Black Kittens Galore!
Our next Adoption Events are Saturday, 9/24 and in October on 10/8. This year has seen a big surge in black cats. Of the 45 cats currently posted on our Petfinder, 12 are black and 15 are black/white. Rescues battle the “black cat” myths all the time and perhaps because of that, adopters of black cats treasure their family members all that much more when they DO adopt them. Personally, I have found that black cats try harder, as if they know they need to put a little more effort into the game. There are personality traits that coincide with coat colors – the thousands and thousands of cats I’ve encountered has made that clear to me – black cats often have a different look in their eyes, more of an effort to communicate. Check out the cats posted on our Want to Adopt? page and fill out an adoption questionnaire in advance. Many cats may be at the Adoption Events before being posted as well. Hope to see you there!
Two More Trips!
Pressure is on as the temperature drops. It appears our last big trip (more than 10 cats) will be on October 13th due to vet availability. If that changes, be aware that TNR of ferals will still be drastically reduced/stopped as of October 28th. Cold overnight temperatures negatively affect recently neutered cats – bare abdomens and vaccinations play a part in their recovery, and we do not wish to do harm.
On 9/15 we sent 20 feral cats, 15 males, 5 females to DCAS. We received a thank you from a caretaker who did not know she shared “Titus” with someone else and he showed up for dinner sporting an ear tip! They have now communicated, and both know more about this guy!
On 9/16 we sent 4 ferals, 3 males (one already neutered), 1 female. It is so important to microchip cats – if we had found a microchip on the already neutered male, he would not have had to go thru the process, we could have contacted the chip owner and returned him that much sooner!
September total 34. 2022 total 482, to-date 13,696!
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| TNR room is always in constant motion - nobody waiting to go to foster, cats awaiting relocation in crate by window, 20 for s/n! |
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| Four on the end headed for ADOPT 9/16 | This is Konen, neutered 9/15, has since decided he might like a home. Still needs a snap test, then can go to foster! |
“As If They Were Our Own” Fundraiser
Update on Regina - Regina was a mess when she came to us. Due to a nasopharyngeal polyp, her breathing was restricted, her eating, even sleep was disturbed by the struggle to breathe. We treated her for URI, eye infection, ear infection and finally she was ready for her procedure on 9/20! Her size was a big concern – 2lbs at 14 weeks is very small. You cannot imagine the relief at the report of a grape size polyp being removed from her sinuses! Immediately, she was breathing normally. After recovery, just hours later, she was eating normally! On steroids to reduce the post-surgical inflammation, she is playing and has found her voice – she rarely meowed before, her appetite for canned food is huge! She can sleep deeply, such a happy kitten!
We don’t tell our cat stories until we are pretty confident of success – there are many more stories that we do not burden our supporters with but be aware we treat every cat “As If They Were Our Own!”
We have 7 days left in our Fundraiser. We have reached 23% of our goal of raising $6,000 in matching funds by September 30th. When you donate, you motivate and share your support of Feral Fixers. These funds help us meet our goal to do all the vaccinations, upper respiratory treatments, wound care, congenital abnormalities! that come our way. Fall is usually even busier for some reason when it comes to that extra care that ferals need. You, our donors, make that possible. Share a pic of the important cats in your life and help us to continue to support the many ferals of DuPage County! Whether $10 or $500, it will be matched for a net of $12,000, please share with friends and family and continue to help the cats!
Immediately below is a brief video showing the removal of the polyp. While this may be a bit distressing to look at, please remember that the cat was under sedation the entire time and was not suffering. The suffering happened before this surgery and the surgery ended the suffering.
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| While Regina was able to eat dry food well, canned food was much more difficult - post surgery. |
Ground Lost
This study contains a lot of information, not an easy read but very informative. In the last two years we have “lost” millions of spay/neuter surgeries. If you are wondering why we still have so much work to do, know that there are many factors that impact our ability to do TNR. Data from 212 clinics surveyed shows the effect of COVID on this industry.
“In total, 190,818 fewer surgeries were performed by the 212 studied clinics in the 24 months from January 2020 through December 2021 than would be expected had 2019 levels been maintained. If a similar pattern was experienced by all 3,000 estimated spay-neuter clinics in the US, it would suggest a deficit of more than 2.7 million spay-neuter surgeries have accumulated by the end of 2021.”
“Conclusion: At the beginning of 2020, a cohort of 212 spay-neuter clinics that collectively performed more than 1 million surgeries per year were on track to increase surgeries by 5% over the previous year. The COVID-19 pandemic lockdown resulted in a drastic reduction of surgeries, from which the industry has not yet recovered. The high level of spay-neuter achieved over the past five decades is the single most important driver of reduced pet overpopulation and euthanasia in animal shelters. Veterinarians and animal welfare organizations should collaborate to prioritize recovery of spay-neuter capacity with a special focus on serving populations most at risk for unintended reproduction, poor welfare, or entering the animal shelter system.”
Our donors and volunteers are the driving force that will enable us to regain that lost ground. Thank you for your help and continued support!
Veterinary Marketplace
Is your veterinary clinic individually owned? Or has it been sold to a chain? That is a developing concern in some parts of the country and a complaint has been filed with the Federal Trade Commission. As many of us turn to emergency and specialty facilities for the best care of our pets, this is important information to be aware of. Competition in any marketplace is important for consumers – including pet health!
“The Federal Trade Commission today (6/13/22) took action to protect competition in markets for specialty and emergency veterinary services by requiring the owner of a chain of veterinary clinics, JAB Consumer Partners, to divest clinics in California and Texas as a condition of its proposed $1.1 billion acquisition of competing clinic operator SAGE Veterinary Partners, LLC. The Commission also is imposing robust prior approval and prior notice requirements on JAB’s future acquisitions of specialty and emergency veterinary clinics.”
“The complaint alleges that as originally proposed, the acquisition is likely to be anticompetitive in three geographic markets for various types of veterinary care in Texas and California.
- In and around Austin, Texas, for internal medicine, neurology, medical oncology, critical care, and surgery veterinary specialty services, as well as emergency veterinary services would be harmed by the acquisition.
- In and around San Francisco, California, for internal medicine, neurology, ophthalmology, and surgery veterinary specialty services, as well as emergency veterinary services would be harmed.
- In and between Oakland, Berkeley, and Concord, California, for internal medicine, medical oncology, and surgery veterinary specialty services, as well as emergency veterinary services would be harmed.
All of these markets are highly concentrated, and the acquisition would substantially increase concentration in each market, leaving the combined firm as the only provider in some markets, and one of only two providers in other markets."
You can read more about this complaint here.
Ear Furnishings!
Those lovely tufts of fur in your cat’s ear – they are called Ear Furnishings! Check out even more cat ear facts.
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