Volume IV Issue 3

Mews and Purrs

Feral Cat Rescue

Statistics (May through June)

TNR: 26

Took In: 18

Adopted: 8

Looking for Homes: 58

Volunteer Opportunities 2

Wish List 2

Quarterly Quote 2

At Last - A Home 3

A Note from Tami 4

Thanks to Our Donors 4

Gallery of Faces 5

About Feral Cat Rescue 6

Inside this issue:

Recently, Feral Cat Rescue successfully completed another

Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) project with funding from the

ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to

Animals). Seventeen adult cats were spayed or

neutered. Nine wee kittens entered FCR's foster network

where they were socialized, then adopted .

Due to collaborative efforts, and with food provided by

FCR's Kitty Kupboard, the seventeen cat colony is now

manageable. Left alone, by this time next year it would

have become a colony of fifty cats, with some roaming to

find new territory.

TNR has improved the lives of all twenty-six cats and

kittens. Spay/neuter has improved the relationship between humans

and felines in the neighborhood.

Studies show every dollar spent on spay/neuter

saves communities three to ten dollars. The

ASPCA’s funding , saving Ravalli County taxpayers

several thousand dollars. No cats were killed, yet

population was successfully, and cost-effectively,

controlled.

Feral Cat Rescue Completes TNR Project with

Funding from ASPCA By Tami Ritchson

Summer , 2012

PAGE 2 MEWS AND PURRS

Wish List If you can help us acquire any of the items listed below please call 381-6580

Loving permanent homes!

Kirkland Cat Food (for shelter/rescue kitties)

Feral boxes (10)

Small cat carriers

Fuel cards

Kitty back/front packs

Paper towels

Stamps/postage

Kitty Kupboard food bank donations (food or

monetary (restricted)

Your empty ink cartridges for recycling

Volunteers

Kitty beds and towers

Foster homes

And most importantly, LOVING PERMANENT HOMES!

Quarterly Quote: “With their qualities of cleanliness, discretion, affection,

patience, dignity and courage, how many of us, I ask you, would be capable of

becoming cats? Fernand Mercy

Volume IV Issue 3

Feral Cat Rescue is Now Online Visit us at our website: http://www.feralcatrescuemt.org

Or on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Feral-Cat-Rescue/272363599048?ref=ts

Save a Cartridge—Save a Cat

Be green and help feral cats at the same time. Instead of throwing those empty printer ink cartridges in

the garbage, donate them to Feral Cat Rescue. We can recycle them and earn cash to help needy kitties.

Drop bins will be located at Willow Mountain Veterinary Hospital in Corvallis, Cindy’s Pet Grooming in

Stevensville and the Florence Veterinary Clinic in Florence.. For more information please contact

Carolyn at 777-5143.

Volunteer Opportunities

Feral Cat Rescue needs volunteers who can work independently as:

Digital video editor

ABS feral cat recovery box builder

Proactive foster homes

TNR trap setup and check, transport to spay/neuter

Fundraising and food drive organizers

If you are able to help out in any of these areas, please call Tami at 381-6580

PAGE 3 MEWS AND PURRS VOLUME IV ISSUE 3

At Last - A Home by Carolyn Jones

No one knows where “Woody” spent his kittenhood. He first came to the attention of Feral Cat Rescue

when he showed up, full grown, at a local horse barn and began harassing the resident felines. The

owner of the barn asked, and Tami

consented to take him because of the

disturbance he was causing.

Once at the Rescue, he was neutered and

named “Hercules” because he was such a

big boy. Initially, he was assumed to be

feral but soon demonstrated that he did

like people, a typical big friendly red boy.

The search for an appropriate forever

home began.

A young couple with acreage in the country

seemed perfect pet parents for Hercules

and fellow Rescue cat, Juniper. Thus they

both went off to live happily ever after

with their new family. This home,

however, did not turn out to be as perfect

as it seemed. The young couple traveled

frequently, for long periods of time.

Hercules and Juniper were left alone

outdoors to fend for themselves. They

became strays, wandering the

neighborhood in search of food and shelter.

Juniper eventually found a home in the

neighborhood. Hercules started to hang

around a woodpile where he apparently

felt safe. This choice turned out to be his salvation. The owners of the wood discovered his

presence and put out food for him. Soon he allowed them to pet him and even accepted the invitation to

spend the nights in their warm shop building. Their dog, Toby, became his companion and they began

calling him “Woody” because they had found him in the woodpile.

During the time he was on his own, Woody became very emaciated. His new people bought half and half

cream to put a little weight on him. It was not long before he came when called for the delectable cream

and cans of cat food. However, he didn’t gain weight and wasn’t grooming himself. Something was

wrong. A trip to the vet revealed that poor Woody had a mouth full of bad teeth and sores. He had not

been able to feed himself so the cream and wet cat food he was getting kept him going. Extensive dental

work and antibiotics saved his life.

