Friend of Ferals Award Badge - Apply Here

[Anne]

If you help feral cats on a regular basis, whether by managing a colony, involvement in TNR operations or advocating for feral cats in your community, we'd like to award you this badge -

LL

• Anne
• Nov 26, 2012
• 4

To get your badge, please post to this thread and let us know how you help feral cats! The badge links back to this page, so you'll be helping us spread the word about helping feral cats.

Not sure what this is all about? Please check out these resources and see how you can help us help ferals!

Please note: If you wish to nominate another member for the Friends of Ferals badge, please do so by PMing a moderator, rather than posting in the thread.

 

[kittylover23]

I have a colony of my own of fourteen feral cats and I work with several other colonies managed by friends in the area. I also help getting feral cats into homes via cat rescues in my area.

 

[feralvr]

Oh my... where do I begin. I have been caring for feral cats for over 30 years!!! In fact, as a child, my mother also cared for stray/feral cats. So I guess my life's passion has always been helping feral cats and being their number one advocate. I love the new badge and will wear it with honor. Thank you, Laurie :sun: for your beautiful submission and win. :bigthumb:

 

[goonie]

i live half a mile from UCR Riverside and have been taking care of 5-12 'Parking Lot' Strays since '03. i do TNR and try to find homes for them. so far only got 11 adopted. and also take care of some neighborhood strays. They're mostly the ones the students leave behind when they go back home.

 

[ldg]

My work with ferals is really thanks to TCS! :lol3: It all unfolded here... I've been working with feral cats since 2002. Of the first litter that started it all, four of the five kittens are our inside-only pet cats (Julius was adopted by a vet tech who works at the local animal hospital. We still get regular updates. ). We no longer foster, but we actively TNR locally. We used to work throughout several counties around us, actually, but Gary's health curtailed that extensive activity.

We've rehomed ... 15 cats in the past four years since moving back to this location (where it all started!) and have 11 actively in the colony. :rub:

Because we've had to curtail our physical activity in relation to caring for ferals, I've been far more active in advocacy. The website, built with the help of TCS members valanhb, okeefekl, and Russian Blue, isn't the most trafficked site out there. http://www.StrayPetAdvocacy.org. I still get emails once a week or so from people thanking me for the resource. I use it as a platform to publish my work on cat predation, as that is one of the most controversial areas of TNR. I also actively address news articles, blog posts, etc. on feral cats or TNR where education and/or science are clearly lacking. I'm part of a small working group (of otherwise fairly high profile people in the field) that alerts each other to research/articles/blogs that ... "need addressing." And when addressing proposed policies or research is outside of the scope of a quick comment, I host the response in the cat predation section of the site. For anyone with an interest in cat predation and a little time, I'm most proud of this piece, written in response to (just one of the many claims made in) a controversial publication of some grad students at the University of Nebraska: http://www.straypetadvocacy.org/PDF/17reasons.pdf Though really, the piece that had the most impact was the one where I debunk "The Wisconsin Study," which was used by all of the anti-TNR groups for so many years. I completely took the wind out of its sails, and all of the major pro-TNR groups at the time ensured it was widely distributed. "The Wisconsin Study" is so dead now, the piece is no longer needed. Mission accomplished!

 

[Anne]

Awards given! Thank you for helping the cats and for helping raise awareness to ferals on TCS!

 

[mani]

It looks terrific.

Well done, everyone

 

[barbb]

I have two feral kitties outside, Ace and William who are wife and husband. I TNR'd them several years ago :-). Here is a video of them from a few years ago, they are in the winter home we make for them every year, by covering our gazebo with a solar pool cover and putting kitty heating pads and heated houses in there for them. 
I have also done TNR for other kitties in my neighborhood, including Curly who turned out to be FIV+ and who is now in my foster room with two other FIV+ kitties that I am fostering for a rescue where I volunteer.

I also help a few other shelters in the northwest suburbs with their TNR on an ad hoc basis, and I keep my phone number in Chicagoland Tails magazine to help people who find strays and/or ferals re: what to do, where to go. I loan out my traps and if needed I go to the home with them and help do the trapping. I have also done spay days at the anti-cruelty society in Chicago, although I am not doing that at present bc I have too many other kitty demands at home!

