Feral Fixers 2010 March Logo
Practicing and promoting Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) in DuPage County, Illinois

We're a 501c3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting and practicing Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) in DuPage County, Illinois. We believe that TNR is the only effective, humane and long-term solution to the problem of cat overpopulation.
The Feral Fixers e-Newsletter - Issue #17 - March  2010
In This Issue
Message from the President
Want to Help?
We're making a difference!
How many cats? 1,577 !!
Donate to Feral Fixers
Another Food donation
Calendar of Upcoming Events
Shop for Feral Fixers
Visit us on the Web
What is Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR)?
About us
Dear Friend,

It's March and that can mean only one thing - MARCH MADNESS!  No, not that basketball thing, but our annual Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) March blitz.  It's the very beginning of kitten season and we want to get to the cats before they begin having more of the little darlins...

In our monthly Message from the President column, Tammy writes about some of the goings-on with a cat that survived a 10 mile ride while under the hood of a car, an inquiry from Canada about TNR (OK, we forgive you for the Olympic hockey game) and cats deciding where they want to live.

She also writes about two very special issues; first, where we are helping TNR the few remaining cats in the O'Hare expansion area (scheduled for demolition and construction very soon) and second, some very, very GOOD news about the 2009 numbers for feral cats being brought into DuPage County Animal Care & Control.

You can also read about the additional food donation that we've been fortunate enough to receive.

Thank you for all of your continued support!
 
Sincerely,
 

Feral Fixers
Message from the President

March Items


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Car Kitty


On the 28th of February, I received an unusual call on the Feral Fixers phone - a woman had gone out to dinner with friends and the next morning heard a meow in her garage and saw a cat scamper under her car, ending up under the hood. This was a soft-top convertible but the woman eventually got the car out from the garage, cat stayed in the garage, the woman parked the car outside for 3 days. The woman searched for someone to help her, found our information. We arranged for her to pick up a trap and attempt to trap the cat, this was Sunday, the dinner had been Thursday night. The cat rode from a restaurant in Lyons to Westmont, where the woman lives. This was a very hungry cat and had been getting 3 meals a day in this garage. But, no more than an hour and a half after the woman left with the trap, she was calling to say it had been trapped. She very kindly drove all the way back to my house with the cat, which was thin and rather shell-shocked. Since then I have discovered that Carla, as I've named her, is a girl, a gray tabby/white, about 4 months old, and is definitely coming around, but just picture riding 10 miles, give or take, under the hood of a car? It will take awhile. Her constantly peeved expression has greatly improved and she is now rolling over for belly rubs! What a lucky cat!

People want to help ferals everywhere

We received an e-mail from someone wanting to know if we had a branch in Canada. She was helping her parent's ferals and needed low-cost s/n for them. It was fun doing the research to send her some options; I hope she lets us know how it worked out.

Read more from our President here...
Want to help?

Help Wanted
Interested in helping Feral Fixers?  We are looking for a 'few good volunteers'!  Specifically, we're looking for someone to help us transport cats to and from PAWS (the Spay/Neuter clinic we use) in Chicago.

We need transport both in the morning and the afternoon.  If you're interested in helping, call us at (630) 881-FXRS (3977) or email us at info@feralfixers.org.
We're making a difference!
Down Graph

As reported by our President in her March Items article, we were very pleased to learn that the statistics compiled by the DuPage County Animal Care & Control (DCACC) department showed a large DECREASE in the number of feral cats they took in last year.
 
In 2008, DCACC took in 486 feral cats.  In 2009, this number dropped to 314.  This is reduction of over 35%!!
 
This shows that TNR does work and the efforts of Feral Fixers and others in and around the DuPage County area are bringing us closer to the day when every cat will have a home.
 
Once again, we have to say THANK YOU to all of our Directors, Officers, Volunteers, Colony caretakers and to PAWS-Chicago - we couldn't do what we do without you.
 
Let's hope that the numbers for 2010 show a similar decrease!
How many cats? - 1,577 !!
Statistics graphic

Feral Fixers was founded in September of 2007.  In that abbreviated first year, Feral Fixers had 86 cats spayed / neutered.  In 2008, Feral Fixers had 525 cats spayed / neutered and in 2009, Feral Fixers had 868 cats spayed / neutered.  So far in 2010, Feral Fixers has had 98 cats spayed / neutered.

