Ready for Black Friday?  Keep our wish list in mind as you see those crazy deals but don’t forget to shop local for Small Business Saturday and you never know what will pop up for Cyber Monday.  Then there is Feral Fixers big day, #Giving Tuesday!  Make a donation and stop at Portillo’s for some great food.  Hope to see you there!

Just A Few More Cats For November

We had a few more friendlies for the November 21^st trip.  4 friendlies, all boys, made the trip to ADOPT.  They decided they could make room to take one of the kittens in for adoption, Sage – he is a very bouncy, sweet kitten.  This brings us to 30 for November, 708 for the year and 11,679 since our beginning.

The message about TNR is out, not trapping when it is below freezing, not so much.  Quite a few calls from people who went and trapped and THEN called us.  We are directing them to DuPage County Animal Services and ADOPT to process the cats on their own.  We have to be firm, this is the time of year to turn to paperwork, fundraising and planning for next year!  If you have one of our traps, please return them ASAP.  Our pile is very low, don’t hold onto them when others can use them first thing in the Spring!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

• December 3, 2019  Portillo's Fundraiser 1500 Butterfield Rd Downers Grove 5 – 8pm. Present this flyer (or show it on your smartphone) and 20% of dine-in, carry-out, drive-thru donated to Feral Fixers! Start our Giving Tuesday Fundraiser!
• Saturday, 12/14, Pet Supplies Plus at 720 E. Ogden Ave. in Naperville, from 11am-3pm.
• Sunday, 1/19, 2020 – Frosty Claws!  Fun, food and feline stuff & info.  Door prizes, silent auctions, raffles, huge crowd of friendly people!

24 kittens (Latham, Laces, Puka Shell, Triton, Camembert, Cameo, Oyster, Fedora, Feather, Mercury, Maggie, Mario, Maisie, Marky, Jimbo, Jodi, Sylvester, Brodie, Brandy, Roscoe, Salty, Kiki, Corazon, Callilulu) were the stars of our show.

5 pre-approved (or almost pre-approved) adopters came to the event, resulting in 2 adoptions at the event and 1 on Monday.  The other 2 families are still evaluating options to find the best match.

• Triton was adopted by a wonderful couple in Big Rock.  They previously adopted Baxter & Breezy.  They also have a horse barn on their property which has become the home for several of our cats best suited for barn relocation.
• Jimbo was a great match for a terrific family in Plainfield.  They had adopted a female cat from us in 2015, and were looking for another kitten to join their family as a playmate for their daughters.  They brought their dog in for a meeting and Jimbo and the dog seemed to think it was a match as well!
• Sylvester was the choice of a nice couple from Bensenville.  Their approval was pending a vet visit for their current cat.  Their vet visit was completed on Monday and they took Sylvester home that same day!

7 adoption applications were also completed at the event, which have resulted in 1 adoption completed to date and 4 additional adoptions likely.

• Jodi won the heart of a terrific gal from Lisle.  She was looking for her first kitty companion, and Jodi seemed to be the perfect match to be the focus of her pampering!  Her application was approved and she took Jodi home on Monday.  Her aunt and uncle are Feral Fixers supporters and had referred her to us.
• Cameo was the choice of a wonderful gal from Itasca  She had recently lost a kitten she rescued, and is looking for a new companion.  Her application was approved and she went for an initial meeting with Cameo on Monday.  There is a waiting period due to the unfortunate passing of her prior kitten, so a subsequent visit is planned next week.
• Frieda seemed to be a good match for a couple in Oak Brook.  They were looking for an affectionate adult cat who would be fine home only during their long work days in the hospital.  They met Frieda in her foster home on Tuesday and she captured their heart.  Final approval of their application is in process.
• Brodie & Brandy, Ginger & Simba and Maisie & Marky are all under consideration by a very nice man from Lombard who is looking for his first pair of kitten companions.  His application was approved and foster home visits are being scheduled.

So, all in all, a very busy and productive day!  Many thanks to the Downers Grove PetSmart for hosting this event! 

Adoptions have also remained strong outside of adoption events.  1 senior cat (Wendee) and 2 adult cats (Galleria & Faustino - adopted together) along with 12 kittens, many in pairs (Caraway, Boo & Brahm, Marilee, Knnicka & Kimmie, Juniper & Jimmy Choo, Sarafina & Savannah, Brinkly & Bridget) were adopted from their foster homes in the two weeks since our last event.  We have started out this week positively as well with the adoption of Camembert, in addition to the adoptions resulting from the event.  There are also some additional visits lined up for approved adopters later this week in addition to those pending from the event.  So lots to celebrate!

Many thanks to the volunteers and fosters who made this event a success - Sara, Steve, Candy, Erin, Diane, Karen L, Zenny, Erika, Laura B, Dina, Jeff, Judy & Vince, Lili & Alan and Amanda.  We had a big set-up with 11 cages, but thanks to an efficient team (Sara, Candy, Steve, Erin) set-up and clean-up went smoothly.  It was a very busy day and everyone at the event (Sara, Candy, Steve, Diane, Karen L, Erika, Zenny, Laura B, Dina, Jeff, Judy & Vince) did a great job of interacting with our guests and helping with the meetings of potential adopters and kittens.  Thanks so much - couldn't have done it without you!  Thanks to Sara for authoring all of the adoption paperwork.  Also, thanks to Diane for transporting Amanda's fosters to/from the event.

Thanks also for all of the other valuable contributions to this event - to Candy for the photography & videography during the event; to Connie, Stephanie and Ted for promoting the event on our Facebook page and web site; to Steve for the professional looking cage cards; to Debbie and Mike for the on-going updates to the Adoptable Cats & Kittens board and binder; to Steve for entering our adoptions into the PetSmart iPad; to Sara for helping with the laundry; to Candy for washing the bowls; to Sara/Steve for coordinating our lunch run.

We have 1 more adoption event scheduled before the end of the year.  Thanks to Steve for arranging it.

• Saturday, 12/14, Pet Supplies Plus at 720 E. Ogden Ave. in Naperville, from 11am-3pm.

We are targeting Saturday, 1/11, for our first event in the new year.  Stay tuned for the location.  During the holidays, adoptions will be handled from our foster homes.

Thanks,

Sue

22 kittens (Latham, Laces, Puka Shell, Triton, Oyster, Fedora, Feather, Matilda, Marilee, Maggie, Mario, Maisie, Marky, Zippy, Lady Gaga, Lady Luck, Keiko, Kenadie, Kenya, Juniper, Jimmy Choo, Jimbo) were the stars of our show.

4 pre-approved adopters came to the event, resulting in 5 adoptions:

• Lady Gaga and Lady Luck were adopted together by a nice man from Schaumburg.  He had cats in the past who had passed away, and he was looking for some new companions.  His niece was almost as excited about the adoption as he was!
• Kenya won the heart of a terrific family from Villa Park.  They loved his friendly and affectionate nature.  He will have a 9 yr old female cat (former Feral Fixers rescue) as a companion, and get lots of attention from all of the school age children in his new family.
• Keiko's stunning good looks and engaging personality made him the choice of a nice family from Oswego.  They had adopted a female cat from us in 2018, who was looking for a buddy.  Keiko seemed like the perfect gentleman.
• Not to be left without his brothers, Kenadie turned on the charm, which made him the pick of a great couple from Chicago.  He will have a 1 yr old male cat to hang out with.

Another family, with approval pending the spay of their current kitten, also came to meet Marky and Marilee.  There was reasonable foot traffic, and we handed out cards and accepted an adoption application, which is being processed.

Many thanks to PetSmart for hosting this event, and for their very generous donation of food and litter! 

