Welcome 2016

Happy New Year!
Wrapping up a year always has it's challenges.  As I'm working on year end reports, looking at numbers, receipts and statistics, many faces of the people we have helped and the felines we have made life better for come back in a vivid way.  It would be impossible and even unfair to highlight a few of them, because they were all equally important and poignant.  If you follow our Facebook page you know the stories.

Another year is over. Another year of helping to fulfill our mission: to reduce the over population of outdoor feral, homeless and community cats.

Our totals for "spa treatments" has grown.  As of December 31, 2015 we have fixed a total of 1353 cats.    In 2015 we fixed 425 cats ( 236 were female) .  Lots of hard work on the part of myself, my volunteers and those folks out there that care about the outdoor cats that have no one else.   This has made an impact in our communities in Southwest Iowa.  I will be making calls to regional rescues and shelters during this month to see if their intake numbers have gone down.   My paws are crossed that they are seeing a difference because of what we are doing.

Aside from that, I believe the other huge difference we are making is in awareness and sensitivity to the plight of the community cat.  Because of my volunteers that have the same passion I do, people are becoming more aware of the fact that not only do these cats deserve respect, they need us to care for them.   On the rural side, we have convinced many farmers and country dwellers that having cats is good, but having "Wifcap'd" cats is even better.   A healthy cat that is fixed and not breeding makes a much better employee.   We have placed many cats in home or shops. We continue to encourage all shops to have a kitty for rodent patrol and customer service.

I am amazed when I think about those out there that have taken on the responsibility of feeding feral cats.  Our volunteers that daily feed, water and watch over little broods of these sweet animals warm my heart.  Your commitment blesses me and while it may seem like your work goes unnoticed, it doesn't.  I wish you could be paid what you are worth, but for now, the look in those fed and cared for kitties must suffice.  If you are like me, that's enough.

So, on to another year.   My gut says we are about to enter the biggest year yet for WIFCaP.  We are small but mighty.  My heart says, I cant wait.  We have some very committed volunteers that are up for the challenge of big trappings and we have two committed veterinarians to help us.  All that only works with the cooperation of property owners, communities, feeders and of course our financial supporters.  Our annual budget is around $25,000.  That is a lot of fundraising, events and asking for donations, but we continue to up for the challenge and hope you are too!  Donations can be made by clicking our "donate" button at the top of this page.  We thank you from the bottom of our kitty loving hearts!

I am excited to start the new year and hope you are too. Thank you for hanging with us.  Thank you for following along and telling your friends about us too.

Happy New Year!  Watch and see what a small grassroots effort can do!

April Calendar....FULL!

True to the part of our mission statement that says:"To educate community members on the importance of spay or neutering ", WIFCaP has 6 scheduled meeting/ workshops/ events in April that will focus on the importance of responsible pet ownership, TNR, and ways to help WIFCaP...Just in case you think WIFCaP is asleep at the wheel....LOL!

April 13th: Kathy and Lois will attend a workshop to learn how to effectively fundraise for ‪#‎OmahaGives‬

**Please note:  Omaha Gives is a 24 hour giving day sponsored by the Omaha Community Foundation and American National Bank.  This one day event can raise thousands for WIFCaP.  As YOU donate, we can receive matching funds, and bonuses to go along with your gift!  Mark you calendar for this day!

Later that same day, Kathy will attend the Elliott, Iowa City Council meeting to give them information about TNR and offer assistance to help them get something started in their community.

April 17th: Kathy will attend a student volunteer fair with our Oakland helper, Gayle at Riverside High School in Oakland, Ia. Here, the kids will learn how they could help WIFCaP. Kathy will be helping the students download the ResQwalk App onto their smart phones, to show how easily a person can help our organization!

April 23rd: Kathy will head to Denison Iowa to give a trapping workshop. Denison is expressing interest in starting TNR in that area and they need help to get started on the right foot!

April 25th: Orschlens's Atlantic IA...adoption event and information about TNR, barn cats and responsible pet ownershiip. This is a SWIAC event (Southwest Iowa Animal Coalition). Organizations represented will be WIFCaP, Pott County Animal Shelter, Montgomery County Animal Rescue, People for Paws and Lusco Farms Rescue...

