So close! 8 trips 79 Cats
We've had a couple of locations that we simply could not leave a single unneutered cat that would start a whole new group for the Spring, so despite trying to shut down feral trapping, there were a few stragglers. There is something weird about this 2020 year, lots of kittens born late in the year. Don't know if people were feeding more, later, as they did not go back to school or travel or whatever but there was a disruption in the cat's lives too, resulting in more births! Looks like the disruption will continue, making TNR all that more interesting? Whittling away getting our adoptable kittens neutered so you will see them getting posted as they go thru surgery and are ready to find their permanent homes. We still have about 40 kittens to be done – end date is like a mirage! In October we did another 49 cats, monthly total 157, so far in November we have done 35 cats, bringing our total to 705 for the year and 12,390 since our beginning in 2007.
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| Night before surgery 10/28, multiple layers to keep the cats warm overnight. Blanket, electric blanket, quilts and some fleece for good measure! |
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| 11 cats on 11/6 - on their way to ADOPT! |
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| We made our "last" trip for ferals count! 34 ferals and one friendly! |
Building Update
Yet more has been done at the building – the railing is in! The distance to the first bar from the cement will allow us to slip traps in from the side and not have to carry all of them up the ramp. Gotta think ahead! It is amazing how much concrete costs! We are all getting older and we really needed this ramp for the future. Expensive. The sum total was $27,000. If you are not already in your 60's, you might think this was an extreme extravagance. Trust me, it was not. It will provide much easier building access for bulky items, including traps and put less wear and tear on our volunteers which is invaluable. We budgeted costs pretty accurately, and we started out with a pretty hearty bank balance but you can't spend it and still have it, so when we have our next Fund for the Future fundraiser, please keep in mind our efforts to make the building accessible and functional from the get-go. It is even more expensive to make an improvement at a later date. This is one cool ramp, tho, isn't it? This year we have processed 700 cats so far, imagine having to lug traps and carriers, food and litter up steps and thru a small doorway for that many cats – these changes were an absolute necessity! Thank you so much for your help in making this a reality! Can't wait to be able to allow people in freely – everybody stay healthy! We will be working on something at the building as soon as we can.
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Fundraising
Every bit helps! We received our quarterly AmazonSmile donation for over $350! That means that donors using AmazonSmile spent over $70,000 and we received .5% of that amount and it didn't cost you anything more! We've had an increase in monthly donors which helps us budget our expenses more accurately and quite a few matching donations from employers – check with your employer and see if your donation to Feral Fixers can be matched! Our Black Cat Giving Tuesday Fundraiser will start on December 1st – we currently have $6,000 to be matched – thank you to everyone who stepped up and pledged for this! The Giving Grid will run from 12/1 to 12/31 with our goal of matching the $6,000. These funds are for spay/neuter and all the different expenses we encounter in running Feral Fixer that support the ferals of DuPage County and bordering communities (ferals can't read maps), giving special emphasis to all the black cats we have neutered. Look for an update on the fundraiser soon! Looks like we will not be able to hold Frosty Claws in January – gathering sizes, pandemic and all. Not all our supporters are into the "on-line" world. We will be mailing an expanded version of our Holiday newsletter with a fun alternative to Frosty Claws at least for 2021. Would much rather see everyone in person, share stories, etc. Keep an eye on your mailbox.
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| Donated by a kind crafter - toys, throws and cups - thank you! |