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February 9th Adoption Event
The Feral Blog
Written by Sue Lee
Thursday, February 14, 2019
It was a cold, but snow-free day for our adoption event on Saturday, 2/9, at the PetSmart in Wheaton, which was great given the winter we have been having! Folks seemed happy to be out and about, and we had good foot traffic at our event.
7 kittens (Keenan, Irish, Petey, Cowboy & Corazon, Constance & Cotton) and 3 adult cats (Jasper, Millie Topper) were the stars of our show. Everyone took the event in stride. The temperature in the store was a bit chilly, so several kittens snuggled under their blankets to keep warm.
1 adoption occurred during the event to a pre-approved adopter, and several other pre-approved adopters stopped by to meet and interact with our cats & kittens. We also received a new application and distributed business cards to several guests.
Millie went home with nice young gal from Elgin. Having grown up with cats & dogs, she was looking for a companion in her new apartment. Millie's sweet and friendly personality won her over, and I have been receiving great reports on Millie ever since.
Topper was the choice of a family from Streamwood. They recently lost an orange male cat and were looking for a new companion. Topper is targeted to go to his new home mid-week.
Petey won the heart of a family from Wheaton. Mom and daughter met Petey at the event. Once they got dad's agreement, they submitted an application which was subsequently approved. A meeting is scheduled with the whole family and their dog later this week to determine if Petey is a match.
Constance & Cotton caught the eye of a couple of families. An application was submitted and is under evaluation and another visit is being discussed, but nothing is definite at this point.
Jasper's rugged good looks also drew a lot of attention. He was visited by a Feral Fixers supporter and former adopter of Pennington, another large male cat with lots of personality. I have also since received an on-line application for Jasper.
So all in all a good day. Many thanks to PetSmart for hosting this event.
Adoptions are winding down a bit as we have found homes for many of the cats and kittens we rescued last fall, and very few new cats or kittens will be coming our way until spring. The severely cold weather we had at the end of January also did not help. Only 2 kittens (Canyon & Cannoli) were adopted since our last event two weeks ago. Just before the event, Pickles' foster family decided that they are going to keep her :-)
Many thanks to the volunteers and fosters who made this event a success (Sara, Steve, Candy, Ted, Laura B, Diane, Jennifer, Cheri, Marilyn, Tracy, Erika). Set-up occurred in record time thanks to Sara, Steve and Ted, and clean-up was very efficient as well thanks to Sara, Steve, Ted, Laura B and Cheri. A special welcome to Ted, our newest volunteer.
Many thanks also for all of the other valuable contributions to this event - to Candy for the excellent 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 Sara for helping with adoption counseling, adoption paperwork and the laundry; to Steve for entering a stack of adoptions into the PetSmart iPad; to Sara/Steve for coordinating our lunch run.
We have 1 more adoption event planned for February:
Sunday, 2/24, at the PetSmart at 63 Rice Lake Square in Wheaton, from 11am-3pm - this is the first PetSmart National Adoption Weekend in 2019.
March and April adoption event schedules are being negotiated and will be posted shortly.
Thanks,
Sue
January 26th Adoption Event
The Feral Blog
Written by Sue Lee
Wednesday, January 30, 2019
5 kittens (Keenan, Irish, Cowboy, Corazon, Posh) and 4 adult cats (Jasper, Noel, Aviva, Topper) braved the cold weather on Saturday, 1/26, to be the stars of our adoption event at the Pet Supplies Plus in Naperville. Fortunately, the cold temperatures did not deter potential adopters or shoppers. Foot traffic in the store was good.
2 kitties were adopted at the event by pre-approved adopters:
Posh was adopted by a very nice gal from Bloomingdale. Her 8 yr old granddaughter and 10 yr old grandson are anxious to give Posh lots of attention. Posh will also have a 9 mo old male kitten and 2 dogs (6 yr old male Labradoodle & 4 yr old female Doxie mix) to keep her company.
Noel won the heart of the 9 yr old cat loving daughter of a terrific family from Arlington Heights. She had researched on line and pre-selected Noel. Noel clearly agreed with the choice as she rolled on her side and made happy paws while the little girl petted her :-)
An application was also received for Topper from a great family in Streamwood. They recently lost a male cat and were looking for a new companion for their 4 old daughter, who will also get along with their 14 yr old female cat. Their application is under review and a visit will likely be scheduled later in the week.
Jasper, our ruggedly handsome and friendly adult male, received lots of attention in the store and on Facebook as well. We have since received an application for him and hope to make a match.
Many thanks to Pet Supplies Plus for hosting this event, and for the generous food and litter donation.