This brings us to a total of 1,577 cats.  Clicking on the calculator to the right will send you to the Feral Fixers 'Statistics' page where you can see our progress, month-by-month, since we've started work.
Donate to Feral Fixers

PayPal DonationFeral Fixers offers its TNR services to all colony caretakers, without charge.  While we ask for donations from colony caretakers, we recognize that for some of them, any additional cost is just too much.  Therefore we rely on donations from other individuals to make up the difference and allow us to continue our work.  These donations allow us to spay/neuter additional cats, keep a 'bank' of traps and trap dividers we loan out for free, hold workshops and provide other educational benefits.

You can help us continue our work by clicking on the Donate button, above.  This will take you to the PayPal website where you can donate to Feral Fixers via PayPal or credit card.  Feral Fixers is a registered 501c3 charitable organization and all donations are deductible to the fullest amount allowed by law.

We greatly appreciate any amount you can afford to give - Thank You!
Another Food donation

Earlier in the month, we traveled to Harvard, Illinois to pick up a pallet of cat food that had, once again, been donated to Feral Fixers by the Animal Services and Assistance Program (ASAP). Cindy Gaffney and her wonderful organization are out of Kishwaukee and they help many, many organizations with these food donations.

There were fifty (50!) bags of dried cat food on the pallet, and several willing hands to help us load them into our SUV.

We took the bags to super-volunteer Mary's house where her husband, Sal, helped us unload them and then reload them into their 'delivery truck' (Mary takes care of several colonies in her area).

This is the third or fourth (or fifth?) cat food donation we've received from ASAP and, all we can say is; "Thank you! We couldn't do what we do without you!).

(The picture thumbnail is of the donated cat food, on the pallet, before it was loaded into the SUV.  Click on it view a larger picture.)
Calendar of Upcoming Events

Calendar GraphicJune 12th, 2010 - DuPage Animal Care & Control (DCACC) hosts its first annual "Friends Fur-ever Festival" to benefit DCACC's homeless pets.  This is a combination of two events they've held in previous years: the Multi-Shelter Pet Expo and the Dog Wash & Walk.  The event will be held from 11:00am to 3:00pm at the DCACC Shelter located at 120 N County Farm Road in Wheaton.  Of course Feral Fixers will be hosting a booth at this event.  Come out and see us!

September 11th, 2010 - Pet Lovers Showcase in Wood Dale.  This event will be held from 10:00am to 2:00pm.  Feral Fixers will again be hosting a booth at this event.  Our relationship with the city of Wood Dale continues to grow and we anticipate spaying/neutering many, many cats in this community this year.  Come out to this event and say hello!

September 26th, 2010 - The West Suburban Humane Society hosts its annual Barkapalooza celebration in Downers Grove, IL.  This will be the fourth year in a row that Feral Fixers has hosted a booth at this function.  Though it is billed as 'dog-friendly' event, attendees are always very interested in what we're doing with Feral Cats.  We hope to see you there!
Shop for Feral Fixers

Want to purchase something purr-fect for your cat-lover friends and help out Feral Fixers at the same time?  Just visit our Caf� Press store and Buy Something! In addition to the Gym Bag shown to the right, we have T-shirts, sweatshirts, aprons, hoodies, messenger bags, coffee mugs, tote-bags, pet food bowls, etc. A portion of each sale goes to help us in our TNR efforts.

To visit the store, just click on the Gym Bag or visit our website and click on the 'Buy Something' button at the top - Thank you!
WWW Graphic
Visit us on the Web

Visit our website at www.feralfixers.org.  There you can donate to us (via PayPal or credit card), visit our store, read the latest news, and learn more about feral cats.

If this newsletter has been forwarded to you, you can also sign up to be on our mailing list so you don't miss a thing!
Ear tipped cat
What is Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR)?

TNR is a full management plan in which stray and feral cats already living outdoors in cities, towns, and rural areas are humanely trapped, evaluated, vaccinated, and sterilized by veterinarians.

When space is available, adoptable cats and kittens are transferred to sheltering organizations to be adopted into good homes. Healthy adult cats unsocialized to humans are returned to their familiar habitat under the lifelong care of their original caretakers.
Feral Fixers, NFP, is a certified 501c3 corporation - EIN Number 13-4364615