Yowl-o-Ween Cat Costume Contest

Only two days left to submit pictures of the cats adopted from Alley Cats and Angels in Halloween costumes.  We have seven entries so far.  We've created a Facebook album with the pictures (http://www.facebook.com/#!/album.php?aid=236457&id=132383006913).  Just click on the picture you like best and click "like".  The picture with the most "likes" wins. 

Salty (formerly Blizz) wearing her lobster costume

Trillium Whorl [aka Trilli] (formerly Suke) wearing her pig costume - she's Porky Pig (quite appropriate because she's a very rotund girl!!)

Biscuit (formerly Justina) wearing her cow costume

Dexter (formerly Snarfle) wearing his bat costume.  Nahannananan, Bat Cat!

Persephone wearing her monster costume. 

Rugby (formerly Vittles) as Rug-Bee, the bumble bee

Wicket [aka Squeaky because of his tiny squeaky meow] (formerly Varjak Paw) dressed as Count Squeakula

Adoption Update

Spunky was adopted Monday night by one of our previous adopters.  The couple adopted Eddie from us about two months ago and wanted to get a companion for him.  After a first night of hissing, they seem be on track to becoming best buds!  Congratulations on your new home Spunky. 

Meet the Symphony Kittens

The local SPCA has a food bank program and once food has been distributed if there is food leftover, feral cat caregivers can get some for their ferals -- this is a great program because in this economy so many people are struggling but don't want to give up their pets.  However, all animals must be sterilized and vaccinated in order to receive food.  The SPCA forwarded information to us about a colony of ferals with a very limited income caregiver and our one of our TNR Task Force Leaders, Marie P, has been working for the past week trapping for TNR at that colony.  There are approximately 15-20 adult cats and about 10-12 kittens.  So far, 7 of the ferals were "fixed" through our Alter an Alley Cat program last week and we hope to get the remaining cats done this week and next week.  8 kittens have been trapped so far (6 black and white kittens and 2 all black kittens) and there are approximately 3 more kittens to catch.  The kittens are approximately 5 weeks old.  Thankfully, there was someone in the area that is willing to foster the kittens and we are ecstatic because we truly had no available foster homes for them.  Two of the household members play for the North Carolina Symphony so we have dubbed the kittens the "Symphony kittens".  No word yet as to if they will be named after famous composers (Mozart, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, etc.).

We are also fortunate because the caregiver and friends have been working the area to get donations to help offset the cost of spay/neuter of all the ferals.  We have spayed/neutered and vaccinated 175 cats through our Alter an Alley Cat program this year (that does not include our February spay day).  It's amazing what a small group can do on a very small budget but the Alter an Alley Cat fund is getting dangerously low and we will still need to finish TNR for the colonies we are currently working on and need to have funds for those.

So here are the first pictures of the Symphony kittens. 

OC kitty

This kitten came into Operation Catnip yesterday but was not old enough to be spayed/neutered, so he's hanging out with one of our TNR Task Force Leaders for a while and has been taken into our adoption program.  He's handle-able without too much fight so should tame down for adoption just fine.

Adoptions

It wasn't a huge adoption weekend but it was a great adoption weekend.  We had two adoptions this weekend and what great adoptions they were!

Shannon Rose, a beautiful calico ADULT cat, was adopted.  I was love at first sight.  Hopefully Shannon Rose will come to like the dogs because that is the only possible obstacle. 

And Ian, the last of the I kittens was finally adopted.  He was much more shy than his siblings for so long and hated adoption events.  But at his foster home, he was a snuggly lap kitty.  We are happy to report that after just a brief stint of hiding, he was laying on his adoptive mom's lap the evening he was adopted.  YAY!!

Help name the little princess

We took in this little girl on Saturday. The sweet little angel is about 11-12 weeks old.  She is a medium haired dilute calico and is very sweet. I'm fostering her and having a hard time thinking of a name for her that I can use.