Adoptions have remained steady through the end of October and into the beginning of November.  17 kittens (Felipe & Ferris, Kahlua & Karlee, Kenny & Penny, Flowers, Mitchel & Miffin, Minute, Cari Ann, Dominic & Donovan, Cupcake, Costa Rica & Congo, Junebug) were adopted from their foster homes in the three weeks since our last event.  We have started out this week strong as well with the adoption of Nathan & Knute and Mindy.  There are also a few additional visits lined up for approved adopters later this week.

Many thanks to the volunteers and fosters who made this event a success - Sara, Steve, Candy, Diane, Karen L, Zenny, Erika, Kaitlyn, Cheri and Amanda.  We had a lean but efficient team (Sara, Candy, Steve) for set-up and clean-up.  Everyone at the event (Sara, Candy, Steve, Diane, Karen L, Erika, Zenny) did a great job of interacting with our guests and helping with the meetings of potential adopters and kittens.  Sara authored all of the adoption paperwork.  Thanks so much - couldn't have done it without you!  Also, special thanks to Diane for transporting Amanda's fosters and to Karen L for transporting Cheri's fosters to/from the event.

Thanks also for all of the other valuable contributions to this event - to Candy for the photography & videography during the event; to Connie, Stephanie and Ted for promoting the event on our Facebook page and web site; to Steve for the professional looking cage cards; to Debbie and Mike for the on-going updates to the Adoptable Cats & Kittens board and binder; to Steve for entering all of our adoptions into the PetSmart iPad; to Sara for helping with the laundry; to Candy for washing the bowls; to Steve for cat carrier assembly; to Sara/Steve for coordinating our lunch run.

We have 2 more adoption events scheduled before the end of the year.  Thanks to Steve for arranging them.

• Saturday, 11/23, PetSmart at 1550 Butterfield Rd. in Downers Grove, from 11am-3pm.
• Saturday, 12/14, Pet Supplies Plus at 720 E. Ogden Ave. in Naperville, from 11am-3pm.

Please spread the word and invite your friends to come!

Thanks,

Sue

To kick off Giving Tuesday, we will be hosting a Portillo’s for Good event at the 1500 Butterfield Road, Downers Grove location from 5 to 8PM on 12/3!  For this event you don’t even have to get out of the car – flyer works in the drive-thru too, mention it to order taker when you place your order.  Get three chocolate cakes to stash in the freezer – no one will know!  Come inside and look for other Feral Fixers, we had a great time last year.  Burgers, shakes, hot dogs, salads, carnivore, vegan & gluten-free, something for everyone!  Our goal is $200 in sales.  Share the info with everyone you know – make this the best Portillo’s for Good we’ve had yet!  See you there!

More S/N

How ‘bout this weather!  So glad we cut off trapping when we did!  We still have friendlies on hand and a couple kittens had absolutely no interest in coming inside.  A few kittens have some flaky skin and we’re making sure it is not ringworm, some others have had some health issues and we’re going to wait another week to make sure they are up for surgery.  On 11/14, we sent 4 friendlies and 2 ferals to ADOPT, with 2 males and 4 females.

On November 12th, Jackie went to GEAH for spay.  A caretaker had brought her inside with her kittens back in August.  Around the time that the kittens were old enough to be on their own, Jackie developed a rodent ulcer.

It is no wonder that instead of saying eosinophilic granuloma complex, people use the term “rodent ulcer” to refer to this condition.  We needed to wait to spay Jackie so the antibiotics and steroids had a chance to heal her lip.  On Tuesday she went thru her spay just fine and of course had become very friendly with this extra time!

This brings us to 26 cats for November, 704 for the year and 11,675 since 2007.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

• Saturday, 11/23, PetSmart Adoption Event at 1550 Butterfield Rd. in Downers Grove, from 11am-3pm.
• Saturday, 12/14, Pet Supplies Plus Adoption Event at 720 E. Ogden Ave. in Naperville, from 11am-3pm.
• December 3, 2019  Portillo's Fundraiser 1500 Butterfield Rd Downers Grove 5 – 8pm. Present this flyer (or show it on your smartphone) and 20% of dine-in, carry-out, drive-thru donated to Feral Fixers! Start our Giving Tuesday Fundraiser!
• Sunday, 1/19, 2020 – Frosty Claws!  Fun, food and feline stuff & info.  Door prizes, silent auctions, raffles, huge crowd of friendly people!