April 30th: Low cost spay and neuter Clinic, Harlan Veterinary Clinic in Harlan. One day only...Cats only...$60 includes vaccinations...call Kathy for details...712-784-2490

 Ongoing- and as ever, we continue to trap in our region.   To date this year, we have given spa treatments to 74 cats.   April is another busy trapping month!  Stay tuned to see what a small grass roots effort can do.   Donate by clicking the donate button at the top left side of this page, or click the Donate page on the right to see ALL the many ways we can use your help!

Tribute to Buddy-Boy

I normally make a new blog post about every few months.  Who knew I would make two in the same day?.  My last post was about how we hate seeing kittens born into the feral world that end up with suffering and disease.

I struggled with whether or not to even post about the events of this afternoon, but I am because if I don't, they will stick in my head and I wont sleep. For that reason, I won't post this on our Face book page. If you've come here from there, expect to be sad.  This post is more for me to vent, than for you to be informed. I try very hard to post positive stories and successes...to keep everyone up beat and laughing.  So I will post here, where I can bear my heart and soul and cry a little. 

At around 4pm today I received a call from our City Clerk from City Hall.  I am on the city council and I am on the city committee for Animal Control and everyone within at least a 20 mile radius of Walnut knows I am the CAT LADY.  I have instructed City Hall to please call me if there is ever a hit by car  or dead cat found in town.  I want to know if it is one of the ferals from our colonies or someones pet that we can gently inform of its demise. 

Today was only the 2nd call informing me of a dead cat that Ive gotten...only this time it was "well, he's almost dead".  I flew to city hall to find "Buddy-Boy" laying at the bottom of a dirty cold plastic bucket in the back of the city pickup.  He had been found at the side of main street almost directly in front of City Hall.  Jim (city supervisor) picked him up  (thinking he would die any second),  and put him in the container, set him in the back of the truck and called me. When I looked in, Buddy encircled the bottom, but he was breathing and he was trying to raise himself.  I knew right away that he was most likely beyond medical help, but I could not stand to see him suffer.  Jim drove me and Buddy back to my house, we loaded him in my car and off to HVA I went.

Would he even live the 20 minutes it took me to get him there?  He did.  When I took him in, he was not only breathing but he'd uttered several "mews".  As we waited for help from Becky at the clinic, I had a chance to get to know him.  He was strong.  Even though his body was literally skin over bone, he was a large long haired male cat...looked like a Himalayan. His fur was matted and dirty...but as I reached into the bucket and stroked his head, he immediately raised it and said hello with a sweet meow and began to purr.  It was apparent to me that he had had no home for a long time.  His weight, the condition of his fur....and then they came to the surface.  The fleas.  There were hundreds if not thousands of fleas on this poor baby.   We were so fortunate that we could get him to a vet that could humanely end his suffering and help him go peacefully to the Rainbow Bridge.

I traveled the 17 miles to the clinic in a panic.  Worried that he wouldn't live long enough to get him there, Worried that he would live til I got him there.   My mind was spinning, wishing there would be a miracle that maybe he would not be as bad as I thought he was, but inside knowing that was a pipe dream.  

I traveled the 17 miles back home in a stupor. A mixture of anger, sadness and confusion.  Wishing I knew his story. Why hadn't I seen him in town EVER before?   How did he get where he was?  Who hit him?  Who left him?  It was apparent that he had known the love of a human before.  He responded to my touch with a purr...he relaxed at the sound of our voices.  He was not feral.  He was old...he was tired and he was gone.

I cant shake the sorrow tonight.  He touched me so.  He made me realize that what we do in TNR and educating people about spay/neuter is so important.  It matters and it works. What happens to lost and abandoned cats is horrific.  They do NOT fend well for themselves. You cannot put a cat out and expect anything other than starvation, infestation, infection and battle scars, let alone the loneliness and the fear.   Buddy is a testament of strength.  If not for that, he would have been gone a long time ago.  His suffering encourages me to keep doing what we do.  I will eventually sleep tonight, knowing that the last thing he felt was the warmth of a clean and caring clinic, the touch of a hand that wanted so much to hold him and love him and the last words he heard...."It's ok Buddy...you will be fine...we love you, beautiful boy...." 

Buddy-Boy -Rest in Peace Sweetheart!

Ending the year in a big way!

Its only 3 days until the end of 2014 and I have to admit, this has been a crazy year!   I've actually had to take out my old calendar pages to review what all has been happening around Western Iowa Feral Cat Land to remember.  It's gone so fast and furious that it all seems a blur!


