Foster photos

They are getting fuzzier and fatter by the day. Their rescuers/foster home, who will be keeping their feral mom, have named them Billy (the fuzzy one) and Agnes. I think Agnes may become "Aggie" when marketed for adoption.

Too cute!

Gray Kitty and Beemer go home

Gray Kitty and Beemer were returned to their territory a week or so ago, after recovering from fight wounds (probably with each other). Beemer was neutered, so they should co-habitate more gently with one another. Gray Kitty was neutered last year, so he also received his booster vaccinations so he's a legal kitty for another three years.

Promoting cats

Spring is always a time for hope and reflection. (Bit of a cliche there!) More than New Years Day, I think spring is a better time for looking at what you've done well, and what you have not. For example...did you make it through the winter without obsessing about fuel or money to pay for fuel? No? Well, I guess we need to do better next year, then don't we?

Or maybe we should just lay back and soak in the sun...

Bo shows that he can be a pretty as any garden statue
.

Every year I am committed to getting all the older cats adopted so we have plenty of room for kittens. Did that happen? Well, I started out on a roll, but other commitments seemed to get in the way of working more online, having booths at local fairs, etc.

I'm happy to report I have fewer cats at one time than I used to. My place will fit forty. I assure you, however, that would be an overwhelming prospect, so I like to keep it well below 20. I currently have 16 adoptables (two in foster homes), which would be great...if only all of them were properly promoted.

Once upon a time, all you had to do to place a cat was put an ad in the local hard-copy newspaper. That was more than the local shelters were doing. But it's a new age, people. There is Petfinder, plus other adoption portals, Facebook, off-site adoption venues, Twitter, Pinterest, and shelters are doing a really, really good job of promoting their pets, in many areas (although not all). However, that does mean that independent rescuers can't sit just throw an ad in the paper and say "no cats in cages" and have people beat a path to their door.

Luckily with all these great social media tools, there are even OTHER tools that help you manage them. So I'm going to be spreading my wings into that area.

Bo and Davis need to shine their beautiful selves in a new home


I plan to experiment with management tools for Twitter and Facebook, as well as Google Analytics. If anyone has a great tool that has helped them manage social media, please feel free to share in comments!

Kittens grow up!

Aren't they cute? They'll be ready for homes soon! If you know anyone looking for a kitten, send them my way!

The fluffy one is male. He's more laid back and a tiny bit shy.

The gray and white one is full of it! She's afraid of nothing.

I think this is fitting.

The busy season begins

So we have a feral kitty in Van Etten nursing two kittens, two shy female cats that we just spayed that came to us from a nearby trailer park, and two boys (one neutered and one not) who are a little worse for wear this harsh winter. Beemer here is a newbie at a nearby neutered colony and he has a Thursday appointment to be neutered.

Here they are in their traps, donated to us by the Petco Foundation via their Cat Trap Depot workshops and Susan Rosenberg (who is now with Greater Good) and caught in just a few moments at feeding time by Valarie, their caretaker extraordinaire:

Gray Kitty, who was neutered last year, has a bite in his ear, probably dealt by Beemer, and needs his vaccinations updated.

Gray Kitty, while shy outdoors, likes having his chin scritched. I think he's on his way to being a friendly fellow and he'll likely worm his way into his caretaker's home soon. ;)

BlogPaws

Are any readers here going to the BlogPaws conference in Las Vegas? Please leave a comment if you are!

Bo fetches

I've been allowing Bo to come downstairs. He's a sweet cat who never picks on anyone, unlike his brother Davis, who will stalk poor Nellie. He doesn't touch her, but just the staring makes my home a House of Hisses which spikes my blood pressure.

I discovered Bo likes to carry a particular toy around. I would turn around and find the toy was often near me, even though I had moved from spot to spot with my laptop to work. Today I discovered he will fetch.

Sort of.



He's such a sweet boy. This weekend is "promotion weekend." I've been lax about getting these cats on all the different adoption portals. It's time to take some photos!