Woody is now a happy cat. He is recovering from his dental problems and eating heartily so he will

again be the big cat whose size once earned him the name “Hercules”. His humans lost a beloved dog

recently and Woody is helping to fill the hole this loss left in their hearts. He is cherished and finally in

the home it took him so long to find.

Woody

Monetary Donations

Marilynn Taylor

Kim Buckman

Betty Spaethe

Beverly Frost

ASPCA

Petco

Peggy Klouda

Judy Williams

Walmart

Thanks to Our Donors We could not get along without you

PAGE 4 MEWS AND PURRS VOLUME IV ISSUE 3

Gary and Leo's IGA

Dr. Seltzer, DDS

Lakeland Feed

Rainbow’s End

Valley Drug & Variety

Hamilton’s Market Place

Shear Delight

Feed and Farm

Valley Pet Clinic

Willow Mt. Vet. Hospital

Florence Vet Clinic

Café Firenze

Florence Pharmacy

Mountain Supply, Missoula

IGIVE

Glen’s Cafe

Deb’s Restaurant

Walmart

Petco

ASPCA

Peoples’ Market

Fox Hollow Animal Project

Business Support

Carolyn & Dennis Jones

Marilynn Taylor

Nancy Boice

Kerstin Siefert

Jolene Jackson

Bob Taylor

Dana Ashman

In Kind Donations

In the first six months of 2012, Feral Cat Rescue's Kitty Kupboard distributed over 6,000

pounds of cat food to Ravalli County's needy felines. Much of this food went to cats living in

managed feral colonies, where 100% of the colony has been spayed or neutered.

FCR is happy to announce that, once again, the Petco Foundation is supporting our efforts. the

Kitty Kupboard has received another generous grant of $2,500. This will feed the kitties on

our list for just over three months.

We are very grateful to Petco Foundation for their contribution toward helping hungry felines

in Ravalli County have happier, healthier lives!

A Note from Tami By Tami Ritchson

Bubbles

A seven year old, all black

Manx cat, Bubbles has lived

indoors all her life. She is

missing an ear tip due to

being left outside in

mid-winter in Sula. A very

affectionate and tidy kitty,

Bubbles enjoys each day while

she awaits the arrival of her

kindred spirit. Could that be

you?

Cinderella

I’m a little shy with

strangers, but once

you’ve earned my trust,

I’ll show you what a

FUN, spunky, playful

little girl I really am. I

prefer women over men,

but I’m very easy-going

with other kitties.

Plucked from the

hearth, I’m now ready

for my own grand

castle.

Gallery of Faces

To meet the adoptable cats pictured here, please call 381-6580

PAGE 5 MEWS AND PURRS VOLUME IV ISSUE 3

Opal

Opal is an unusually

SWEET kitty. She loves to

tuck her head under your

chin and then she chirps.

She is looking for an

equally unusual person

who will give back as

much as she gives. She’s

about three years old now,

but still loves to play. She

had her tail amputated

due to a past injury, so she

looks like a Manx, but

she’s pure SWEET-

HEART.

Elvira

I’m a capricious imp from

nose to tail. Whimsical and

unpredictable, I’m also

incredibly sweet when I

trust you. I’m looking for

an unusually special home

where I can be myself with-

out getting into trouble.

Kids don’t interest me

much. Dogs, - well, as long

as they understand I’m the

Queen. I have no outdoor

skills, so I need to be

indoors only.

Madonna

Before arriving at Feral Cat Rescue, Madonna

raised her kittens in the basement of a burned

out house. She is now ready for a real home,

ideally, with her son, Pepe (below), to whom she

is very devoted. Madonna is about 8 years old

and has been looking for a home for four years.

Pepe

Pepe is the son of Madonna

(below). He is about 5

years old and was already

an adult when he and his

mother were trapped by

Feral Cat Rescue. He

enjoys human interaction,

but can be very shy at

times. At 15 pounds, he is

a gentle soul and easily

intimidated. A momma’s

boy, he is hoping for a

home he can share with his

mom, Madonna (below)

Board of Directors

Tami Ritchson, President/Treasurer

Chris Ritchson, Vice-president

Kelly McKee, Secretary

Jeanne McKinney, Director

Helene Bazin-Lee, Director

Newsletter Editor: Carolyn Jones

Feral Cat Rescue is dedicated to the humane treatment of feral and stray cats. Through TNR,

education, spay/neuter, foster care and adoption, our goal is to end the needless suffering and

killing of unwanted and abandoned felines.

FCR was founded in 2007 as an unincorporated non-profit organization. It received its 501C-3

status as a non-profit organization in 2010.

IF you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to FCR please send it to: Feral Cat Rescue,

P.O. Box 1018, Hamilton, MT 59840

About Feral Cat Rescue

Every Cat a Wanted Cat

http://www.feralcatrescuemt.org

Email: bitterrootfcr@gmail.com