I wanted to name her Flowerbella, but we currently have an "F" litter of kittens so that's not an option (no names starting with F, also can't use any names starting with S right now either since we currently have an S litter of kittens). The name Milkshake is cute too, but we've already had a Milkshake (we try not to use the same name twice).

Send in your name suggestions via comments.

Another Sunny Update

Apparently, Sunny did not like her little bandage beret because she managed to get it off (and it was lightly stitched on) Wednesday night.  She went back to the vet yesterday.  And Suuny came home with a bad haircut and some stitches. 

Dr. Jodi had to do some cutting and stretching to acquire enough skin to cover the wound so we're keeping our fingers crossed that it holds. 

According to her foster mom and a friend that stopped by to see her, Sunny girl is an absolute sweetheart, she literally tosses herself on her back for tummy rubs.

And apparently yesterday when her sister was hissing at her (that cone can be scary), Sunny puffed up, turned her body sideways and hopped towards her sister as if to say "look how big I am".  She's pretty darn cute even with the scab, the stitches, and the bad haircut!  The girl can certainly work it.  And boy is she popular, she's gaining quite a fan base of people on facebook. 

Alley Cats and Angels' First Annual Feral Cat Spay Day a Success

Alley Cats and Angels celebrated National Feral Cat Day by holding a $10 spay day for feral cats on October 14, 2010. A lot of feral cat caregivers are on extremely limited incomes and this is one way Alley Cats and Angels can help both the cats and the caregivers.  Many of the caregivers participating in the spay day truly could not afford the $10 co-pay per cat but were not turned away as long as appointments were still available. 

Our TNR (trap-neuter-return) Task Force helped trap feral cats the day before the clinic and transported them and from the clinic. 24 cats were spayed/neutered, vaccinated and earcropped today; of those 14 were female and 10 were male. 

This was Alley Cats and Angels’ first Feral Cat Spay Day but it will become a yearly "tradition" for our rescue group.

We would like to thank Dr. Barbara Farmer of Greystone Animal Hospital in Raleigh for helping make this day possible. In addition, we would also like to thank Whole Foods Market on Wade Avenue, Raleigh and our donors for your generous donations which helped cover the cost of this spay day.

Additional thanks to our TNR Task Force Leaders, Tricia Andrews and Marie Pickering, for their tireless devotion to feral cats.

Update on Sunny with a Chance

After twelve days at the vet, the beautiful little Sunny got to come home from the vet last night.  She still has a special bandage on her head that is stitched on and she'll have to go back to the vet a couple of times per week but she is doing well. 

Here's a picture of her thinking "ahhh come on, do I have to wear both the bandage beret and the cone?".  I do get a sense that it's combined with a little bit of her thinking "oh please, who could possibly resist all this cuteness?"!! 

You have to admit - even with the bandage and the cone, she is pretty darn adorable!

Meet "Fast Food Freddie"

This little guy is very young -- he's still wobbly on his feet.  He was found in a Hardees bag  by a Raleigh police officer who called an animal control officer knowing she would find a rescue to take him in.  Well, she did.  ;-)  It's an iPhone picture and a bit fuzzy, but what an adorable cow kitten.

For those of you up north, Hardees is a fast food place.

Meet the Gone with the Wind kittens

These three babies were brought to us by an animal control officer when they were very tiny and needed to be bottle fed.  They are now about seven weeks old and are quite a gorgeous set of kittens.  They are named Rhett, Scarlett, and Ashley.

Adoption update

Four kittens were adopted last week:  Barney, Demi, Endora, and Ditzy. 

Due to our yard sale fund raiser, participation in the Shelter Medicine conference in Florida, and a much needed weekend off after that (before we start back with multiple events every weekend through the end of the year), we will not be holding any adoption events for the next two weekends. 

Hopefully we will still have some adoptions as approved applicants can meet cats in their foster homes.

