FELINE FUZZ. Forgotten Felines and Fidos, Inc. Quarterly Newsletter Summer Amazing Rescues

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1 FELINE FUZZ Quarterly Newsletter Summer 2017 Amazing Rescues So many people look at stray cats as a nuisance. Instead of lending a hand to spay or neuter through any of the low cost programs available, they choose to ignore or inflict harm to scare them off. This may be what happened to Clint, a friendly young orange male cat, who was brought in with a leg injury. His foot was turned sideways and he was limping. Xrays showed a badly broken leg that healed bone on top of bone, plus there are a couple of small pellets on his back and head where he was shot at. Through the help of Dr. Hodges at Valley Central, we will find the true extent of his injuries with hopes of saving his leg. Each day Clint looks at us with gratitude. You can see it in his face and hear it in his purrs. Anyone could have easily dealt with this friendly stray cat, had him neutered and rehomed, before he was injured to this degree. It is truly amazing that he found his way here. After being spotted eating with a colony of cats, he disappeared for a few weeks before he could be caught and brought to FFF. Many people get a bad impression when they see an older unneutered male cat. The cats' hormones allow them to grow large jowls (chubby cheeks), which become prominent around 3 years old. To those who don't understand it, the cats can look menacing. To those of us who appreciate that look, we think they are adorable! But please, neuter your males anyway! Jasper H. is one of those huge boys, with a head to match. Over the winter he was noticed by a couple who always spay & neuter the countless strays who wander through their yard. They noticed he was hurt and he favored his leg. Before he could be trapped, he wandered away, in which they thought to die. A few weeks later they found him in an old coup with straw in it. They closed the door, and that was the beginning of a new start for him. Being careful not to handle him, they were able to transfer him into a cage where he could be brought to FFF. Upon exam, it was clear his wrist had been broken. But due to the length of time it was left unattended, the break calcified and although his wrist looks a little larger, he uses it fine. That was made clear when he was using his litter box, like a good boy. Jasper H. is a mellow soul, super affectionate and surprisingly submissive. He is FIV positive (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus), which just means his immune system doesn't work as well as a cat who tests negative. FIV cats can live a full life and require no special care except love, good quality food, and a safe indoor home. Many cats have a difficult time getting adopted due to the misunderstanding of FIV. Help make this amazing rescue, an amazing adoption and come see this incredible hulk. Kitten season always leaves countless babies in peril. It is truly amazing to find a baby, just hours or days old, and have a dedicated volunteer to nurture it. Eggo was one of those newborns found lying on the ground. After weeks of bottle feeding and a lot of love, Eggo now has a chance of a long life head. Zena was another baby found lying in a driveway, who made it to 4 weeks old before collapsing from dehydration and lack of food. These are two more reasons we stress the importance of TNR for any outside cat that comes into your yard. Thankfully we have amazing volunteers who keep up this good work! 1

2 Available for adoption Timmy was a bottle fed baby, well loved and taken care of for 8 years until his owner passed away and his wife had to move from their home of 40 years. She could only take 2 of her cats with her, making the difficult choice to leave Timmy behind. He is a sweet, handsome long haired boy who loves attention. Albert, also 8 years old is Timmy's buddy. They can be adopted separately. Albert is very sociable and outgoing and craves companionship. Both cats would have had to survive outdoors on their own near a busy main street if FFF would not have helped. Persephone was taken from a hoarding situation where many of the cats suffered severe eye infections and eye removals. She came into the shelter with extensive hair loss and after testing, it was found she has allergies. We thank our foster mom Judy for giving her a great home while we worked through this. Her long haired coat is so shiny and luxurious now, it is striking. She will need to stay on her prescription allergy food, which we can assist you with. She is very active and playful! Rusty barely had a chance, first being born in a trailer park surviving on his own, and now testing positive for FeLV (Feline Leukemia). This skittish kitten eluded capture at 10 weeks old, and it was certain he was going to die out there with those runny eyes. But finally at 3 1/2 months old he was caught and brought to FFF for neutering and medication. He has thrived in his foster home. He is so gentle and loving and purrs all the time with excitement when he gets attention. He is enamored with every toy he sees. He is caged due to other cats in the home, so please inquire about this 6 month old boy. He has made it this far and deserves a real home. Simba was returned at 12 years old. Her owner didn t know that this poor cat needed to see a vet, not a shelter! Simba had a painful urinary condition known as crystals and a change of food was all that was needed to get this poor cat on track. It is so unfair to do this to an animal. Simba is loving, outgoing, and we will assist you with her prescription food. Please, please, please realize adoption means forever. Reese was an abandoned pet from a trailer park, unfortunately a very common practice. She has a sweet disposition, and is a very calm cat. Sadly, an injury to her eye now has her on eye drops every other day. She deserves so much better than what we can provide for her here. She takes her drops easily and would be a wonderful companion for any family. Simba (orange) and his brother Tommy (bl/wh) were returned after 9 years in their home. Their owners are moving out of the country. Whenever we get returns, especially at this age, it is the saddest sight to see. These beautiful boys are sociable and friendly and are used to an adult only home. 2