Adoptions have remained steady despite the wintry weather. 6 kitties were adopted in pairs since our last adoption event on 1/13 - Winkie & Winette by the nice family from Carol Stream who met them at the last adoption event, Squash & Pumpkin by a great couple from Lemont, and Marian & Bunny by their foster mom in Bartlett). Hodges was adopted on the Sunday after the event by a senior gal who has lots of time and love to give him.
Many thanks to the volunteers and fosters who made this event a success (Sara, Steve, Laura B, Diane, Cheri, Marilyn, Oscar/Tracy). Special thanks to Sara and Steve for enduring the cold weather and snow as we were unloading and loading my van. Thanks to all of the foster families for coming out in the cold weather and keeping their kitties warm during the transport.
Many thanks also for all of the other valuable contributions to this event - to Steve/Sara for the excellent 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 Sara for helping with adoption counseling, adoption paperwork and the laundry; to Sara/Steve for coordinating our lunch run.
We have 2 adoption events planned for February:
Saturday, 2/9, at the PetSmart at 63 Rice Lake Square in Wheaton, from 11am-3pm
Sunday, 2/24, at the PetSmart at 63 Rice Lake Square in Wheaton, from 11am-3pm - this is the first PetSmart National Adoption Weekend in 2019
Hope to see you there!
Thanks,
Sue
2019-2020 Holiday Card Photo Contest
The Feral Blog
Written by Ted Semon
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
This is just a reminder that April 15th, 2019 is the deadline for sending in photo entries for the 2019-2020 Holiday Card Contest. As many of you know, each year Feral Fixers sends out a Holiday Greeting card to everyone on our current mailing list. Beginning with the 2012 card, the picture on the card was chosen from entries made by you, our friends and supporters. While there is no monetary prize awarded for the winning entry, the winning photographer will be credited on the Holiday card. The picture should definitely say "winter" and "outdoor cat". A shelter would be nice, but is certainly not required.
We can accept pictures in nearly any format as long as the resolution is acceptable. The picture should be in "landscape" mode (wider, not taller) as that is format of the Holiday Card cover. Please send your submissions to
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. Good luck!
Thank Goodness its December! Oh, My Its December!
From The President
Written by Tammy McAuley
Thursday, December 20, 2018
Are you sure this is a good idea?
As you can imagine, as the calendar rolls by, conflicting emotions are produced. Here it is already December and we have so much more to do! December, we can take a little break! While we cease neutering ferals because of the cold, etc., there is the rush to neuter all the kittens still on hand - which we have done! December is the time for our Holiday Card, our print newsletter, preparing for Frosty Claws, catching up on all the things there has not been time for all year, increased adoptions, more calls about ferals that are sick or injured and need intervention, other than s/n.
2018 has been a really tough year, fewer volunteers, movement in key positions in the organization, we're all getting older and that has new responsibilities and time pressures for each of us. We have been unable to find the right location for our building as of yet, unexpected roadblocks, and again, time constraints as we still have all the original responsibilities to manage.
Load 'em up!
2018 has been a great year, we neutered 654 cats, the overlap between caretakers is resulting in colonies being neutered more completely, we don't have to go to Chicago for all our s/n - DuPage County Animal Services has stepped up in a vital way, ADOPT Pet Shelter has done a huge number of surgeries for us. Residents are much more willing to shoulder the responsibility of fostering kittens and adults themselves, working with us to get them adopted. DuPage County Animal Services will schedule appointments with caretakers to neuter ferals, release them back to caretakers. Feral Fixers is being acknowledged and respected for our work, more and more.
Donation of a "new to us" vehicle, which has enabled us to use fewer vehicles to make a trip for s/n or to increase the number of clinic trips in one day. Rescue Bank, a nation-wide organization, has been helpful with food donations as well as connecting with vendors for other supplies that are a huge benefit.
We've ended the year with several trips in December for s/n. On 12/6 we sent 17 friendlies to ADOPT, 8 males and 9 females. On 12/12, a friendly male popped up, no other solution, ADOPT squeezed him in at the last minute. On 12/13, we sent 9 cats to ADOPT. 4 ferals - two that had been held onto in hopes they were going to be friendly, a cat that was allowed in/out, a mom cat that was finally ready for spay, 5 friendlies - the last of the kittens! Of those, 6 were female and 3 were male. This brings us to 27 for December, 654 for 2018 and 10,971 since our beginning in 2007! Many thanks to Debbie, Dedra and Charli for transporting!
Join us at Frosty Claws!
Traps in the snow...
