Kids Join US!!!

As you know part of the mission of Western Iowa's Feral and Homeless Cat Program is to educate those around us about the benefits of TNR.   Who better to start with than the kids?

Its taken two years, but I finally got permission to give a presentation to the 2nd Grade at our elementary school.   What a success!  The kids were interested and eager to learn and join in the discussion of how to care for cats with no owners and who are to afraid and shy to become pets.

We even made a craft of a feral cat with an ear tip!

The word must have gotten out, because the next week I was asked to return to make the presentation to the 3-5th graders.   They too, we very interested and ready to add to the conversation.  I enhanced the presentation a bit because of a longer attention span and instead of a craft, I gave them a poster to color and take home to remind them what it meant if they see a cat with an ear tip.

Having some kittens to cuddle made the class extra fun!

I guess sometimes its hard to know if you have any effect on the kids and if any of it sunk in.  But we got proof positive this last weekend.   We had lots of baked goods donated to our "Eat  a Dog - Save a Cat" food booth for True Junk's May Daze.  I put the offer out to five kids to come out and help us sell cookies at at a table downtown to raise enough money to help the kitties.  Their goal was to raise $80 which is enough to give a kitty the "spa treatment", which is spay/neuter, vaccinations, complete medical checkup with ear cleaning and food.   Four of the five came down and did an fabulous job! And yes, they raised $80!

Cookies - fruit and WIFCaP information!

Not only did they sell cookies and fruit, they told people about our program and distributed flyers and posted hand made posters asking for food donations!   I've already received one donation towards food.

I am so blessed today, after such a great weekend for WIFCaP.  We made $500 as a result of the food booth and the kids table.  Thanks to Linda Schumacher who made a great team leader for the food booth, we will be doing it again in October!

Spring has Sprung!

It's May and spring has definitely sprung.  We are getting calls from folks that have dramatic issues with outdoor cats and kittens.   We are working hard to help them however we can.  One trapping this week yielded 14 cats from one location!  The good news is, is that we have NOT had the kitten issues this spring so far and we attribute that to the work we have done the last two years in the area!

Helping means spending money.  Spa treatments are not cheap no matter where we take them.  We are so grateful to have Dr. Schultz and Dr. Victora working with us and giving us a discount on their prices, but we have to constantly fund raise to have enough money to continue our work with the furry friends...

May is going to be a busy month of fundraising and awareness of the plight of homeless cats.

We are proud to be part of The Best Friend's Animal Society's Network Partnership.  What that means is, is that we can use their media tools and marketing ideas to help find more homes for the homeless.  This is a great benefit for us and we are honored to be part of their organization in this way.

May is Black is Back Month for Network Partners.   The entire month we will be focusing on finding homes for black cats.  For some unknown reason, black cats and dogs are the last to be adopted!

May 10th we will be participating in an adoption event at Petco in Council Bluffs along with the other members of the Southwest Iowa Animal Coalition.    We will be hoping to find homes for our available cats, but also to focus on Disaster Preparedness.  Come and bring the kids!  There will be live donkeys, kitties and doggies!

May 23-24th we will again have a food booth at True Junk's May Daze outdoor junk fest in Walnut.  All proceeds will be used to help more kitties in Western Iowa.

Finally another May fundraiser is OMAHA GIVES  which will be held online on May 21st.  this is a 24 hour fund raiser where the Omaha Community Foundation will accept donations in our name.  Those donations will be eligible for matching funds depending on our ranking in the total percentage of donations overall.  We are really excited about this and hope many will participate in this way!  Its simple, go to OmahaGives24.org
select Western Iowas Feral and Homeless Cat Program for your charity and GIVE!!!