(Click on the picture thumbnails to see a full size version of the picture)

Still, we managed to take 11 feral cats and 2 friendly cats to DCAS on 5/9, composed of 6 female and 7 male.  On 5/16 we sent 10 ferals to DCAS, one male was already neutered and one female was discovered to have a mass located in such away that there was no way to save her and was euthanized, she would have suffered greatly if we had not intervened.  Of the remaining 8, 6 were female and 2 were male.

This brings us to an additional 21 in these two trips, 33 for the month, 128 for the year and 11,099 since our start in 2007.

While we are doing TNR, we are also collecting moms & babies which we keep crated together until the kittens are old enough to be separated from their moms, we need nice, cool, quiet garages for this purpose so that the moms can be stress free and raise happy kittens!  So far this year we have brought in a whopping 11 moms and 41 kittens.  There is another family in my garage, going to foster tomorrow that will bring the total to 12 moms and 43 kittens.  One of our volunteers is trying for another set tonight that are housed in a boat in a garage – owner would like to take his boat out for use J.  In addition, we have 12? kittens who came in without their moms – I think I’m missing a set, and a group of 5 is supposed to come into foster tomorrow.  Ye gods!  And we’re just getting started!  Every day brings more, but we actually are seeing fewer than previous years, SO FAR.

Please Come Out And Support Us!

Tomorrow is our Chipotle event – 33% of your purchase goes to Feral Fixers between 4pm and 8pm.  Come eat some great food and after, walk over to 5 Below and get some great stuff – t-shirts, toys, Father’s Day gifts, they have a huge variety! and 10% goes to Feral Fixers!

Help us neuter all these kittens!!!!

Update On Cat Trips

37 cats in Tammy's garage!

On 5/2 we took 12 cats to DCAS, 8 female ferals and 4 male ferals, plus a male that had been neutered in 2017, just a few blocks away.  There was also a female that had 4 wk old kittens at a grade school – a staff member scooped up 4 of the kittens and whisked them off to County before we could get there, the mom was trapped – you do not release an unneutered cat once you have them, leaving a 5th kitten still out there alone til the mom was returned on Saturday.  We’re pretty sure the kitten is still there but the mom keeps getting back in the trap – we do dish up good food.  This is 12 for the month of May, bring us to 107 for the year and 11,078 since our start in 2007.

Look for these kittens at WSHS for adoption in 4 months - 1 day old here!

Next Few Weeks

We have a lot planned over the next few weeks:

• 5/20 to 5/26, shop at Five Below in Finley Square, Downers Grove – intersection of Finley and Butterfield with one of our flyers and Feral Fixers will receive 10% of your purchase price!  A whole week in which you can benefit the cats and further our spay/neuter efforts!!!
• On 5/22, stop in at Chipotle, also in Finley Square, between 4pm & 8pm and a whopping 33% of your bill goes to Feral Fixers – everyone really enjoyed their meals there last year!  Then go next door and get those toys, crafts and beach items that will keep the kids busy this summer at Five Below!
• Beginning 5/26 you can drop off garage sale items in Warrenville for our 6/1 Fantastic Garage Sale!  No electronics but just about anything else will be welcomed!  And shoppers, we have so much coming our way – you never know what you will find at a Feral Fixers Garage Sale!  We have another fundraiser coming up – As If They Were Our Own -  funds from the garage sale will be directed towards the medical bills that we have for the ferals that no one “owns” yet still require care for wounds, dentals, so much to maintain their quality of life
• The Shred4Rescues event is on June 8th – get motivated, go thru your files, come shred your stuff at this yearly event at Citadel Information Management in Westmont.  Visit with Feral Fixers and the other organizations benefitting from this great fundraiser!

Plenty to do, plenty of ways to benefit Feral Fixers!