assistance for low income pet owners and education, both for local schools and residents of the target communities, is critical in a successful transition to a no kill community. We are hoping to implement a low income food bank program and are actively looking for local private and corporate sponsors.
Once again we must sing the praises of Dr. Ober of Candor Animal Care in Candor, NY. Without him we could not do what we are doing. Thank you so very very much! We would also like to thank Dr. Megan Tiffany of Vawter Veterinary Services in Athens, PA. Dr. Tiffany is strictly a large animal veterinarian but, since she is often here at the farm taking care of the animals that live at Gemini Farm and Sanctuary, she has become familiar with the COTB Project and is very impressed. She is now driving from farm client to farm client with a stack of fliers to let local caring farmers know about our services. Farmers often believe that hard work and dedication is the road to success and that ‘nothing in life is free’. When a free program such as ours comes along they tend to think that things that are too good to be true…usually are too good to be true. Dr. Tiffany is helping us to let people know that sometimes there is something offered that contradicts the norm and PACS SAFER Cats on the Border Project is one of those things. PACS SAFER Cats on the Border Program is there strictly to help save the lives of the most needy cats in our community and provides free resources to the people that care for them.
Our mission has grown to a point where we do need more trappers, foster homes and adoption counselors. Spring, summer and fall are the busiest trapping times and we anticipate the arrival of many adoptable colony kitties in the next few months. More adoption counselors will help to quickly find appropriate loving homes in our area and in surrounding areas.
We hope this update finds everyone enjoying the calming purrs of their best furry friend or family member.
The Safer Cats on the Border Project ladies,
Diana, Deb, Sally and Priscilla