What I do know is that we TNR'd as many cats in 2014 as we did in the two years before combined.

How did that happen?
 LOTs of time, gas and hard work!

Our volunteer staff has not increased that much.  For one that we gained, we have lost another.  The team that actually does the trapping has remained me and one faithful other.

We've added support volunteers that can do things like print and laminate and go on the road to pick up food at pantries.  I know that it isn't that friends don't want to help, it s that they cant.  Work, family...life gets in the way and not everyone is available to come all the way out here at the crack of dawn and at dusk when trapping is the best.

Adding traps to our inventory has helped a TON...Thanks to Best Friends Animal Society, we added two more traps and that has meant more kitties in for spa treatments!

Adding a wonderful vet to our partnership!   Harlan Veterinary Associates and Referral Center has been wonderful to us.  A great supporter of TNR and offering us a price that affords us the opportunity to fix more kitties locally!

Dr. Sternberg and Anne at work!

More and more people and towns are taking responsibility to their own cat issues.  This means they are open to TNR and open to helping pay for it.

This was kind of a year of discoveries for me.  I discovered that kitten care is hard.  Even with wonderful volunteers to help, it is a difficult and demanding job.  We had lots of kittens this past summer and we are still trying to find homes for the last two.   We found out that they get sick, they carry disease and sometimes they even die.   We know we have made their little lives better and that they have felt loved, but its a strain on volunteers and it's expensive.

We discovered that our focus HAS to remain on TNR and not rescue.  We have no where to hold the strays,  while trying to find homes. Again, the strain of that has been heavy, to the point of even loosing some of the help we had.  It is so hard to say "no" when the call of a friendly stray or a litter of kittens comes in.

We discovered that there are lots of people that want to help us financially!    I can honestly say that we have never had to be late on a bill.  Our friends on Facebook are amazing and without them, we could not TNR ONE cat!  Thanks to everyone that bids on our auctions, purchases from our many fundraisers and/or sends a check or makes a donation to paypal!  We can happily say that ALL your funds go to helping the kitties.  We have very little overhead (I need to buy a ream of copy paper) and we attempt to spend all your dollars on fixing cats!

I've discovered that while this is my passion and none of it feels like work to me (other than maybe the bookkeeping), I have to limit myself.  I have traveled over 80 miles one way to trap cats, then more miles to transport them to the vet and then all the way back home.   I get phone calls at all hours about problems, I spend many hours every day working on TNR, Facebook, accounting etc.

And so, decisions have had to be made.   We held our final meeting of the Board of Directors earlier in December and so far here is what we are considering:

Kittens and Stray Friendly Cats :   We are trying to find a rescue that we can work with to refer these to.

Financial giving:  We will continue our methods of fundraising while adding grant writing.  We have a volunteer that will begin helping us with that in January!

Limiting Scope of Assistance:  While the need is great, we can only do so much.  The communities around us have great need and we will begin focusing on those communities.  The communities are Walnut, Harlan, Avoca,  Hancock, Minden, Oakland, Atlantic, and Shelby.   We will continue to assist other communities with issues by offering education and training in TNR).  Watch for targeted TNR projects over the summer in some of these communities!




So!  Goodbye 2014 and hello 2015!  It's going to be a fun ride!

Busy Fall for WIFCaP!

Joe and Angie spread the word of our mission!

Fall of 2014 marks the 3rd year that WIFCaP has been up and running.   Not much has changed in the fact that fund raising is a key element.  This fall is FULL of fun events to bring awareness to our mission and funds to our bank account so we can help more feral and homeless cats.

Each Wednesday in October we will be setting up in Avoca Iowa for their Mainstreet Market.  This is an outdoor event with vendors of all kinds, setting up their wares and offering information.   From local honey to free blood pressure check, you will find lots of fun tables to visit.   5-7pm every Wednesday in October!  Our booth was very popular our first night there.  We were able to find homes for 3 kitties!

True Junk's JUNKTOBERFEST is October 3-4 and as in the past two years, we will again be setting up a hot dog booth to benefit the kitties.

The last week of October will be our final ebay auction of the year!  Kathy is already lining things up for that event that can be enjoyed by all our friends and supporters across the county.

November will be our final fundraising push...with Origami Owl and Thirty One Gifts being our partner businesses that will hold online fundraisers for us.

As of September 30th, we have given spa treatments to 814 cats and have helped 1034 total cats that have come to us for one reason or another for assistance.   We cannot do this without lots of help from you all.  Participating in our fundraiser is so important and appreciated!

