What's New?

What's New?

MEET THE KITTENS of SQUEE-TV!

Meet our 9-week old kittens, the stars of our 24/7 webcam: Squee-TV! They'll be taking part in our BIG FUNDRAISER on TUESDAY 8/6 at Salon Michele, 6 Queen Street in Newtown, CT. The kittens will be visiting from 12-2pm so make sure you stop by to say hello and get a haircut to support a GREAT CAUSE!

Thanks to Patrick Lomantini and his team, from BarkAID, 100% of the proceeds will go to our cat rescue program! We'll also have yummy goodies from DOrazio Sisters Bakery and some cute cat-centric goodies for sale. Hope to see you there!

CALL 203-426-4247 TO BOOK AN APPOINTMENT. Walk-ins are also welcome!

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$20 HAIR-CUT-A-THON To Raise Money for KA!

SAVE THE DATE!

Mark your calendars and don't miss out on a GREAT WAY to help cats and kittens in need, while freshening up your own look! Patrick Lomantini, a Master Hairstylist and his team from BarkAid, will be making Kitten Associates his ONE CONNECTICUT stop on his 50 States Tour! Patrick will be joined by the talented staff at Salon Michele, to offer $20 haircuts on Tuesday, August 6th.

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100% of the proceeds goes to Kitten Associates!

So if it's time to get a Back-to-School haircut or you want to try a new style, this is your chance to save money and help us save more cats in need!

We're also going to have a Kitty Boutique of fun cat-centric items as well as face painting by JeriAnn! We may have some special goodies available, too, so DO STOP BY and say hello even if you're not ready for a haircut.

Stay tuned for more details!

Meet our Newest Family!

Though everyone here at Kitten Associates is still heartbroken over the loss of our dear cat, Fred, we realized that the best way to heal was by helping another family in need. We got a call a few days ago to help a very young mama-cat who had just given birth to five tiny kittens on a sidewalk on a very busy street. Her life and the lives of her kittens were in danger. She had no one to provide for her and no shelter for her newborns. She was extremely thin, giving everything she had to her kittens, leaving nothing for herself.

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We named this sweet cat, Minerva, the Roman Goddess of Wisdom (though we call her “Skinny-Minnie”). Minnie was very wise to not hide her kittens so a good samaritan could find her and seek help.

Minnie's kittens were born on June 1, 2013 and are just over a week old today. Though Minnie and her family have many challenges ahead, they are all doing well so far, are growing and gaining weight. Even Minnie gained 3 oz, which she desperately needs to do so she can continue to provide for her offspring.

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If you'd like to see our family, you can visit our brand new web cam that runs 24/7! Just visit this link: http://dropc.am/p/N7S3no. With any luck everyone will be ready for adoption in early August!

If you'd like to help us provide for our new family, please consider making a donation towards their care. Use the Donate Today button on the right side of this page or mail a check made out to: Kitten Associates to: Kitten Associates, P.O. Box 354, Newtown, CT 06470.

Fred, Mascot for Kitties for Kids Has Passed Away

Our beloved, Fred, mascot of Kitties for Kids, died after a long struggle, with what initially was an unknown illness. After months of tests and treatments it was determined that Fred probably had Feline Infectious Peritonitis, which is a fatal disease caused by a spontaneous mutation of the corona virus. FIP is only determined after ruling out everything else because there are no tests for it, which is why we needed so much funding to search for a way to help Fred.

Only a month prior, Fred had been honored with the Connecticut Veterinary Medical Association “2013 Pet of the Year Award,” as well as being part of the team given special recognition by US Senator Richard Blumenthal for “providing compassionate and dedicated service” in comforting traumatized children, first responders, and caregivers following the events of 12/14.

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“We worked so very hard to save Fred’s life. FIP is a diagnosis made by ruling out other diseases. We spent weeks seeing specialists and trying different treatments hoping the results would not tell us it was FIP,” said Kitten Associates President and Founder Robin A.F. Olson. “Fred was a charmer, his high leaps made children giggle with glee, but the FIP, over the past month, robbed Fred of being able to move at all.”

“Everyone was rooting for Fred to survive. We had a saying; ‘Go, Team Fred!’” said Kitten Associates Vice President Sam Moore. “Tens of thousands of people knew about Fred’s story and many of them sent us messages of encouragement and love. We know if love cured illness, Fred would never have been sick for even a second.”