3 Adoption Updates Maggie was such a hit yesterday at my office. Here she is, when we got home, all exhausted. It's a lot of work making friends, being cute, and entertaining everyone. All I heard today was "When are you bringing her back?" Maybe next Wednesday after the holiday! She did very well at our vets office last night too. The techs were passing her around and loving on her. She's just such a sweetie. We love her so much already. Patches and Liddy Would like to give you all an update on "Our Girls". We are in Love with them and so is everyone who meets them. Little Debbie has a new name "Liddy". She is as curious as she is Adorable. She likes to play/tease Patches but they are quickly becoming BFF'S. Patches is definitely a little lover and an absolute sweetheart & sooo affectionate. We want to Thank you all ( & a special Thank you to Therese). You didn't know us when we walked in there but very quickly it seems we knew you for much longer. You read our minds and pointed us to the best little fur girls. Thank you all again for all you do for these animals and what you did for us. Purrrrfectly Pleased Debbie & Dave Screwball is now Leela (the one-eyed girl from the cartoon Futurama). She is the happiest and sweetest little girl in the world. I ended up needing to get her on another round of antibiotics and she finally kicked the cold, turns out she does have a little seasonal allergies (like me!) so sometimes she sneezes but otherwise is in excellent health. She loves to be held like a baby over my shoulder. I can hold her for eternity if it's up to her! Leela is also in love with her baby sister Squints! They are two peas in an adorable pod. Usually they are chasing each other and rolling around in a furry tumbleweed, but I have caught them starting to clean each other for a second or two before they start wrestling. They both love the laser pointer and the crinkle cat tunnel I got them. I also got the tallest cat condo I could buy, and they love to hang out in it. Sometimes Leela tries to get into the same cubby as Squints! I'm absolutely in love with my little fur family and I look forward to coming home to my two little one-eyed grey girls everyday. Amanda I adopted Ginny, a senior cat from the Crystal room here, in May. She was shy and scared. Now she is playful, lovey-dovey and meows for our attention. We love having her. I thank Forgotten Felines for taking such good care of her while she waited for her forever home. She is ours forever. Kathy Shelters can be no fun for feral cats We are looking for a few outdoor homes for some unsociable cats in need. They were left behind when their owner moved. These cats were well cared for and used to being fed, just not used to being petted. All cats are spayed and neutered and just need a safe haven with food and shelter! Please can you help? 3

4 Thank you to our younger supporters May 22 was another busy surgery check-in night followed by a visit from Girl Scout Troop 634 Slatington. This group came laden with items they had made for the cats--- homemade treats, cat toys, a kitty play house and even a cat scratcher made using recycled boxes from girl scout cookies. It was a fun evening and this time we did the group photo before any treats were shared. With the sweet reward for everyone just minutes away, it was a little easier to round everyone up for the picture. The cats were happy for the attention and were playing and doing their kitty antics with the group. New Tripoli Troop # 6131 visited the shelter May 15th. It was another action packed evening with surgery check-in and the girl scout visit following. We even had a sister, brother and some parents that came, too. This is a local group and it is always nice to teach young people about animals. For example; responsible pet ownership, how animals can get many of the same illnesses as people and about all the great services offered at Forgotten Felines and Fidos. As usual, I like to "tempt" everyone with snacks. They can look, but cannot touch until the tour is completed. As we went from room to room everyone was anxious to see what cats were in the next room. Then it was time to attack the snacks! Since it was a pleasant evening, there was time to run around outside and check out the goats. But wait, we hadn't taken a group photo yet!! Trying to get these youngsters to stand still long enough for a group photo was a bit like herding cats, but we did it. One of the young ladies whispered to me---"thank you so much. I had a great time" One of the moms sent a note, "Thank you for an informative and entertaining evening! And for providing lovely snacks!! " We love to share our knowledge and experience and the cats love the visitors! Pictured--Justine, Cara, Jordan, Tessa, Carolyn, Paige, Carmalina (sister) and Alex (brother, not pictured) Girl Scout Troop 303 from Palmerton toured our shelter on Sunday April 30. Not only did we have the young people, but several of the parents, as well. The group was so large that we had to break into 2 smaller groups. Of course, all the young visitors wanted to be together and the parents made up our second group. Everyone got to interact with the cats, learn about each "condo" and the cats that reside there. They also heard tales of how the cats came to be with us and the work we do at the shelter. Then it was time for refreshments that magically disappeared. And back to spend more time playing with the cats until it was time to head home. Wilbur and Harrison in the "senior room" really enjoyed their one on one attention. Pictured--Cheyenne, Lilly, Emily, Danica, Hailey, Madison, Blake Also parents Jennifer, Peter, Chris, Karen, April and Tracey Garage Sale Forgotten Felines and Fidos held a garage sale at the shelter on Friday May 12 and Sat May 13. We had a great turnout and the weather was beautiful; at least for Friday. Saturday was cold and rainy, but we still had some folks turn out. In addition to all the wonderful treasures for sale, we had hot dogs, barbecue, wonderful baked goods and both hot and cold beverages. We would like to thank everyone who donated items, helped to set-up, baked, volunteered to work and supported the event by shopping!! Through your efforts we were able to raise in excess of $1400. Thank you again for your ongoing support. 4

5 In Loving Memory Not many shelters have the ability to house animals long term that they can actually be called residents. So we want to mention a couple of them who recently passed and meant so much to our volunteers Chester was a handsome big brown tiger and at 8 years old he was diagnosed with cancer. He came to us after being hit by a car and needed surgery to repair his hip joint, called an FHO or Fermoral Head Ostectomy. Other health issues with his surrounding buddies kept this small group of cats together for years where they built a strong bond. He had a wonderful room with a fireplace type heater in the winter, couches and two large windows with birdfeeder action. He and the others thought they were already home. These guys get a lot of attention and love. We are grateful for the dedicated volunteers who continue to make these cats lives special. He will be missed by his friends, both human and feline. Schnuggie was here since he was 2 and we lost him at 15 years old. He came to us very unsocial, but not a mean boy and was brought in with others when their owner passed. At the time we had a large feral room with a fenced in outdoors and we had the space for this group. Laying in the sun or lounging in the air conditioning, they had the best of both worlds you could say. Over the years he became the last one left of 40 cats that were housed in that area, so he was given his own room as we revamped that entire section of the shelter. In his room he gradually tamed to where as an old man, he enjoyed sitting on laps and snuggling his face into his favorite visitors. Rest in peace dear boy. Ringer was about 2 years old when he came to Forgotten Felines in 2006, after being rescued from the streets of Allentown. He was deaf, had occasional seizures and many skin issues, which needed to be treated. Betsy was our resident dog when Ringer arrived and was very protective of him, alerting our shelter manager Sue when he had a seizure. Ringer enjoyed visits from all people. He looked forward to his Sunday walk with Robin, one of our volunteers, and the attention and special treats she gave him. Aside from attention, one of Ringers favorite things was to get a bath, he loved his baths! Ringer's health began to decline and he started to have trouble walking. An ultrasound showed he had a large tumor on his spleen. On Monday June 26, 2017 Ringer peacefully entered the rainbow bridge and was reunited with his friend Betsy. RIP sweet boy. All of us at Forgotten Felines will miss you. BENEFIT SALE Saturday October 14, AM-2PM First Presbyterian Church 3231 W. Tilghman Street Allentown, PA HOUSEHOLD ITEMS Unique Items Artificial flowers w/ vases Pressure cooker (new) Christmas decorations Champagne glasses Jewelry boxes 3 bronze tiered candleholders($450) CAT THEMED ITEMS Jewelry New greeting cards Picture frames Lamp, cookie jar Tape dispenser Wind chime Clothing Books Statues To benefit 5

6 PO Box 62 Germansville, Pa Board of Directors Dena Hankee Carm Biery Karen Sweeney Linda Becker Dick Bowman Sue Bowman Therese Podoyak Kristin Rotondo Mary Ann Schaeffer Jeanette Maucher,DVM Contact Us RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED This is Lucian who brought donations to the shelter. He is 9 years old and collected donations for our shelter at his birthday party. He collected $70, cat food, dog food, cat toys, and paper towels. Thank you Lucian for the much needed and appreciated donations. You are a special person. 6