Check our How to Donate page to other ways you can help WIFCaP!

Happy Autumn!!!

2013 in Review

As I sit at the computer with a small gray kitten snoozing in my lap, trying to decide where to begin reviewing our year,  I am reminded of the change within my own family of furry friends.

Jasper

In March of 2013 my Ricky was laid to rest after being hit by a car in front of my home.  That loss resulted in my decision to keep Lucy and Possum inside.   Tending to kittens over the summer showed me that Lucy was NOT going to welcome any other addition to our family.  I was all but resigned to the fact that we would remain a 2 kitty family, until Jasper came along. For some reason this sweet ball of gray fur has not only won over my heart, but the hearts of Possum, my husband and even Lucy.  Oh, she has her moments, but when on the first day he was with us, Lucy jumped on my lap and slept next to the sleeping baby, I knew he was a keeper.   No more outside for these 3...

Ricky

Ricky was not the only loss for WIFCaP last year.  True Haven lost 3 of their kitties, Daphne, Toby and Henry all went to the Rainbow Bridge.   Rhett Butler, the gentleman from the streets of Walnut passed on.  AVCheryl lost her dog Molly, our friend and supporter Jean S. lost her Tux,  Amber H. lost Dogger I just got word today that our friend and supporter in Shelby lost one of her outdoor kitties.There are more. Please if I missed noting your furbaby, forgive me....listing the sad losses is difficult, but those of you who know me, know that reality is high priority for me.  Among the losses, there were many gains and those are what we focus on.

Thanks to our wonderful friend Kim A. our logo was born in 2013!   I can't say enough how much I love it!

2013 resulted in 289 spa treatments!   A total of 465 since the start of WIFCaP.  We have helped a total of 627 cats since the fall of 2011.  I am so very proud of those numbers.   We remain a small organization, but this year we have grown in volunteers too.   I now have trappers in Atlantic and in Oakland to help me out.  We are learning all the time how to help people learn to trap and transport, which means one or two people (me and/or Cheryl) are not having to do all the physical "boots on the ground" work.   We have found fabulous people that are willing to help where help is needed.  Sue A is helping with grant writing, Becky H is helping with newsletters and Stacey M is working on volunteer coordination.  We are on the road to finding more volunteers to help with fundraisers.   As this all comes together, I can work more intensely on marketing and promotion (and bookkeeping and accounting).

TNR kitties

We could not do any of our work without the cooperation and work from Avoca Veterinary Clinic in Avoca, IA.  We are pleased to add Dr. Victora of the Cass County Animal Clinic in Atlantic IA to our team as well.  Dr. Schultz and Dr. Victora are our WIFCaP heros in so many ways!

Our budget has grown to over twice what it was in 2012, but we have had the best supporters ever!  Along with auctions and other fundraisers, we have people that just send money.   Without them, we would be lost and would have to stop doing what we know is so important.  Thank you!

Kathy and AVCheryl were asked to speak at the Iowa Federation of Humane Society's Annual Conference in September 2013.   What a pleasure it was to stand before our peers and share what we do, how we do it and why.

In 2013 WIFCaP  became the recipient of donated food from Purina Pro Plan to the Rescue, Iowa Animal Resource Pantry and became members of the Best Friend's Animal Society Network Partnership. There is nothing like the feeling when this huge truck backs up to my garage!  Having this "store" of food helps us keep our outdoor colonies fed.  At this time, I am distributing approx 200 pounds of food per month (if I have it).  Many thanks to all of you that feed these colonies out of your own pocket when we don't have the food to give you.

Southwest Iowa Animal Coalition was begun and WIFCaP was honored to be a charter member of this group of animal organizations, all wanting to work together for the benefit of homeless animals in Southwest Iowa.

Exciting grant funding was awarded to WIFCaP and the city of Oakland Iowa to focus on the spay and neuter of their community cats.  We are extremely grateful to Gayle Strickland, who wrote the grant, the city of Oakland and especially the Pottawatomie County Community Foundation for the funds granted for this project.  Having the city council and the county foundation recognize and reward us for our work, by funding us about makes my heart explode!!!