In honor of Fred’s passing, Kitten Associates is going to rename its “Boo-Boo & Sniffles Fund,” which they use for special veterinary care, “The Fred Fund,” said Ms Olson.

“Though I am devastated at losing Fred, a few people said to me that they thought maybe Fred had finished his work here and that the children who died in the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary needed him more,” Ms Olson explained. “That’s why, after Fred passed away, we tied a green and white bow around his neck so the children would know him when he arrives in Heaven.”

As a final gesture, Ms Olson and Mr Moore filled out and signed Fred’s adoption contract, formally adopting him as one of their own family. They wanted Fred to have what all Kitten Associates cats have—a forever home, even if in this case it was only for a day.

Fred passed surrounded by the people who loved him most including his brother, Barney, who survives him and has shown no sign of the illness.

Saving Fred

Our hearts are broken. Fred, the 10-month old mascot of our Kitties for Kids program, who helped so many children and their parents find their smiles again after the Sandy Hook Elementary Tragedy, has become gravely ill. What started out as a mild fever and some weakness in his back legs, turned into not being able to walk, not eating and growing weaker every day.

We NEVER euthanize our foster cats because of their Vet care needs, so we've been working tirelessly to raise funds to provide everything Fred needs and give Fred EVERY chance to live as long and as comfortably as he can.

Fred has seen NINE Veterinarians ranging in specialty from General Practioners to Internal Medicine and Neurologists. Most of the many tests have come back normal, but one test, a spinal tap, indicated that Fred may have the "dry" form of FIP, which is a fatal disease. Fred may also have lymphoma of the spine-which is treatable with chemo and radiation and may give Fred a good quality of life, but we need more funds to provide that care.

Fred gave so much to the children of Newtown and now HE needs help. Please consider donating, even the price of a good cup of coffee, to Fred's Vet Fund so we can continue to provide the top level of care he deserves. Your donation is tax deductible since we're a 501(c)3 Non-profit. THANK YOU!

Our Foster Kitties are Chosen as the Pets of the Year!

We're honored and delighted to be attending tonight's 2013 CVMA Awards Banquet where our kitties will be getting a Pets of the Year award for their work helping heal the hearts of the children of Newtown after the devastating tragedy that shook our town to it's core last year. The Connecticut Veterinary Medical Association, which was established in 1884, is a highly regarded organization, one whose recognition we are deeply grateful for.

Please join us in celebrating our good news and stay tuned for photos from tonight's event!

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Kitten Cam Goes LIVE!

We're thrilled to announce the Grand Opening of our LIVE Kitty Cam!

Now you can visit our foster cats seven days a week, 24-hours a day! Simply click on this LINK to visit our Kitty Cam! You'll see Bongo, our “tripod-kitty,” George, a fluffy sweetheart and Bunny Boo-Boo, who loves to JUMP (and seemingly vanish into thin air, but we assure you she's just jumping on the bathroom countertop). Make sure you watch our saved clips to see some of the cat's silly antics!

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Here's a clip from last night so you can see how well the Cam works in the dark!

… and don't forget to download the app for your Android or iPhone/iPad so you'll never miss a second of fun!

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BLIZZARD TEMP CLOSES KITTIES for KIDS

Due to the THREE FEET of snow we got after the blizzard hit on February 8th, the Kitties for Kids Program had to be suspended.

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Although the weather has improved, sadly the conditions in our long driveway have not. We're plowed out but the sloping part of the driveway is an icy/slushy mess and the bottom is a mud pit. We're working on making improvements, but if we can't get out, no one else will be able to, either.

We will take your contact information if you wish to visit our kitties and we'll get back to you as soon as it's safe to visit. Thank you for your understanding!

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30 and Counting!

Our Kitties for Kids program is off to a GREAT START! 30 people have already come to meet our kitties and they're all leaving here with a smile on their face and a sweet cat plush toy in their arms.

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Thank you very much to all the people who have been sending us plush cat toys and food and toys for our foster cats via our Amazon.com WishList!

We had a rough Holiday Season and weren't able to send out our annual Holiday Card or do any fundraising. At times like these it makes all the difference to make sure donations keep coming in so we can continue to provide our lifesaving services not only to cats, but now we can also offer a chance to heal to the people of Newtown, CT.

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If you'd like to be part of our team and help us with a donation to our Kitties for Kids program or for our rescue programs simply click the Kitties for Kids icon on the right or visit our Donation Page.

Thank you and Happy New Year!

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