Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Relentless!

This is our newest feral.  We've named her Jenny....the director on NCIS...We are working through the cast, naming our ferals after Kathy's favorite show.  Yes, we will eventually move on...and yes we will be giving opportunity for our supporters to name our sneuters...This little girl is the mousy little gray one that I first saw in Mrs. Gray's yard.  She has been elusive, but hunger got the better of her this morning.   I set the trap this morning, caught Tony, let him out and reset.  She was trapped and at the vet's office with 30 minutes of the 2nd set of the trap!  We only have one more sibling and the mama, Mrs. Gray to go before we move on to the next area.  I will be attempting to trap both mama and baby yet today.  We are at 7 now!!  Our goal was 10. We may not make it but it wont be for not trying!

Kathy's son is in the Navy on board the USS George Washington CVN73 Aircraft Carrier.  He is home ported in Japan, which means when he isn't at sea, his "home" is Atsugi, Japan.  Kathy has done some preliminary work with Bellevue University in Bellevue NE so that he can start school as soon as possible when he gets out.  Major obstacles didn't deter Kathy.  Jeff emailed and said " Mom, you're relentless!"  I never thought of myself in that way, but when I'm passionate about something...I guess you could call me that!

Look out Mrs. Gray, Im after you!

Monday, August 29, 2011

Meet McGee!

Ok, I know it looks like Im posting the same picture every time I report a new snueter!  But, honest, each of these is a different kitty!  I set the trap this morning and had him within ten minutes!

So off to Avoca to see Dr. Schultz we went!   ITS A BOY!  Going along with our NCIS theme of the day, we've named this one McGee! 
McGee is another sweetie!  He now has his sneuter, vaccinations, de-worming and ear mite treatment.  He is resting well in my cottage.  I will keep watch over him til he is ready to go home.  Its another good day for WIFCaP!

 Please consider helping us to keep up our work with the kitties...you can chip in or send a check to PO BOX 244, Walnut, Iowa  51577

One of our vets asked me today how we are going to keep going at this pace.  My response was, "We will do it as long as we have the funds.  After that, we stop til we get some more.  Please help us continue!

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Another Mrs. Gray Baby Neutered!

This time its a boy!!!  We named this one Tony...again after an NCIS character...Love NCIS!!!  This little guy was in our new trap before I could out of the yard!  Success!!!  I took him right over to the vet and stayed for the surgery!  I got observe, which I have always wanted to do.

Tony did great during surgery and is now resting comfortabley in my cottage.  I will watch him til maybe dusk and then let him go back to his home.  He seems to be doing well.  A beauty!!!

Thank you for all your donations that have made this possible for Tony.  Without you, he would be left to father many kittens, and go unvaccinated...our vets also treat for ear mites and deworm our kitties.   Please consider making us a regular drop off point for your charity dollars.  We have a long road ahead of us to get Walnut's problem under control.  You can "chip-in" at the top of this page...its easy and 100% goes to helping kitties like Tony. 

Walnut's Feral Cat Program News!

Here is our most recent Newspaper article.  As you can see, I sort of added a Q&A feel to it.  Im hoping I will get some Q's!!!!

Here is the copy....

The Walnut Iowa’s Feral Cat Program is in full swing. We are happy to report that we have been able to spay or neuter 4 cats already.




As we continue to update you on our progress, we will also attempt to answer some important questions, you might have.

Q: Why not just let animal control come in and take these cats?

A: Animal control’s traditional approach for feral cats, which is catch and kill - is endless and cruel. Cats choose to reside in locations for two reasons: there is a food source (intended or not) and there is shelter.

When cats are removed from a location, new cats move in or survivors breed to capacity. This vacuum effect is well-documented.



Q: Are you sure Trap- Neuter - Return works?

A: Yes, TNR benefit’s the cats and the community. Cats are spayed or neutered, vaccinated and ear tipped (the universal symbol of an altered and vaccinated cat), and then returned to their outdoor home. The colony’s population stabilizes- no more kittens! TNR improves their relations with the community - the behaviors and stresses associated with mating stop. Trap - neuter- return is the humane, effective approach for feral cats.



If you have a question you would like addressed, please email us at wifcap@gmail.com or call Kathy Humann at 784-2660



To learn more about our program or to donate to our cause, visit our website at www.takepittyonthekitties.blogspot.com and to keep up with all the feral cat happenings, you can follow us on our face book page at “Walnut Iowa’s Feral Cat Program”.



Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Bonnie is Home and All is Well


I picked Bonnie up this morning.  She did very well during surgery.  She's in the bathroom now, recovering for a day or so.

Bonnie is not feral.  Ive learned to tell the difference thanks to articles Ive read on the Internet.  Bonnie was crying and meowing in the cage and didn't totally freak out.

I feel she is most likely another stray cat that has been left in Walnut, by someone who didn't want her anymore or couldn't take care of her.  How in the world do they think that just leaving them outside somewhere is somehow OK?

I'm finding that we have a lot more of this kind of cat in Walnut than I realized.  We are not a shelter, but we have been able to re-home some of our tame kitties.  I have been contacted by another animal shelter a bit to the north of us that wants to talk about helping us out.  I don't have any details yet, but stay tuned!

Monday, August 22, 2011

Meet Bonnie!

This little lady is "Bonnie"  She has been wandering Walnut with her kittens for a couple months.  It turns out she is a bit wild, but not feral.  She has warmed up to several people in town, thus the live trap was not needed in this situation.  We were able to get her and keep her overnight in the bathroom of one of our foster homes.  Her kittens are gone...we dont know how many she had or where they are.  She kept them hidden quite well!

She was frightened this morning, but we got her to the vet at 8 sharp!    Welcome to WIFCaP family, Bonnie!

To those of you reading this blog, please consider a small donation to offset the cost of spaying, deworming and vaccinatting this little girl!  We need your help to continue helping our babies.  We are a small town that needs big support to get where we want to be!  NOT Feral Free....Feral Friendly!

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Our Very First Trapping Day!

This is Abby...named for one of my favorite NCIS characters...black hair and would be tattooed if she could...She is one of Mrs. Gray's babies, about 4 months old and caught in our trap!  We caught this little one and Big Daddy and both are safely back home.  We are monitoring them to be sure all is well and by tomorrow they should be out and about and free from the worry of having unwanted babies! 

Our trapping went really well.  We had Abby by 9:30am and Big Daddy by 3:30!  A good day!

Now we are ready to set traps again.  We will continue at Mrs. Gray's as there are four other babies in the litter and Mrs. Gray herself.  I'm planning on using both traps for the Gray family until we get them under control.

Please realize that all of our activities are volunteer and donor driven.  We need you!  Please help us if you can.  You can "chip in" if you have pay pal by clicking the chip in button at the top of this page!

Monday, August 15, 2011

Traps Are OUT!!!

We've positioned our two traps!  One is in the Courtyard of  Cheryls Shop to catch Big Daddy!  The other is now at Mrs. Grays House (feeding station #1). 

Our goal is to trap and take in two kitties this week.

I saw Mrs. Gray yesterday.  She was roaming around across the street.  I didnt see any of her babies with her.  All the food at their station is gone each morning and I can see the area they are using for a litter box.  So they are for sure calling that area "home".  I will leave the trap for two days and then bait it.

Big Daddy should be pretty easy to catch, maybe even today.  His trap has been out for several days now and he goes in and eats all the food each day.  I might be making a trip to the vet tomorrow morning!  :)

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Our Huge Saturday Surprise!!

Pennies-4-Paws Inc is a wonderful organization that fund raises for groups like us.  Unknown to us, they decided to focus on The Walnut Iowa Feral Cat Program today.  What this means is that ALL donations made to their spay and neuter fund today, will come to Walnut.  We are ecstatic!  We have been working all morning to get the word out.  Facebook status updates on our kitty page and our own personal pages are nothing but donation calls today.  PLEASE, make a donation to Pennies-4-Paws before 9pm central time tonight.  This is be a huge jump start to our endeavor and the kitties will be so appreciative!  Thank you and thank you to P-4-P inc!!!

Friday, August 12, 2011

Catch us in the Walnut Bureau!!

I wrote an article and sent it to our local newspaper and they printed it!  The whole thing!!!    They even gave me credit for writing it.  NICE!!!  We are happy that the "news" of your new program is out.  We had many comments about how informative the article is.  Education is power and support!!!

We are so in need of your support.  If you enjoy our website and have compassion for these feral and stray kitties, please "chip-in"  or mail your donation to Walnut Iowa's Feral Cat Program the address listed on the left sidebar!  Thank you in advance for your support.

Here is the text from the article!

The Walnut Iowa Feral Cat Program is a new group of concerned citizens that have joined together help and care for the many feral cats that are living in our little town of Walnut Iowa.