Mrs. Gray

Last but never least, Mrs. Gray and Zeva remain the "pin-up" girls for WIFCaP.  All of our supporters watch them on a near daily basis through the eyes of me, Kathy.   I feed them daily and report with pictures and short videos how they are doing.  Zeva was born during the summer of 2011 and Mrs. Gray is probably a year older (she is Zeva's mother).  Zeva still lives in the foundation of an unoccupied house in Walnut and with the blessings of the owners, WIFCaP has set up a nice feeding station where she gets food and water daily.   Mrs. Gray has moved from the "house" to Kathy's front porch.  There, she has her own feeding station and shelter if she needs it.  It does appear however, that she prefers hiding out under the porch.  These two cats are the perfect picture of what TNR is all about.   They were a family of six when WIFCaP first started and the first group to go in for spa treatment.  Now there are two, only one residing in the original location.   TNR is about reducing the overpopulation of outdoor cats.  We don't know what has happened to the other four cats...either they have moved on, or they met their end.  What we do know is, that while they were around, they didn't add to the increase of outdoor kitties, that they lived happy healthier lives and that they were fed well while they were here. This is our mission lived out.

Zeva

 So a good year it was and a new one has begun.  We already have our first 20 spa treatments for the year under our belt and of these only 6 I had to go out and help with.  We have a volunteer meeting set up for next week in hopes to find more passionate people so we can help more kitties...

2014 will be even  better and we hope you will hang with us and watch what we can do in Western Iowa.
Click on our HOW TO DONATE button on the right sidebar to see all the ways you can get involved with us!

Two Years and Counting...

Happy Friday!   I'm sitting at the computer today with a calendar that has nothing staring back at me, no cats sitting in my garage or waiting at the clinic and a peaceful Saturday and Sunday on the horizon.   Given that I have some time to actually breathe, my mind realizes that WIFCaP celebrated its 2nd anniversary last month in a whirlwind of  trappings, spays, neuters with a couple rescues sprinkled in for good measure.

Rescued Kitten

I've been sitting here thinking about how and where we started, comparing it to where we are and what we are doing today.

Two years ago, Mrs. Gray, Zeva and the rest of that little family were newly fixed and their feeding station brand spanking new.  Mrs. Gray wouldn't even think about approaching me, let alone allowing me to stroke her, scratch her ears or allow me to spend some eating time with her and her daughter.  Who knew she would become the darling of WIFCaP, a superstar in her own right and a purrfect example of a feral cat living her outdoor dream life?

Mrs. Gray

Two years ago, I was whining on face book about why small grass roots efforts like ours couldn't get 501c3 status because what grass roots effort had the money to pay a lawyer or figure out the tax forms needed to gain such status.  Today, we are enjoying this status thanks to a wonderful foundation that helps the "little guys" that are trying to enter the world of animal advocacy!

Two years ago, I made a pact with myself that unless the donations came in, we could not and would not be able to continue.  Thanks to the wonderful people that I've still never met in person, who trusted us and risked their funds to help us get a start in TNR.  Today, all of those that started with us on the ground floor, are still there along side, encouraging and supporting in every way possible.   The money always comes when we need it and so far, Ive been able to keep my pact...and the work of WIFCaP goes on!

Two years ago when our hair-brained idea gelled and formed into what has become Western Iowa's Feral and Homeless Cat Program, I was hoping we could help cats in the Walnut - Avoca area.   Little did I know that in two years, we have been able to help over 20 communities in an approximate 50 mile radius of Walnut.

It's good to reflect.  It's good to remember, both the good parts and the sad.   While we celebrate the over 500 cats we have medically assisted and over 400 "spa treatments", we mourn the loss of even one small helpless creature.  Unfortunately, it's the losses that stick in our memory and leave a sore spot on our hearts. Its the hard times that force us to stay in the reality of our plight...we cant save them all, but we can give it a dang good try!

Amy, Linda and AVCheryl

I think today also about how thankful I am that God has allowed me good health and lots of energy.   Believe me, this WIFCaP journey is not for the faint of heart or weak of body and spirit.  However,  this is the best "job" I've ever had.   I get a "fat" pay check nearly everyday.  It comes in the form of those that help me...without Cheryl and Doc Schultz at the clinic WIFCaP could not operate at all.   They are my rocks!  Kris is my "level-er", keeping my fanciful mind and heart in check with reality and also being a great helper with marketing and social networking.  ALL of our volunteers...Becky who cares for 3 feeding stations, Cheryl, who feeds and cares for many at True Haven,  Linda who is ready to help at the drop of a hat, Sandy, Adrian and Amy who are the best foster mamas ever!  And all our new volunteers that are eager and waiting in the wings to help with future trappings and events.  It comes in the mailbox whenever there is a package that holds a donated item, coupons to help with food costs or a check that will help us do yet another spa treatment.  But mostly my pay check comes in the form of a frightened furry kitty in a trap, one that I know will now get the medical treatment it needs and deserves.  I never feel badly for them when they are in that cold, metal , scary thing.   They don't know it yet, but their life will now better...and its because of YOU...all of you, who are reading this.