Like Laurie, some of my very first posts on this site had to do with TNR for a feral kitty. I received such valuable advice and information and have always come back for more. Every time I think I know everything, I find I have only just scratched the surface. The collective knowledge on this site is unmatched anywhere else, just my opinion :-)

Here is a picture of Ace and William, one of my favorites.

ace and william best.jpg

• barbb
• Nov 28, 2012
• 1

William is socialized but Ace will not allow any touching, even though she knows I am her loving meowmy lol. 

 

[pat]

When I moved to my current home, it didn't take long before I began to notice one of the neighborhood cats.  He didn't seem to have a home, was always outside no matter the weather or season, would not approach, was not amenable to being touched (over the months we developed a relationship of sorts and I was putting out food for him).  One day I found him very still, obviously ill..first time I could pick him up, was to take him to the vets.  He was terminally ill.

It was a long time before another kitty seemed to be in the kind of need he had been in was a skinny cat I saw eating leaves at the end of my drive.  I put food behind a bush in front of my picture window - when he found it, but looked up to see me, he ran as soon as he made eye contact.  Over the next year (yes, it took a year), he went from that to running to greet the car when we'd come home, helping me garden, sleeping on our back deck (petting him had to be a cautious thing, he was a whole male and bit my husband badly 2 times, not so badly 1 more).  The day I found him with an ear wound from fighting, I said enough, picked him up (!) popped him into a carrier and off we went to the vets.  Tippy was an indoor cat from that moment on - never bit again, never asked to go outside, gave the best nose in your ear, front legs around your neck hugs.  We didn't have him long enough - he developed polycystic kidney disease and pseudocysts at age 7, and dealt with the draining of those cysts for the next year with amazing grace, before he lost what little kidney function he had.

Those are the two of the rescues we've done where it was clear there was no owner, and it was at the least, a semi-feral kitty.

In my business, I support various rescue groups and shelters with donations for fund raisers, another way I feel I help support care for ferals.

If the above qualifies me, I'd be honored to "wear" a friend of ferals badge

 

[talk2velda]

I moved to Texas in 1997.  I've always loved cats and with very few exceptions always had one or more around long before I ever moved to TX.  I noticed that at my house there were quite a few cats. At the time, I didn't know the difference between a stray and a feral but I would always put food out.  I soon learned that these weren't neighborhood cats making the rounds nor were they strays. They were ferals.  They stayed in my yard a lot because they felt safe there. I don't have dogs and I never chased them off and there was usually some cat food or table scraps for them.  I started putting water out for them too since it is sooooooo hot and dry here all summer.  Eventually I noticed that the adult females would bring their babies around when they were ready for weaning so pretty soon, I had lots of cats.  I was determined that I would get to know them better.  I would try to coax them to stay on the patio when I put food out. At some point some of them started to trust me a little bit and I could pet them while they were eating but - no fast moves!  I would sit on the stoop and toss cat food near them until they started trusting me more.  This went on for several years.  I would even give them names.  They trusted me but not too much.  They would bring their babies into my backyard and they would play and play and play.  They gave me many hours of enjoyment watching them play.  Most didn't live more than 2 or 3 years.  One cat, I named her Amber because she had golden eyes trusted me more than others.  She finally trusted me enough that she let me pick her up.  She had several litters before she trusted me enough that I could hold her long enough to get her into a carrier. I had her fixed. No more babies from her but others were still having babies.  Amber stayed at my house living in the backyard and neighborhood for probably 5 or 6 year total.  By then, many of her babies had babies and on down the line.  Any of them that I could catch, I would. I would take them to the vet to be fixed - boy or girl, didn't matter.  I would take advantage of the Humane Society's assistance program and take them to a cooperating vet to get a discount of the spaying and neutering many, many times.  My best year was 2010 when I was able to get 10 cats fixed.  Some cats disappeared later that year - hope they found forever homes and trusted someone. Many of the cats I have protected now, they live on my patio and I have several inside too.  I've had a few that were orphaned that I had to buy kitten milk for (wow-that stuff is expensive).  At one point I had 9 orphaned kittens from 2 black feral mommies that disappeared.  They were my itty-bitties.  I still have four of those kitties.  One of those kittens, Kira, was mauled by the neighbor's dog. I took her to the vet and he was going to put her down but I wouldn't let him. I took her home, bound her tummy, and she got better but she has an abdominal hernia now (a lump on her belly - probably a fat nodule where the dog had grabbed her and slung her around). She is gorgeous and so loving. She is like holding a big ball of velvet.  I have one that I keep inside that my daughter had me take care of.  Bobbi was just a tiny, tiny baby when some guy dropped her off at the gas station where my daughter worked.  She was skin and bones and terribly dehydrated with these great big round eyes.  I cleaned her up, got the bugs off her and she would sleep in my hair at night until she got too big.  Another cat that my daughter also found for me just a year ago is another joy.  Sunny was at the Flying J truck stop and she found him out back. He was probably about 6 weeks old, starving to death, so dirty he didn't look yellow at all, and eaten up with fleas. I actually had to give him a bath using baby shampoo - too young to use much flea stuff on him but I had to do something.  He is beautiful - probably has some Maine Coon or Norweigan Forest in him. He is still scared to death whenever there is a loud unexpected noise. He hides whenever anyone comes in the house, even me.  I've got another one who is 9 years old now that one of my daughter's friends found in one of those big garbage containers that 4 families share in the alleys.  I can pick up my cats and love on them except for one.  Pretty Boy, brother to Kira, will not let me pick him up but he will let me pet him when he is eating.  Trying to corral him was interesting but he is fixed also.  In 2010, I used to have an office in a strip mall and the superintendent told me of a stray cat that he was feeding that had some babies out behind the mall in a narrow passage.  I, naturally, couldn't stand it until I got a look at them so one evening I decided I was going to get her and do what I could.  I ran home, got my carrier, and  a can of catfood.  I found her. She had found a place down a narrow (20 inches) area but about 20 feet long.  It was under the rain spout off the roof. Fortunately we don't get a lot of rain so they hadn't been drowned yet.  I coaxed her away from the babies with the food. She was constantly hissing at me but too hungry to argue much. Amazingly I was able to get her into the carrier and she wolfed down the feed while I got her kittens - mind you it is dark and I can't see what I'm doing either.  Anyway, she had four babies, couldn't have been more than a week -10 days old - 2 calicos like her and 2 yellow and white boys.  I took care of them in the office until I knew she was safe to take  to my home.  When the babies were able to eat on their own, I had her fixed.  She didn't like staying inside so I would let her out.  She stayed another 3 or 4 months but then stopped coming around. I'm sure that someone picked her up - she was so pretty and now that she wasn't protecting her babies, she could be quite friendly.  Her babies have grown up and are still at my house.  Another feral boy several years ago still breaks my heart today. He was a beautiful all black cat. I think he was related to Kira's mommy - probably her brother or uncle.  Anyway, one day I noticed that he was limping but he wouldn't let me take a closer look.  He would still come around and eat, pretty much stayed in the backyard.  His limp got worse but he still wouldn't let me pick him up.  One evening when I got home from work he was at the back door like all the other kitties were ready for some food but he didn't run to the edge of the patio like usual. He stayed on the stoop.  His back leg was worse.  There he was hissing at me but trusting me all at once.  I put my hand slowly around him and pulled him into the back door.  His leg was bad, very infected.  He laid at the back door, hissing while I grabbed my hydrogen peroxide and cotton balls.  I cleaned his leg up as best I could but I knew he needed more than I could do.  I put him in my carrier all the while he is hissing at me.  The next morning I took him to the vet.  He was very hostile and the vet had to net him in order to look at the leg.  Unfortunately, the wound was too far gone and the infection had spread to his bones. The vet said that there wasn't much he could do it was so bad.  I made the decision that since he was in so much pain and unlikely to keep the leg or even possibly not even live long anyway, that I would have him put to sleep.  Still breaks me up.   All my kitties are scared of everyone but me.  I've never been able to find forever homes for any of them so I guess I will continue to take care of them.  I suppose one can say they aren't strays or ferals any more.  I buy cat food by the 24 pound bags - usually try to buy several weeks supply at a time.  So, I've spent a lot of money on cats over the years.  I never see any strays or ferals in my back yard now.  The cats that have stayed and adopted me are safe in my latticed-off patio now or living with me inside.  The down side to that is that there are more mice and rats in the area since I've cut down the cat population. So here are all the cats I"ve tried to help since moving to my home in 1997:  Amber, Buffy, Pretty Boy, Geordi, Kira, Sweet Pea, Sweetie, Pretty Girl, Stubby, Spot, Bobbi, Gabby, Sunny, LuLu, Starbuck, Kitten, Jack, Thing 1, Thing 2, Momma, Momma Cali, Randy, Andy, Sandy, Mulder, Scully, Sadie, Papa (original), Papa 2, Tiger, Tiger-Lily, SaraBeth, Precious, Scotty, Jimmy-Jamers, Cissy, River, Candi, a mama tortie and 5 babies that I found a home for at a ranch, and many, many more that I can't recall their names.  Some would stay a few weeks, some have been here for years.  I had to start catching them to get them fixed because I was getting over run with cats!   When I moved to Texas I had 2 cats of my own - Sylvester (1996-2010) and Miss Kitty) - both kept inside, never outside.  I have become the crazy cat lady.  I keep threatening that I'm going to start my own cat-rescue organization when I retire. 