Alley Cats and Angels Announces 110th Spay/Neuter Surgery Through Alter an Alley Cat Program

The Alter an Alley Cat spay / neuter assistance program has subsidized 110 spay/neuter surgeries and vaccinations this year, and we still have 3 months to go! In addition, 16 cats were sponsored on our 2010 Spay Day (100% of expenses were paid by AC&A). And on October 14th, Alley Cats and Angels will be sponsoring our first $10 Spay Day for feral cats in honor of National Feral Cat Day.

The Alter an Alley Cat program paid 100% of expenses for 90% of the surgeries performed, with the remaining 10% subsidized at varying percentages.

Alley Cats and Angels is extremely proud of this achievement. We’re a small rescue, but we are making a BIG difference in the lives of Triangle, NC and surrounding area cats.

Alley Cats and Angels’ Alter an Alley Cat Program provides subsidized spay/neuter surgeries and vaccinations for cats owned by low-income/hardship families and feral cats whose caretakers have limited incomes. People requesting spay/neuter assistance are referred to us by our website, feral cat caregivers, veterinarians, AnimalKind, Spay NC Hotline, and other rescue groups. Our Alter an Alley Cat Program is just another example of our commitment to help end pet overpopulation.

Cassie, a super sweet one-eyed kitten, is searching for her forever home

Sweet sweet Cassie is fully recovered from her eye surgery and is looking for her forever home. Cassie is about 5 months old - her estimated date of birth is April 22, 2010.

Cassie's story from her point of view: I was found with my sister CeCe, locked in the attic of a house being remodeled, when we were just a couple of weeks old. CeCe looked fine, but even when I was a tiny little thing it was clear there was something wrong with my eyes. They had something called eyelid agenesis (which means my eyelids were not properly formed), and my right eye was small and cloudy. The doctors at the eye hospital suspected I could not see out of my right eye, and recommended that once I was old enough I have a procedure to help keep the hair growing above my eyes from irritating them. I never let my poor eyesight slow me down, though. I love chasing balls and string toys and anything that moves. To look at how I play you would not know there was anything different about my eyesight. Just as I got old enough to have surgery, my right eye began to swell and develop glaucoma. The doctors then said I had definitely had no sight in that eye, and recommended removing it. So when I went in for my eye surgery the right one was removed and the left one had the procedure to help keep the hair out of my eyes: now I'm a pirate kitty! I have fully recovered from my eye surgery and am now ready to find my permanent home - my sister CeCe has already found hers and I don't want to be too far behind! When I'm not playing like a wild child, I like to settle down near foster mom and keep her company, I sleep on the bed with her at night too. I'm not always fond of being held, but I do like attention and will purr when foster mom I get petted.


It is possible that Cassie may need an additional surgery on her left eye in the next few months but the specialists at Animal Eye Care said it is too soon to tell. If Cassie does require additional surgery, the surgery wil be fully funded by Alley Cats and Angels so please don't let that stop you from considering adding her to your family.

Cassie - really not that big, just looks like it in the picture!

Adoptions this weekend

A bit slower this weekend than the past several weekends, but still a good weekend.  One adult and three kittens were adopted this weekend:  Parker, Dharma, Sita, and Edwina.

Donors - thank you, you do make a big difference

With the economy struggling, donations have been way down, but our donors still come through for the cats.  Donations trickle in, $10 here, $20 there.  A recent donation of $15 was accompanied by a note of "I'm sorry, I wish I could do more, but it's all we can afford right now".  Please don't feel sorry, that $15 donation covered vaccinations for 2 cats through our Alter an Alley Cat fund, or one FeLV/FIV test kit, or one microchip.  Those "small" donations add up.  Five $10 donations will sponsor a spay/neuter of a feral cat or cat owned by family with limited income.  Your donations, how matter the size, make an incredible difference in the lives of the cats in the Triangle, NC area.