And so we wrap up our first two years in "business".Whether you have donated time, money, items for auction, or even if you have only posted a comment of encouragement...we need you ALL and I, personally want to thank you for sticking with us on the WIFCaP page to see what a small grass roots effort can do! Happy Anniversary EveryOne!!

Snicker Gets His New Home...

Snicker looking gorgeous - pic courtesy of Kim Adams

I am so happy to announce that Snicker, the big yellow tomcat that was brought to us in April has found a home!

As any of you who work with animals know that  after helping hundreds of them, they kind of start to blend together and without a picture or some strong assistance, the names and faces are hard to distinguish in your memory.  Not so with Snicker.   He became my favorite at "hello" and I will never forget him.

A big, burly guy who needed some good meals, the hand of a good doctor lots of love.

Snicker had apparently been involved with some kind of confrontation that left him with a wound on his neck.  Untreated, it became a massive infection site that opened his neck nearly ear to ear.   Thankfully Nata G. found him and got him to us so that we could get him the help he needed.

Everyone, and I do mean everyone fell instantly for this gentle giant.


Our wonderful Dr. Schultz repaired his wound as best he could...stitching part of it together and allowing the remaining area to heal on its own.  This meant daily cleanings and treatment with medicine.  Snicker was a trooper and endured it all like the hero he is.

Snicker at the clinic - you can see his wound.

After many weeks, I (Kathy) brought him home so that he could have a rest from the kennel at the clinic and to see how he would do with other cats.   He was a purrfect gentleman as far as interacting with humans and using his litter box etc.   BUT with my two girl cats, he was aggressive.   After two fur-flying incidents, I decided he needed to be an only pet and back to the clinic he went.

One of of friends on our fb page came to see him at the clinic and decided to attempt to foster him herself.  She has other cats and at least one dog...Like a miracle, Snicker has settled in with  their family like a charm.  He sleeps with the humans and the other pets.

I have to admit that I secretly (OK, not so secret) wanted Snicker to meld into my family.   I love him so much and I am so very happy he has found a new home....one where he is taken care of and loved like he deserves!

Thank you Nata, for calling us about him.  Thank you AVCheryl, Doc S and Mallory for caring so for him while he was at the clinic and thank you Amy for giving him a try.  There was no doubt in my mind. the day you picked him up, that he was "home".

AVCheryl provided LOTS of love at the clinic!

Some think working with animals like we do, that we will either be an emotional wreck all the time, faced with decisions and the choices we have to make in the best interest of the animal, or we will be come calloused and hardened by these same issues and our hearts will become stone.  I think we are a balance...we make the hard choices with a tear in our eye and a pain shooting through our hearts,  and each pain that shoots through, keeps it soft and pliable so that when we see the GOOD that comes along, like the success of Snicker, we notice and we celebrate.

I will always Love my Snicker-Boy! Pic courtesy of Kim Adams

It is only because of the kind and generous donations of our wonderful supporters that we have the funds to care for sweet kitties like Snick.  Thank YOU to all who help us buy donating or participating in our sales and auctions!  We are a great team!

WIFCaP in the NEWS!

Our March 23, 2013 Adoption Event was a real success!  We made some new friends and as  result of the time at Orscheln's we were able to find homes for all four available kitties!

Walnut Iowa's Feral and Homeless Cat Program would like to thank the Walnut Bureau for putting us on the front page!

WIFCaP's 2013 Spring Spa Event!!

Thank you for chipping in! Every donation, large or small will help us to spay/ neuter and medically treat a cat in Western Iowa! Just click on this ChipIn widget to add your donation!

Western IA Feral Cat Program Going Strong !

Sharing our most recent Newspaper Article.  We thank The Walnut Bureau for allowing us to submit photos and occasional articles!

