Wild!

Wild kitten taming is a favorite pastime.  "Wild" cats are called "Feral".  They haven't had the benefit of human interaction and are extremely fearful and even dangerous.  They can bite and scratch.  These three little monsters were trapped in a backyard.  The homeowner saw then scurrying around and started feeding them.  They are just little babies, maybe 6 weeks old.  The weather here is getting cold now and their chances of survival and likelihood of becoming prey to bigger animals, cars or just the elements are stacked against them.  I wore welding gloves to move them from the carrier to the large kennel in my basement where I do my taming - magic.

Day 1 - they hiss, spat and scurry away from me.  I talk quietly and whoo them with my yummy food and kitten milk.  Revolution is applied to ensure they are mite, flea and tick free.

Day 2 - they hiss and watch me cautiously.  I touch each one briefly on the top of the head and speak reassuringly.  I leave all the lights on and doors open so they can hear the sounds of my home...children, dogs, tv, people etc.

Day 3 - I cautiously stroke each one.  The darkest tabby, purrs quietly and pushes his head into my hand!  EEEEK!  Then I wreck their trust by giving them shots and dewormer...yuck.

Day 4 - I stroke each kitten, rub them under their chins and carefully pick up each one.  They hide their faces in my arm but purr and make eye contact.  I harass them as often as I can now and stop in several times a day to pet them.  New Moon (the boy) purrs as soon as he sees me now...

Day 5 - They play now when I'm in the room and purr as soon as I approach.

I bet in another week they seek the attention and crave affection.  This is crucial to their progress and hope to be able to adopt them into a home one day.  I hope next week to be able to let them roam the room, cage-free.

This is Twilight.  She has beautiful, luxurious fur.  She was the slowest to accept me and purr.

This is New Moon.  He was the first to purr and is playful and funny.  Here he is just hanging out in the kitty hammock.

This is Eclipse.  She is really funny and has super soft fur and striking markings.  She is very attached to her siblings and is usually cuddling Twilight, her sister.

These kittens are some of the lucky ones.  They will be spayed and neutered in the next few weeks and when a bit older and more outgoing they might be ready for homes of their own.  I do love the transformation from scared little, destructo-kittens to adorable, purr monsters!

NB

BIG Purple Sale a Success and Retail Hours now in effect!

Sunday November 21st OARS had its first Big Purple Sale to introduce the public to the great retail items we offer.

All items in our store have a small mark up to help care for the Orphaned animals of OARS, but with only a small mark up we are able to provide them to the area for better animal care.

Our Cat litter is the best we have found for the money.  At only $9.00 per bag for 40# it is a steal of a deal!

We now have fun OARS magnets and other saying magnets that you can display on your Car, Fridge, or Front door!

OARS has Drinkwell water fountains to help promote healthy drinking in both dogs and cats.  It helps prevent urinary tract infections and encourages playful drinking.  With the constant motion of the water it actually helps keep the water cool naturally so the animals love it.

The retail center also offers Clothing, Cat toys and Cat Trees!! http://www.orphananimalrescue.org/CatFurniture.htm

Consider stopping out one of these days to check out our retail area.  OARS now has Retail hours on Friday nights from 5-8pm!  Stop out!
Email Store@OrphanAnimalRescue.org for more information.

Sarge - he's large and in charge!

Sarge is super large and in charge!  I woke up on Saturday morning and the house was eerily quiet.  Normally there's the buzz of cartoons on t.v. or kids and dogs playing but it was silent.......

I was particularly excited this morning because of the new foster dog, Sarge.  My family has fostered dogs and cats for years but never one quite so formidable.  Sarge joined us a few days earlier from Lincoln County Humane Society www.furrypets.com.  He arrived on Wednesday night (thanks Steve for picking him up!) and was promptly neutered on Friday morning.

Sarge would lean into whoever was petting him.  He loves to play tug of war and is a true, gentle giant.  Sarge was a little bit challenging to walk, as his exuberance often lifted my 200lb+ husband right off his feet.

My dogs were a little intimidated by him.  But my fearless daughter, Sarah was in love!  It was impossible to restrain her and she quickly became his best bud.  I laughed so hard when I walked into the room that morning.  I asked "How did Sarge get you in there?" Sarah giggled back "Mom, it's the only way I could read without getting drool on my book!".....of course!

Sarge was adopted on Saturday to an amazingly, loving family with 65 acres to romp and play and a 125lb brother, Buddha to share his life with.

A Saturday Morning at the OARS Adoption Center

Just a few glimpses of a typical Saturday morning at the magical Orphan Animal Rescue Adoption Center... :)

Annaboo is always ready to help at the front desk... 

Who can find Frosty in this pic? 

Our adorable Sophie lounges in her kitty tunnel... 

Matthew Meowconahey hugged Rikki as they snuggled in the purple chair nearly all morning! 

Adorable dilute calico Sophie hung out with sweet calico Winnie on the kitty tower...

Fancy loves her kitty blankie on her kitty tree... 

Annaboo snuggles up underneath some of our kitty beds...

Josie JoJo the Grandma Kitty leads to SNiP

Josie sort of started it all.  While working with a lady off of Highway JJ in Appleton trapping her feral cats I met Josie.  I was driving by to check the traps and saw a cat sitting in the middle of the driveway, I pulled up and got out and she didn't run away.  I walked right up to her and was able to scratch her head, she walked under my car and settled down.  
I thought I had a feral cat on my hands so I crawled under my car, grabbed her quick and threw her in.  There Josie sat on the dashboard of my car staring at me through the window. With no carrier in my car I was not planning on bringing home an extra cat!  
I took her home, settled her in to a kennel with food and everything she needed.  We got her in for her spay and had her ear drained.  She had had ear mites for so long her ear blew up with blood from all of her scratching and head shaking.  Most of her teeth were missing from her life outside and she had to have some additional pulled.  She unfortunately tested positive for FIV, so she was moved in to the FIV room with all of the other positive kitties.  

Josie is still searching for that perfect someone to be lucky enough to love her forever.  She has inspired me to help other feral kitties get spayed and neutered and to stop the continued breeding.

I call Josie a Grandma kitty because when she gets excited and purrs her tongue hangs out.  The vet thinks she is only about 5 years young and with regular vet care can live a long and healthy life.

Please consider giving a cat like Josie a forever home, and if you can't do that, consider donating to SNiP to help other cats like Josie.  

~Corey

Orphan Animal Rescue mentioned in national pet blog!

Thanks to one of our wonderful volunteers Shawn, we got national recognition from Romeo the Cat's blog - where they are raising money for our homeless pets - on petside.com! Check it out here:

http://www.petside.com/petsideblog/2010/11/celebrity-pet-tweets-twitter-pets-and-their-owners.php

First OARS Spay/Neuter SNiP Run a Success!

Thank you to all the volunteers, especially Corey our SNiP Coordinator, for making our first Orphan Animal Rescue public spay/neuter run a success! 35 cats and kittens and 3 dogs were spayed and neutered through the OARS transport and the SpayMe clinic in Madison - preventing thousands of unwanted animals from being born! 

 Labeled crates lined up in the Adoption Center's medical room, ready for the transport to arrive

More labeled crates in the lobby 

Denise hangs out with Gauge, a young male Lab who was very ready to be neutered!

Thank you for everyone who is supporting us in our mission to change the lives of homeless pets in Wisconsin!