Because of your generous donations (and some fundraising), we don't have to hesitate to send an animal to a specialist.  Our cats get all the medical care they need, no matter how costly.  Because of your donations:

• We were able to co-sponsor a spay day in February (with Paw Prints Animal Rescue) that spayed/neutered 9 dogs and 16 cats
• We are able to hold a $10 spay for feral cats in honor of National Feral Cat Day (for 12 cats)
• We have been able to spay/neuter and vacciante 99 cats (as of yesterday, 9/23/10) through our Alter an Alley Cat program.  Of these, over 90% were fully funded by Alley Cats and Angels and about 6% were subsidized at 50-75% by Alley Cats and Angels
• We have been able to take in and fully treat cats with severe medical issues

Words cannot quite express our extreme gratitude for all of these donations. All I can really say is a most heartfelt thank you. And to let our donors know that we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Update on Xerox

Hi, Hope all is going well. Wanted to let you know Xerox is doing GREAT.....I brought my cat tower down from the attic this weekend and he loves it....it has one of the sisal poles and he really enjoys that. He has really settled in and my entire family loves him....they come to visit him and not me. My friends say I have spoiled him, and I tell them NO his foster mom spoiled him ...I am just picking up where she left off. I promise you I will get some pics of him and send to you soon. I tell everyone what wonderful organization you have.

He is truly the sweetest cat I have ever had. He is so smart...He already has the run of the house while I am at work. I come home everyday to check on him at lunch.

It's been a hard couple of weeks

Yes, we've had fantastic adoptions, but we've had some losses as well.  And those are always hard - it doesn't matter if we've had the cats 2 minutes or 2 months, it really still hurts all the same and it rips a little piece of your heart out everytime. 

Not quite two weeks ago, we took in a mama and her three 4-week old babies.  Right away it was apparent that one of the babies was definitely not thriving and something was wrong with him, so the priority was vet care.  Upon examination, some of the one kitten's internal organs were not where they should be and at four weeks old, he was about the size of a 1.5 week old kitten.  I hoped he could be "fixed" with surgery but he was so little and in such bad shape that surgery was not an option, so we had to make the hard decision to have him put to sleep. 

Late this past Sunday, we took in an itty bitty orphaned orange kitten (about 3-days old) from animal control.  We had a nursing mom so it was good for the kitten.  The kitten went to the vet early yesterday and stayed the night (well, Jennifer, the goddess of vet techs at Harmony, took him home and took care of him overnight).  As of last night, he was going to have part of his foot/leg amputated today, even though he was tiny, it had to be done.  But as of mid-morning today, he was not doing well at all and appeared to have other serious health issues, and it was decided it was in his best interest to end his suffering.  We were prepared to do whatever needed to be done medically and surgically (that's why we fundraise, I don't ever want to not be able to take a cat solely because we can't afford extended medical care), but it just wasn't an option anymore.  Little boy was with us such a short time he didn't even have a name.  That makes me want to cry even harder.  But at least we were able to help end his suffering and he's not in pain anymore.  

We'd like to thank the absolutely wonderful Dr. Jodi Reed for her incredible care of our rescue kitties and also for letting us know when we need to make the decision.  And thank you to all the staff at Harmony Animal Hospital for your loving care of the babies. 

It's a sad day today, but sometimes knowing it's time to "let them go" is the best thing for the cats.  But it sure doesn't really make it any easier when they are gone.

Meet Hansel and Gretel

Hansel and Gretel were found on a local college campus after a big rain storm.  They seemed to have been seperated from their mother during the storm, but then no signs of mama.  Some wonderful students took them in, took them to the vet, and cared for them until they could find a rescue to take them.  After a bath this weekend, they were sent to their new they went to their foster home where they are being showered with attention.  Gretel is the little black kitten and she is smaller than her brother and a little more needy, so we wanted to find a foster home that was home during the day (their foster mom works from home so this is good).  They are about 6 weeks old and super cute and on their way to getting healthy. 

Gretel

Hansel

Nathan Junior's Extreme Makeover

Upon rescue/intake (August 11): sicky and sticky:

Picture taken September 19:  all healthy, handsome, and ready for adoption: