Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Did you know I do cat rescue? #TNR #rescuecats #adoptdontshop #formerferal

Cat Rescue

If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you've probably noticed my efforts to rescue neighborhood cats and kittens over the past couple years and get them adopted.

Shelters and humane centers push adoption - and every living cat and dog needs a home! - but the reason why those shelters are full all the time is because cats and dogs aren't spayed and neutered. Female cats usually have at least two litters a year - a litter that's usually 4 or 5 kittens. Each girl kitten can get pregnant as of 6 months of age.

See where the math is going?

That's why trap-neuter-return is SO important! Volunteer rescuers are spilling blood, sweat, and tears every day to trap and sterilize all cats and dogs living on the streets. Suburbs and cities are awful places to grow up. Kittens die from diseases all the time. Lose eyes from untreated respiratory infections. Lose limbs from car accidents. Ever seen a cat in your neighborhood with a cleanly snipped ear tip? That means someone spayed or neutered the cat and returned it to its home territory.

Because there aren't enough volunteers to spend several months to a year taming feral cats to be indoor animals. Because there aren't enough foster homes. Because there are more cats and kittens than adoptive pet parents every year.

If you want to know more, you can follow rescuers on Instagram like Paul The Cat Guy, @LuxePaws, @littlewanderersnyc, and @kittenxlady.

Please help where and how you can! If you live in a city, I guarantee there's a local rescuer in desperate need of basic cleaning supplies and pet food, not to mention donations for vet bills.

Now wish me luck trapping a feral female cat! She got pregnant and gave birth during my unsuccessful attempts and the humane society vet is only open for spaying Tues-Fri. When did she usually show? Weekends and Mondays! Mama Cat is the mother to Lowen and my current possible #fosterfail the fluffy kid. The kittens - two - turned 3 weeks old on Monday (9/10) and won't be ready to leave her until at least 6 weeks old. This young, they're still in the nest she made in my backyard and I've only seen glimpses of adorable faces. They're vocal whenever she comes out to eat, though! Healthy lungs. Amazingly, one is colored like Lowen and the other like the new kid.