 

[Anne]

Thank you so much for contributing to this thread and, of course, for helping so many feral cats! Badges awarded!

 

[barbb]

Thank you so much for doing these badges! I love that thecatsite.com cares about recognizing anyone who helps kitties. Even tho you can't turn away when a cat or people who are caring for a kitty in need of TNR) needs help, it can be really hard to stop what you are doing and make that extra time, and even the people who call for help with feral kitties can be impatient, unreliable, and fussy. I think every little badge or thank you is such a nice thing. 

 

[revenwyn]

We have rescued three feral kittens this summer and one adult. They are now indoor cats and doing well. Before this I fed a colony. While we can no longer afford to help with the colony (most of whom have moved on anyway) we saved these kittens and potential population explosion.

 

[pat]

Do I not qualify?  I see I don't have the badge

 

[barbb]

Hi Pat, I also noticed that I did not get a badge, i.e. that they are not appearing on our posts. It is probably some kind of glitch, I'm sure we were meant to have them 

. I figured maybe it would take a few days or something.

I'm glad you brought it up though because I am so out of it lately I would have forgotten. But it means a lot to me (thank you again for this badge!!), especially on those tough days after caring for Toby and then needing to look after those three extra kitties from the outside with FIV who are now my fosters, going into their room at night to play with them when I really need sleep augh. 

 

[pat]

Hi Pat, I also noticed that I did not get a badge, i.e. that they are not appearing on our posts. It is probably some kind of glitch, I'm sure we were meant to have them 

. I figured maybe it would take a few days or something.

I'm glad you brought it up though because I am so out of it lately I would have forgotten. But it means a lot to me (thank you again for this badge!!), especially on those tough days after caring for Toby and then needing to look after those three extra kitties from the outside with FIV who are now my fosters, going into their room at night to play with them when I really need sleep augh. 

Your Toby is adorable     I'm sure those 3 kitties realize they are in the presence of caring, it is a selfless and wonderful thing to do.

 

[catsallaround]

I TNR the cats who come to me and also a few from people who do not want to get involved but are not against the cats being on the property/feeding them.  Also tame up the younger ones.  Will be getting a feral soon to tame for my neighbor who is looking to add a new family member. 
 

 

[barbb]

Your Toby is adorable     I'm sure those 3 kitties realize they are in the presence of caring, it is a selfless and wonderful thing to do.

