Habitat Newsletter

Winter 2007-2008

Calls for Assistance Bring More Than Just Heartache ... Thoughts from our President

I am now in my 5th year as President of Habitat for Cats and my 22nd year of animal rescue. As each and every year passes, the thought of retiring from the animal rescue network gets stronger, mostly due to burn out. The force that holds us to this line of work is a force that I just can't explain. It is so strong, leading me to believe that some of us were put here on this Earth to watch over a variety of our furred friends, those without a voice to speak for themselves. I have spent nearly half of my life advocating for animals, which is a clear example of the intensity within this force.

Whether those of us who are involved within the animal network can explain our volunteer work as a "force," a "passion" or just a "hobby," though explanations are diverse" we all share one commonality and that is compassion. I have especially seen this within Habitat for Cats volunteers. When calls for assistance come into our hotline, volunteers distribute the work and see to it that individual situations are worked out. Calls for assistance have a great range. Some situations end with the result of a few cats being altered through our clinic. Other situations are ongoing involving very large colonies of cats that will take months to bring under control, while others involve not just cats but their caretakers as well. A few of us know all too well what this means, and with that in mind, I would like to tell you about my new friend.

This past summer I was alerted to a situation in Wayne County involving an elderly gentleman who had a huge overpopulation problem with cats, some feral and some domesticated. The number of 100 plus came up in conversation. Immediate thoughts were those of heartache and I remember my words as, "here we go again!" After a close investigation of the situation, my feelings of heartache slipped away and were replaced by feelings of contentment. Yes, there were MANY cats, but these cats were well cared for by this gentleman and they were all so very loved ... each and every one of them. We had our work cut out for us, but knowing that we could trap, neuter and return these kitties made the battle worth it. Over 25 kittens were removed, vet checked, placed into foster care, and later adopted out. The actual number of cats was not nearly 100, but there were many. To date, Habitat for Cats has altered and vaccinated the vast majority of the colony with just a few more adults to go. Volunteers have given up several weekends to clean up a barn on site to make it more suitable for the cats to live in, and some of us have set up a weekly schedule to help this gentleman feed and water the cats during winter months.

The end result of this particular situation was more than just bringing cat populations under control, it has given me a new friend. I look forward to my weekends which are my days to take a turn at caring for the colony. After a challenging week of work teaching 13 year olds, I am easily pacified by conversations of life, as it was years ago and old Western movies. Our conversations help to slow me down from the "rat race" otherwise known as modern day life. My new friendship means more to me than winning the lottery. To you, Maynard, I thank you for being my friend!

Spay Away Clinic Update

By the time this newsletter goes to print, we will have sterilized our 2000th cat at our own "Spay Away Clinic" since its opening day. You can't do that without a dedicated team behind it! It all starts with you, our supporters; with your help, we can have funds available for supplies. Then we can move on to the next steps: phone calls, coordinators, case workers, trappers, transporters, clinic check-in staff, and clinic veterinary staff make up the rest of the team. So, we cannot thank you enough for your continued financial support. Here are our stats for 2007 at the time of printing: approximately 1040 cats sterilized at our own HFC clinic, and approximately 300 cats sterilized by HFC at our participating veterinary hospitals and partnership programs, for a total of 1340 cats sterilized in 2007. Together, let's make 2008 even better for the cats!

Foster/Adoption Program in Full Swing

2007 has been a full and busy year for our foster/adoption program. As of mid-November, 130 cats and kittens were placed into foster care. We have been successful in placing 80 cats and kittens into permanent, loving homes. The need for foster homes continues to be huge. If you love pets and would enjoy being a foster caregiver for cats and kittens, we need you. If interested, please review our fostering information and application.

If you are looking to adopt, please keep our cats and kittens in mind. This year we have an abundance of adorable kittens that need to find their "forever" loving home. Wouldn't you consider adopting one? Or pass the word along to anyone else who might be interested? See our adoption information and cats and kittens currently available for adoption.

With adoption supplies and medical bills to bring some of these kittens to health, the funds for the adoption program has dwindled. Please consider donating to our adoption fund this season; it will be greatly appreciated and will help cats and kittens in need. THANK YOU!

Habitat for Cats" P.O. Box 25637" Rochester" New York 14625 | Phone: (585) 234-2894 | Email Us