Western Iowa’s Feral Cat Program had a successful first five months.  Kathy Humann, who has volunteered her time to help feral and free roaming cats in and around Walnut has set up 8 active feeding stations where the animals receive food and water on a daily basis.  Donations have come in from local supporters as well as from face book contacts nationwide.  WIFCaP is currently working with the Mullin Foundation to receive their official tax status as a tax deductible 501c3.

But does Trap Neuter and Return work?  While its still too early to know for sure what  impact the program will have in Walnut, Kathy has gotten positive comments from  some of the residents close to the feeding stations. Some have thought the cats were gone, but because of the food they are receiving and the veterinary services they have gotten, the cats are no longer fighting and creating nuisances.

In five short months WIFCaP has vaccinated 24 cats, spayed 7 females and neutered 15 males!    The females could easily have had two litters next summer.  If each of the 7 spayed cats were to have a conservative litter of 2 surviving kittens in each litter,, our feral cat numbers could have easily risen by 84! WIFCAP has also been able to find homes for 7 stray cats.

Kathy is looking to build a volunteer base for fund raising efforts and for foster care of the occasional lost cat/kitten.  If you would like to help, please call her at 712-784-2660.  You can also follow the WIFCaP activity on face book at www.facebook.com/wifcap2

As Our Year Comes to a Close and a New One Begins!

The final 2011 edition of The Walnut Bureau came out last week!  On the front page, 2011 in Review included our very own Amber and Einstein!!!  

 Also chosen as a top story, was the creation of Western Iowa Feral Cat Program!

Here's a bit of a close-up of what the Bureau had to say about our program.

"Feral Cat Program Started"
Western Iowa Feral Cat Program was started in Walnut this year to provide a humane way of reducing the homeless cat population.  Best of all, it's all done with contributions.  The program receives no funding from the city, state or federal government."

  I'm so happy they included us as one of the highlights of the year.  Love how they emphasized that no funding comes from the city, state or federal government.  Like that's something to be proud of.  

This week I will be working on a year end review of our accomplishments!  I cant wait to report on all we've done!

A huge thank you to everyone that has been involved with WIFCaP in any way.  Whether it be an donation, adopting one of our lonely felines, time spent helping or even an encouraging comment on  face book.  We need you ALL.  We are hoping that you will stick with us through 2012 and beyond!  Just wait to see what we can do as we all pull together!

Bonnie is Home and All is Well

I picked Bonnie up this morning.  She did very well during surgery.  She's in the bathroom now, recovering for a day or so.

Bonnie is not feral.  Ive learned to tell the difference thanks to articles Ive read on the Internet.  Bonnie was crying and meowing in the cage and didn't totally freak out.

I feel she is most likely another stray cat that has been left in Walnut, by someone who didn't want her anymore or couldn't take care of her.  How in the world do they think that just leaving them outside somewhere is somehow OK?

I'm finding that we have a lot more of this kind of cat in Walnut than I realized.  We are not a shelter, but we have been able to re-home some of our tame kitties.  I have been contacted by another animal shelter a bit to the north of us that wants to talk about helping us out.  I don't have any details yet, but stay tuned!

Traps Are OUT!!!

We've positioned our two traps!  One is in the Courtyard of  Cheryls Shop to catch Big Daddy!  The other is now at Mrs. Grays House (feeding station #1). 

Our goal is to trap and take in two kitties this week.

I saw Mrs. Gray yesterday.  She was roaming around across the street.  I didnt see any of her babies with her.  All the food at their station is gone each morning and I can see the area they are using for a litter box.  So they are for sure calling that area "home".  I will leave the trap for two days and then bait it.

Big Daddy should be pretty easy to catch, maybe even today.  His trap has been out for several days now and he goes in and eats all the food each day.  I might be making a trip to the vet tomorrow morning!  :)

Mrs. Gray and her Babies Emerge!

This morning I finally saw Mrs. Gray's babies!  I replaced the food and water dishes with fresh and when I turned around, there were 3 of them at the corner of the house, peering at me, waiting for me to leave so they could feast!  I didn't have my camera, so I thought I'd go back this afternoon and put a little more food out and maybe get some pics to share.

This little one seems to be the bravest!  Isn't it cute???? Two others were right around the corner, patiently or not, waiting for me to leave.

I, however decided to go around the house from the front and see where they were hiding.  I think I just found their "house".  I'm thinking they must live under the porch and this little gray one is sunning him/herself on the front porch!

She/he did decide to wake up and take a longing look at the food across the yard, so I decided to leave.



