Update 8/20: We've certainly accomplished a great deal in less than three months. Thanks to your generous support, four kittens have been rescued, two adult cats have found homes, and 23 adult cats have been spayed/neutered and rabies vaccinated.
In the beginning, the cats were mostly skittish and kept their distance. But, that's all changed. These days, the cats eagerly await our arrival and swarm around our feet with happy tails sailing high. They're so glad to see you and they let you know it. Some cats are more suitable for barn homes, but the majority dream for the day when they can find a home to call their own. Meet them:
Update 6/20: Good news: in the past few weeks, 21 of the 25 cats were brought to the vet for exams, spaying/neutering and vaccinations. Most of the cats would make great barn kitties, but some are very adoptable and would love to find a home to call their own.
We are going through a lot of cat food and donations of food are welcome! The cats are doing great, especially those who have been to the vet. Their bellies are full, they have a clean bill of health and they're spayed/neutered to prevent more kittens. A big "thanks!" to the five volunteers who are feeding these kitties and spending time with them daily, and to everyone who donated so these cats could get to the vet!
Original Story: The impact of the bad economy doesn't stop at people, as a group of neighborhood stray cats in Sandy Hook discovered recently when the caretaker who had been feeding them was evicted on May 31. Since the caretaker was unable to take any of the cats with her, more than 20 cats and kittens suddenly found themselves homeless and left to fend for themselves, including Pancake, a curious five-week old tabby kitten, and his littermates.
The good news is that Pancake has been saved and is currently happily playing in a safe foster home until he can be adopted. Volunteers from The Animal Center have been working at the site since immediately after the eviction. Our top priority has been to get the kittens to the veterinarian to treat mild upper respiratory infections and then to place them into foster care where they will remain until they’re well enough for adoption.
Many of the adult cats are more feral than friendly and are slowly getting used to our volunteers who feed them daily. We’re midway through the process of humanely trapping the adult cats to get them to the vet for exams, spaying/neutering and rabies vaccinations in an effort to prevent unwanted litters from being born. Barn homes for the feral cats and adoptive homes for the friendly adults are desperately needed.
The Animal Center is paying for all the veterinary expenses. As you can imagine there are significant costs involved in our efforts to help these animals: Veterinary exams and care, spay/neuter surgeries, vaccinations, food and medicine. Please make a donation to The Animal Center today to help us care for these cats.