Awww thank you very much! Toby is a very special boy, that is for sure. I worry all the time that I love him too much to know when to stop trying to make him better. You know how people see what they want to see. But he is still running around and very alert, albeit he has lost weight. And those foster FIV kitties are so adorable, they are little tots and the boys have a touch of mischief in them. I will have to post about them sometime on chat (instead of hijacking this thread lol). One of them is just like WC Fields lol, one is like Heathcliff, and one is like the poor little match girl. All so sweet. Thank you again, not to mention all the selfless wonderful things YOU do- never turning away from a cat in need outside!

 

[tx_kat]

We moved into our home four years ago.  We immediately noticed two cats sleeping in the tree in our backyard.  My husband started putting food out for them, but I insisted that I didn't want to feed them unless we also made sure they were spayed/neutered.  They eventually stoppd coming around, but there was a mama cat who brought her two babies to our backyard to play.  My husband wanted to make the babies house cats, so we bought a trap.  We caught a juvenile female (Bella) in the trap the next day, had her spayed and released her a couple days later.  Two and a half years later, she still comes for food every morning.  After releasing Bella, we trapped Angel and Demon - the two babies we originally set out to trap.  They have been inside with us ever since.  We tried to trap Mama Cat to no avail.

 

    

    

A few months later, the mama cat brought another kitten - a scrawny, weak, pathetic little thing - to our backyard to "dump" her because Mama Cat was about to pop (she had her new litter of kittens a day or two later).  It was around this time of year and a cold snap was on the way, and my husband couldn't bear the thought of the kitten not surviving the cold.  That is when Gidget came inside to live with us.

We started a concerted effort to TNR the cats coming to our backyard, and trapped a bunch of boys: Butch and Sundance, Patrick (the big orange boy with chubby cheeks who still comes every morning), Rocky Balboa, and Francis (who was already neutered and lives across the street now).  Sadly, Butch, Sundance and Rocky no longer come around.

 

    

Then we noticed a fluffy little cat started coming around about ten months ago.  We called her Mini Me (Minnie) because she looked like a small version of Gidget. A couple weeks later, my husband looked in the cat shelter to make sure no kitties were in it before he started mowing and found five little babies.  We planned to trap Minnie and her babies, but she moved them the day before we were going to do it.  We finally found where she hid the babies (on the roof over the porch at our neighbor's house) and rounded up the kittens: Angus, Abby, Spooky, Sprinkles, and Casper.  After we got the spayed/neutered and socialized, Angus went to live with one of my friends, and Spooky and Sprinkles went to live with one of my husband's friends.  We planned to keep Casper and adopt out Abby, but she kept having diarrhea and I didn't feel right about letting her go in that condition.  She can't leave now because she has my husband wrapped around her paw.

    

    

    

We noticed a big tabby male coming around (Socks).  We trapped him once, but he broke out the back side of the trap (he's a big, strong boy!).  We have yet to trap him or Minnie yet (

  vibes are welcomed and appreciated).  A few months later, we noticed a juvenile tabby male (Malcolm) whom we have TNR'd and who shows up every morning and evening for food.

Then, back in July and August, we started feeding (fattening up) one cat at our church who was nursing (Polly).  She had three little orange kittens - two who were rehomed either by us or by a local feral agency, and one (Punkin') whom we released back into the church colony.  There were nine other other kittens, most of whom were rehomed, but two (Stormy and Cocoa) were released back into the colony.  The church colony also has Tab, Gorgeous, Callie and Julius who come for food on a regular basis.

    

   

 

So, as you can see, my husband and I have a special place in our hearts for our ferals.

 

[Anne]

Do I not qualify?  I see I don't have the badge

Hi Pat, I also noticed that I did not get a badge, i.e. that they are not appearing on our posts. It is probably some kind of glitch, I'm sure we were meant to have them 

. I figured maybe it would take a few days or something.

I'm glad you brought it up though because I am so out of it lately I would have forgotten. But it means a lot to me (thank you again for this badge!!), especially on those tough days after caring for Toby and then needing to look after those three extra kitties from the outside with FIV who are now my fosters, going into their room at night to play with them when I really need sleep augh. 

Of course both of you qualify!! I'm not sure why it didn't take last time, but my experience shows my ADHD is as likely a culprit as any technical glitch