November Already OMG!

• On 10/20 a cat came in with a facial injury. Sure that he would need to be euthanized, thankfully, the xrays showed a soft tissue injury around the eye – would heal - and an upper right canine with pulp exposure. It had been a hard week with not being able to save injured cats – since he was already sedated and I had a microchip in my pocket, we went ahead and did a dental and neuter, the works! His people were planning on bringing GrayBoy in the house, glad we could save him!
• On 10/21 we sent 16 friendlies to ADOPT, 8 females, 8 males. 3 litters from Addison, Villa Park and Countryside – kittens do not know from being a mile beyond county boundaries.
• On 10/28, we sent 3 friendlies to ADOPT, 1 female, 2 males.
• On 11/4 we sent 8 ferals, 6 friendlies, 9 female, 6 males to ADOPT. How do you not help a group of 15 ferals who are living around a dumpster? And, current day, some of those are now friendlies. One friendly kitten hitched a ride in a storm drain pipe with his 3 siblings that started out in Lake Villa and when they arrived at O’Hare, workers heard them. They got 3 out and thought they were done. This little guy was heard the next day, Dan stood on the top of a ladder, reached in and got Mickey – he now lives in Elgin. Cats do travel!
• 11/8, DCAS had some surgery time they could use for us and we sent 8 ferals, 3 female, 5 male. Most of these were from an industrial area that we had already neutered 72 cats/kittens over the last 9 years, add 4 adults and 4 kittens to that total. Cats hitch rides on trucks and end up in totally new locations.
• On 11/11, we sent 3 ferals and 13 friendlies to ADOPT, 9 female, 7 male. The ferals came from a yard with several shelters, we hope they will do well after surgery despite the coming low temperatures. Look for the kittens to be up for adoption in about two weeks – they are adorable!

That brings us to a total of 82 for October, 38 for November, so far in 2022 we’ve neutered 675, since our start - 13,889.

Doing our best to mop up a few locations and nab the way-too-many kittens that are still out there but we are trying very hard to not trap adults til next year. Shaved tummies and vaccinations can challenge their immune systems and we cannot do more harm than good. Contact us in April and get ahead!!!

Impressive when you line up 16 kittens in carriers, isn't it?

11/4 There's always more cats!|		Mopping up the feral stragglers - we were able to send 8 cats to DCAS!

Aesop’s Fables

The Ant and the Grasshopper

In a field one summer's day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart's content. An Ant passed by, bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to the nest.

 "Why not come and chat with me," said the Grasshopper, "instead of toiling and moiling in that way?"

 "I am helping to lay up food for the winter," said the Ant, "and recommend you to do the same."

 "Why bother about winter?" said the Grasshopper; "We have got plenty of food at present." But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil.

When the winter came the Grasshopper had no food and found itself dying of hunger - while it saw the ants distributing every day corn and grain from the stores they had collected in the summer. Then the Grasshopper knew: It is best to prepare for days of need.

Don’t be a Grasshopper – call us when you see cats in April!

Adoption Event

November 19^th we will have an Adoption Event at our building, 11 – 3pm with about 20 of our adoptable cats & kittens. Get pre-approved by filling out an application by noon on 11/18 – takes time to check out the information provided. Last tally as of 11/7 – 113 kittens and 23 adults ready for adoption. When you visit the adoption event, consider donating food for the ferals so they can continue to do well this Winter – nationwide donations of food are down, and our stock is low on dry and canned – nutrition level of Cat Chow and above would be greatly appreciated! Our donors and adopters are great folk – look forward to seeing you next weekend!!!

Frosty Claws Planned!

We are working on 2023 Frosty Claws! Sunday, January 15^th, 12 noon to 4pm at the Villa Park VFW, 39 East St. Charles Rd, Villa Park. An open house with food, cat people, fundraisers, boutique and information, we are so glad to be able to return to these events! If you would like to donate to the Silent Auction or Door Prizes, notify Tammy at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. – receipt of donations would be helpful by 12/5 – takes time to create! More information will be available closer to the event but put it on your calendars NOW! Look forward to seeing you ALL!

Tidbits

National Feral Cat Day was very well attended – it was great seeing familiar faces and meeting new people! Everyone seemed to have a good time!

Amazon Smile – most recent donation - $596.15. With holiday shopping coming up, remember to select Feral Fixers as your AmazonSmile donation recipient. It ALL adds up!

November is Adopt a Senior Cat Month – with the volume of kittens we deal with, a senior cat to us is 5 years old or more 😊. Jujube is a lovely 5-year-old black cat that came to us in terrible shape but with the best of personalities! Check her out and share her info:  At 9 years old, Matthew is our oldest adoptable on hand and needs a quiet home for his retirement.

Come help! – with all the life changes among our volunteers we are in need of people to help trap cats. Our volunteer trappers usually have their own corner of the world to take care of, people contact us, their information is given to the volunteers, and they are responsible for contacting the caretakers, arranging trapping and transport to and from Feral Fixers before and after spay/neuter days. If you care about the cats, have the time and have a vehicle that can transport trapped cats, please contact Tammy (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and help us get ahead this Spring!

Facebook Fundraisers – they are now front and center on our Facebook page! Easy to donate, easy to show that you support your friends and the cats. Currently, Christie is celebrating her birthday by asking for donations to Feral Fixers, this creates so many positive emotions, thank you Christie!

Gruel kittens - Everyone has heard of bottle babies, right? We’ve had a large number of kittens that are able to eat from a plate but the canned food needs to be mixed with formula for the higher nutrition, is easier to eat and smells like milk = gruel. They still plow thru the mixture but do so well on it as a stepping stone to regular food. Gruel is also helpful for those older cats who need extra encouragement to eat due to health issues. We mix up a lot, so always need KMR on hand. Think about it when your own cat has problems and needs a little extra!

And finally, even though Halloween is now in the rear-view mirror, who can resist kittens in costumes?