A "feral" cat is a cat who has reverted in some degree to a wild state. They originate from former domestic cats who were lost or abandoned and then learned to live outdoors or in environments involving little human contact, such as warehouses, factories or abandoned buildings. In most cases, feral cats are not completely wild because they still depend on people for their food source, whether it's a caretaker who comes by once or twice a day, a dumpster outside a restaurant, garbage cans, or the like. Relatively few feral cats subsist only by hunting.



It's important to recognize that if a cat is truly feral, then the most compassionate choice might be to allow them to live outdoors. Trying to domesticate them would be no different than trying to make a squirrel or a raccoon a household companion - you might succeed somewhat, but never fully and only with a great deal of time and patience. Moreover, you would not be permitting the animal to live in a manner that suits him best. Many well-meaning people, convinced they are "saving" a feral cat by bringing him indoors, end up condemning the poor creature to a life of hiding under the bed and being in constant fear.

Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) respects a feral cat's wild state. The neutering of the ferals prevents tremendous suffering and shields the cats from the hostility their behavior might otherwise draw from human neighbors. But the return of them to their own territory and the providing of adequate food and shelter gives them the opportunity to live among their own, to be free and to answer to their own unique natures.




Trap-Neuter-Return, commonly referred to as "TNR," is the only method proven to be humane and effective at controlling feral cat population growth. Using this technique, all the feral cats in a colony are trapped, neutered and then returned to their territory where caretakers provide them with regular food and shelter. Young kittens who can still be socialized, as well as friendly adults, could placed in foster care and eventually adopted out to good homes.




TNR has many advantages. It immediately stabilizes the size of the colony by eliminating new litters. The nuisance behavior often associated with feral cats is dramatically reduced, including the yowling and fighting that come with mating activity and the odor of unaltered males spraying to mark their territory. The returned colony also guards its territory, preventing unaltered cats from moving in and beginning the cycle of overpopulation and problem behavior anew. Particularly in urban areas, the cats continue to provide natural rodent control.

Another significant advantage to TNR is that, when practiced on a large scale, it lessens the number of kittens and cats flowing into local shelters. This results in lower euthanasia rates and the increased adoption of cats already in the shelters.

TNR is not just the best alternative to managing feral cat populations - it is the only one that works. Doing nothing has resulted in the current overpopulation crisis. Trying to "rescue" the cats and find them all homes is utopian and unattainable given their numbers and the futility of trying to socialize most of them. Trap and remove, the traditional technique exercised by animal control, is simply ineffective. If all the cats are not caught, then the ones left behind breed until the former population level is reached. Even if all the cats are removed, new unneutered cats tend to move in to take advantage of whatever food source there was, and the cycle starts again. This explains why more and more animal control agencies are willing to try TNR.

Finally, TNR is an idea whose time has come. It recognizes there is a new balance in our urban and rural landscape, one that includes feral cats. It seeks to manage this new population with enlightened techniques that allow the cats to live out their lives and fulfill their natures, while minimizing any possible negative impact. TNR is a movement that will continue to grow as more and more caring people see its potential and, in time, it will become the predominant method of feral cat management.



Walnut Iowa’s Feral Cat Program will be also be vaccinating the cats against rabies to protect our residents.



What can you do?

We would love to have more volunteers to assist in the trapping and feeding of these animals.

We would appreciate any and all donations, as this effort will go forward only with your monetary help or donations of food. You will see cans in several downtown businesses. You can make a donation on our website at www.takepittyonthekitties.blogspot.com

If you have a pet of your own, PLEASE be sure they are spayed or neutered. Also realize that your cat should wear a collar if they go outside, so we don’t trap your cat and take it in for unnecessary surgery, and come home with a clipped ear.



The group is putting together a resource list of area vets that will spay or neuter your pet. If you have any questions or concerns, please call Kathy Humann at 784-2660 or Cheryl True at 784-3320





Thursday, August 11, 2011

McKenna's Kitty Kastle!! Feeding Station #2

Welcome to our Kitty Kastle!!!  I was so excited to meet with McKenna today to set up our 2nd feeding station.  She has a wonderful shed in her very large backyard.  We believe this was used for some type of animal in the past and kittens have been born in here in the past.  It's PERFECT for a feeding station and winter shelter.  There is inside space that we can set up to keep some fur babies warm and dry this winter. 