One final look at the feeding station revealed that Mama, Mrs. Gray decided to show up and have supper!

I actually gained a LOT of info today.  There are at least 3 babies, maybe 4.  I 'thought' I saw 3 blacks, but the baby sunning itself is definitely gray.  They are all definitely eating and they do indeed live at the green house, under the back porch.  They are about 2 1/2 to 3 months old. 

All this to say...the trap goes out tomorrow.  I will place it next to where they have been eating and put a small dish of food inside.  My hopes are they will gain some trust in the trap and in a few days, I will attempt to trap one.

Also I worked downtown today for Cheryl.  She has a donation can on her counter and I got $5 from it today!  Yay!!

If you are reading this blog and your heart is melting for the welfare of these sweet kitties, would you please consider "Chipping IN" to help us take care of them???  If you dont have paypal, you can send a check to WIFCaP  PO Box 244, Walnut, IA  51577 

Thank you in advance for being an advocate for these helpless animals.

We Are On Our Way!

Our first informational meeting for Walnut Iowa's Feral Cat Program is set!

When: Wednesday July 27, 2011

9:30 am

Where:  Walnut Iowa's Welcome Center

This meeting will be informal and will give you information on TNR programs, opportunity for questions and of course a chance to volunteer
.

We are hoping for many to attend.

Thanks to previous donations, we were able to purchase two live traps.

We are on our way! 

A New Stray has Found a Home!

A few months ago, this guy showed up on my porch.  As hard as I tried, I couldn't ignore him, or not feed him, or totally and completely fall in love with him.  I named him Leroy Jethro Gibbs.  Named after Mark Harmon's character in NCIS.  I figured hes a tall, gray haired, blue-eyed handsome man...the name fits perfectly!


So he has been neutered and vaccinated and is acclimating to a household with 3 other cats.  He so wants to fit in and become part of our family.  He was starving when he found us and eats like a hungry dog.  I'm hoping that calms down soon, as the others  are nervously protecting their food.  I have to supervise.

This kitty is not a feral.  I believe one of two things have happened.  He either got lost and ended up on my porch or he was dumped.  I don't want to think that someone dumped this wonderful feline.  He is loving and gentle and quiet.  His purr is loud and comforting.  All he wants is a family.  Now he has one.

And the feral cat problem prevails in our little town.  And still nothing has been truly organized to take care of the problem.  Although we have found homes for some, spayed and neutered a few and attempted to feed some, we are not "up and running" and the thought of all that needs to happen is daunting.

My first agenda item is to hold an organizational meeting.  My mind gets overwhelmed when I think of all the facets of this project and I cant help but think no one will want to help and I will be alone, with Pam and Cheryl to try to do this.  I feel like I dont want to start if we arent totally prepared.

What we do have is the following:

• A wonderful vet that will spay or neuter and give the rabies vacination for a very reasonable rate.
• A volunteer to drive kitties to the vet for SNV (spay, neuter, vac)
• A source for some donated food. 

What we need:

• Cages for trapping
• Volunteers to set traps
• Locations for Feeding sites
• Volunteers for Feeding Daily
• Education to the community on the importance of TNR
• Encouraging community to Spay, neuter and vac their pets.

When I put it all on paper, it doesnt seem so crazy or overwhelming.  I guess its just taking the first step, once Im sure what the first step is....

More Good News!

I talked to Pott County Animal Control today. They have dropped off a new trap for us to borrow to trap some more kitties to get in to get fixed. They sound so kind and very cooperative in our efforts. I am happy and hope to get some of our babies taken care of before things get out of hand.

We received another donation! My sister visiting from LasVegas, NV gave us $25 to get one spay! Thank you, Kris! She saw first hand, some of our kitties and, just like me her heart was touched.

I have to admit, I am a little overwhelmed with this project. I'm not sure where to start nor what to do. I just know that I love these babies and that I don't want them to be trapped and euthanized. I guess we take it one step at a time... Step one was to get a vet....did that! Next, was to ask for cooperation of the county animal control...did that...! Now I guess we just start with the funds we have received and get TWO kitties fixed.

"A Little Did Ya Know about Cats"

With the inauguration of the new Pres in just a week away, this quote seems appropriate!

There are people who reshape the world by force or argument,
but the cat just lies there, dozing; and the world quietly reshapes itself to suit her comfort and convenience."
Allen and Ivy Dodd