We are working on Frosty Claws – our 11th annual – join us on January 20th at the Villa Park VFW, 39 E St. Charles Rd, Villa Park, from 12 noon to 4PM. Huge number of cat-friendly people, lots of fun, lots of food, a great time is had by all! We will have Silent Auction, door prize raffle, stick raffle, our boutique - great stuff! Many people love to participate by donating gifts – please keep in mind that it should be items that are new, collectible, handmade – we’ve had an antique toboggan, wall hangings, a Lake Michigan sailboat trip, Chicago Blackhawks tickets, cat shelters, quilts, you name it! Can’t re-gift to family members? Gift cards that you cannot use? Make handmade prize-winning pottery? We’ve received some surprising things that our attendees have loved! Please contact Tammy at
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or call 630-881-3977 about donations. Still wanting to bake after the holidays? Please contact Sue at 630-661-8509 if you would like to share your special recipes with an appreciative crowd!
If you would like to volunteer for Frosty Claws, help set-up, transport, help during the event, clean-up at the end of the day, please contact Tammy 630-881-3977. Many hands make light work!
Thank you all for all the gifts we have received in 2018 and wish you a
GREAT NEW YEAR!
Last trip for Ferals...
From The President
Written by Tammy McAuley
Tuesday, October 23, 2018
Keenan
This has been a very hard year. Many changes, fewer volunteers, fewer hours to do the same amount of work. Ferals result in more friendlies, without more fosters, the flow in must be halted. Therefore, our feral surgeries will stop on 11/1. The friendlies we have on hand at that time will get their surgeries as they get old enough but no new kittens will be accepted after 11/1.
This is not easy to say “no”, but we are working with a limited resource – our time and our health. There has to be a reduction in workload somewhere so that the people involved in Feral Fixers can go on next year.
If you trap, you are responsible for arranging spay/neuter, contacting rescues for placement of any kittens/friendlies. You can contact DuPage County Animal Services, ADOPT Pet Shelter, Catnap From The Heart, PAWS, SPAY IL or your own local vet. We will not be doing any scheduling until the weather breaks in the Spring – around April most likely.
Two Girls & a Boy
Every shelter is currently full of cats and kittens. Despite our efforts, kittens are still being born and there are not enough adoptions. Rescues continue to bring cats in from out of area and out of state, further limiting our resources. Rescues continue to allow females to give birth, even when they are not sure how pregnant the female is – sometimes waiting almost the entire gestation period of 9 weeks.
We currently have 44 adoptable cats and kittens on our Petfinder page. We have more kittens that just came in and will have to be fostered and neutered before posting for adoption. Please share our adoptables with friends and family so that we can get our “new” friendlies into foster and on their own way to new homes!
30 Cats and more to come!
This post has some pics from today, 10/23. There are 30 traps and transfers in my garage, a few with multiple kittens inside because I ran out of traps on hand! Hopefully no one will poop on another’s head! Tomorrow a very few kittens will be going on to foster but the rest will most likely stay in traps for another few days until they can find a foster. Or be in a cage in my basement – not a bad place but not ideal. Fall kittens are kind of late this year, usually the rush is at the beginning of September, not towards the end of October.
Remember, we count on you, our “public” to speak for us, forward our adoption event information – this weekend, 10/27, tell people to fill out our adoption applications in advance, be pre-approved for that special cat that is coming their way!
And bear with us during this year end, we want to be here, neutering our butts off next year!
October Trips
Since our last update, we have made 4 s/n trips and one single cat was neutered at Glen Ellyn Animal Hospital. In all, there were 36 ferals, 23 friendlies, with a few already neutered cats, there were a total of 54 surgeries for October so far, bringing the year’s total to 534 and the total since our beginning to 10,851. Many thanks to Charli, Debbie, and Dedra, for transporting cats this month! Couldn’t do it without you!
(Click on any of the picture thumbnails to see a full size picture)
It was a cold, but snow-free day for our adoption event on Saturday, 2/9, at the PetSmart in Wheaton, which was great given the winter we have been having! Folks seemed happy to be out and about, and we had good foot traffic at our event.
5 kittens (Keenan, Irish, Cowboy, Corazon, Posh) and 4 adult cats (Jasper, Noel, Aviva, Topper) braved the cold weather on Saturday, 1/26, to be the stars of our adoption event at the Pet Supplies Plus in Naperville. Fortunately, the cold temperatures did not deter potential adopters or shoppers. Foot traffic in the store was good.
This is just a reminder that April 15th, 2019 is the deadline for sending in photo entries for the 2019-2020 Holiday Card Contest. As many of you know, each year Feral Fixers sends out a Holiday Greeting card to everyone on our current mailing list. Beginning with the 2012 card, the picture on the card was chosen from entries made by you, our friends and supporters. While there is no monetary prize awarded for the winning entry, the winning photographer will be credited on the Holiday card. The picture should definitely say "winter" and "outdoor cat". A shelter would be nice, but is certainly not required.
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