This is McKenna armed with a can of cat food!  She will watch over the next few days to see how many kitties find her kastle! It so blesses me to see some of our young people in Walnut getting involved in community service.  Thanks McKenna!

Honestly, we are short on food.  We need you!! Please "chip in" if you can.  We have many expenses coming up and every dollar counts.  Thank you in advance for your compassion for these helpless ferals.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Mrs. Gray and her Babies Emerge!

This morning I finally saw Mrs. Gray's babies!  I replaced the food and water dishes with fresh and when I turned around, there were 3 of them at the corner of the house, peering at me, waiting for me to leave so they could feast!  I didn't have my camera, so I thought I'd go back this afternoon and put a little more food out and maybe get some pics to share.

This little one seems to be the bravest!  Isn't it cute???? Two others were right around the corner, patiently or not, waiting for me to leave.
I, however decided to go around the house from the front and see where they were hiding.  I think I just found their "house".  I'm thinking they must live under the porch and this little gray one is sunning him/herself on the front porch!


She/he did decide to wake up and take a longing look at the food across the yard, so I decided to leave.



One final look at the feeding station revealed that Mama, Mrs. Gray decided to show up and have supper!

I actually gained a LOT of info today.  There are at least 3 babies, maybe 4.  I 'thought' I saw 3 blacks, but the baby sunning itself is definitely gray.  They are all definitely eating and they do indeed live at the green house, under the back porch.  They are about 2 1/2 to 3 months old. 

All this to say...the trap goes out tomorrow.  I will place it next to where they have been eating and put a small dish of food inside.  My hopes are they will gain some trust in the trap and in a few days, I will attempt to trap one.

Also I worked downtown today for Cheryl.  She has a donation can on her counter and I got $5 from it today!  Yay!!

If you are reading this blog and your heart is melting for the welfare of these sweet kitties, would you please consider "Chipping IN" to help us take care of them???  If you dont have paypal, you can send a check to WIFCaP  PO Box 244, Walnut, IA  51577 

Thank you in advance for being an advocate for these helpless animals.

Our First Success Story!

So happy to report that the little stray kitten found in Walnut has found a home here.  I guess you could call it a "failed foster".  Amber, who so graciously took this baby in, gave it a week at the vet's adoption area and went and got her yesterday.  I actually found out that my neighbor was there on Friday looking at her and trying to decide if they should take her home.  You know the saying " get while the gettin' is good!".  I'm so happy I will actually be able to watch this little one grow up!

Please consider a small donation to WIFCaP!  We are trapping, spaying, vaccinating and feeding these kitties and the cost is high!  Your few dollars make a huge difference!  Thank you in advance!

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Mrs. Gray's House - Feeding Station #1

 Kathy set up the first feeding station today.  It doesnt look like much, but we dont know how many cats are out behind this vacant house.  We know there is a mama whom we have named Mrs. Gray.  Until this morning, we didnt know how many babies she has.   Coming home from the post office, Kathy ran into a resident who lives on the other side of the alley. She says there are two black babies.  She said they arent really little and are as cute as buttons!!

This is a distant view of Mrs. Gray's "house" feeding station.  The bowls are underneath the overhang on the North side of the building.  It is very sheltered, so will be a good place for some winter shelters, once those are ready.  This seems the perfect spot for our first station.  If they dont find the food today, we will add some wet food to the dry tomorrow.  Maybe the smell will lure them. Kathy wants to camp out with a camera.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Clearing the Air...

Wanting to be totally above board and clear about what our mission is, I thought it would be good to spell out again our plan for the Walnut Feral Cat Program.

The problem is feral cats overpopulating our community.  They need our help.  They need to be altered so they cannot multiply.  We need to care for them by providing that altering and then feeding them and supplying them with some winter shelter. 

At this point we are at the very beginning of fund raising and without donations, nothing can be done.  We are researching grant money and soliciting donations so we can move forward.

Altering the ferals and strays is only half the battle.  We need the community cat owners to be sure their animal is altered as well.

I do want to be clear that WIFCaP  cannot provide spay and neuter for cats that have homes.  We have two vets that have graciously offered to help with the ferals only.  We are however, creating a resource list of some area vets that will include their charges.  That list is in process and we hope to have it soon. 

We are also NOT a shelter for homeless cats.  We simply are not set up to take in strays.  At this time, I am working with a Omaha Organization to see if they could meet that need for us.

Please call or email if you have any questions!