Robin Olson's blog

The Accidental Feral

Poor Barry. Over a year ago he began to visit our home. We checked with neighbors and found out that one was feeding him, but didn't claim ownership. Since we already have a feeding station for feral cats we offered up some food to Barry, too. He came to visit every few days. We even got him a heated cat hutch that he shared with our feral kitty, Bronte last winter.

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This spring we realized Barry needed more than good food since he was vocalizing a lot. He also tried to break through a screen window to get at our cats. It was time to make sure that Barry was neutered so we set out to trap him.

We were finally able to trap Barry in September. He was neutered by our friends at Nutmeg Spay/neuter Clinic and tested for FeLV and FIV (he was negative for both). Barry also got de-flead and de-wormed and we found out he weighed 13 pounds. Barry is a BIG, STRONG cat. We think he's about 3 years old.

Barry in the Garage

Barry spent a few weeks in isolation to make sure he wasn't sick and when he was ready we brought him indoors. We realized early on that Barry wasn't feral. He must have been dumped and lost his way. Now we're making sure he's ready to be adopted, but until then, he has a home with us.

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Barry's a big, chatty cat. He loves to play, but he's so big he's a bit awkward when he runs. Barry's had his last winter outdoors. We want him to be safe, loved and keep that big belly full in a loving home.

Stay tuned to our page for updates on when Barry will be ready for adoption or just contact us at info@kittenassociates.org if you can't wait!

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Three Cheers for Kitten Associates!

We're so thrilled to have reached this important milestone and even more thrilled that nearly 400 cats are alive today because of our efforts. Our dream began with the hopes that we could make a difference, educate people about appropriate feline nutrition, cat behavior, and raise the bar on what a truly healthy rescue cat looks like.

We've had plenty of challenges along the way, some absolute heartbreak, as well as a few very big honors. This is our life's passion and we hope with your continued support that we will be able to continue on to our tenth anniversary one day.

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What we need now are FOSTER HOMES, VOLUNTEERS (to take on a variety of duties from simply playing with our foster cats to helping write Grants, set up events, plan fundraisers). Basically anything you can do well, I bet it would help us grow a stronger, more vital rescue, too! Please visit the VOLUNTEER page to learn more!

I'd like to THANK our Volunteers & Staff for their excellence, their compassion for cats, and for their friendship. We do this together-it really takes a village to keep the kitties fed and healthy.

First morning after surgery
Freya had a 10% chance to survive a dangerous birth defect. With round-the-clock care and a few trips to Boston for surgery, Freya survived and is about to celebrate her first birthday. We never let cost prevent us from caring for our foster kittens. Each cat in our care gets whatever they need, whatever it takes.

Also, a huge THANK YOU to our donors, who shared with us not only funds, but cat toys, beds, towels, cat food, medicine, covered vet care costs. You keep us afloat and we are SO GRATEFUL not only for your support, but your friendship, too. THANK YOU for being there for us on the dark days and for cheering us on.

2014 04 23 Mia and Boys
Mia, a stray feral, gave birth to five healthy kittens. If we hadn't stepped in, this story would have had a very sad ending. One of the things we love doing most is providing a safe harbor for pregnant cats or cats with kittens. After all we have to live up to our name!

As we begin our sixth year serving the communities of Sandy Hook and Newtown, CT, stay tuned for more announcements regarding just how we plan on celebrating our Anniversary (hint: you'll love it!).

We're Ready for Our Forever Families to Find Us!

Lucy (right) and brother Lolli (left) are among the many kitties we have who are still looking for their forever homes. Could you be the one?

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Perfect family-cat, Laney (center) with her kittens Lucy (left) and Lex (right), love their iPad game now that everyone is feeling great again. They all had the sniffles for about a week, but are fully recovered now.

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Lollipop (below) is one of Laney's other sons. He's almost identical to his brother, JellyBelly. The only difference is Lolli has a little white patch of fur on his chest called a "locket."

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JellyBelly is our sleek black panther with a silly single white whisker. He's very playful and along with his brother, Lolli, are our best athletes. They can easily jump nearly 5 feet off the ground! Jelly is photographed with his "niece" Piglet.

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Head over to our ADOPT page to learn more about these and our other available cats for adoption or fill out a PRE-ADOPTION APPLICATION if you've already seen your match!

All photos ©2015 Robin A.F. Olson • coveredincathair.com

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