Our 1st Year Is In The Record Books
September 30th marked the end of our first full Plan Year of cat welfare work.  It's been a time of nonstop learning -- shaping and reshaping programs -- and striving to make a difference for the cats of our community.  Here are the highlights of our work to date:

Feral Cat Sterilization.  Funding the costs of sterilizing managed feral cat colonies is our most important work.  Over 80% of the kittens adopted out as companion cats each year are the offspring of feral cats.  Until their numbers get under control, we will continue to have more cats and kittens available for adoption than we have homes. > to date we have fixed about 560 cats living in 115 different colonies.

Older Cat Program.  We've helped 28 elderly companion cats find a new life.  Turn-ins of this age group are generally considered "unadoptable" and are normally euthanized on intake at traditional shelters.  So far we have fostered 12 out to seniors through our Older Cats For Older People Program and adopted outright 12 others.  Not all placements succeeded and we presently have 11 living at our farm.  We'll be utilizing their lap-sitting skills next year in our CAT (Cat Assisted Therapy Program.

Volunteer Participation.  With the farmhouse up and running we're able to recruit volunteers.  So far the response has been overwhelming -- our elderly cats have 18 volunteer caregivers working 2-hour shifts to keep them happy!  They (and we) appreciate this help tremendously.

Winter Events Schedule
Jan 6	2-4pm	Volunteer Orientation
Feb 3	2-4pm	Volunteer Orientation
Feb 17	2-4pm	Feral Cat Management
Mar 3	2-4pm	Volunteer Orientation
Mar 17	2-4pm	Kitten Socialization

Planning For Your Cats' Retirement
If you're like many cat guardians, you feed your cats premium cat food, take them to the vet annually for a check up, and keep them indoors to protect them.  You're doing everything you can to ensure they'll live a long, healthy life.  In return, their love for you is unconditional.  They look to you for all their needs and give back a tenderness you'll share with few humans.

In spite of this loving relationship, if anything were to happen to you, their fate would be uncertain.  Why?  Only about 1 of 3 cats that lose their guardian find new homes.  If you have someone to care for your cats, you're fortunate, but even that solution is fragile.  Many times well-meaning individuals adopt the pets of friends or relatives who pass away.  Their intentions are good, but their life style doesn't allow them to follow through -- their spouse or child is allergic -- their own pets are jealous -- they travel too much, etc.

About ten years ago, animal welfare organizations started recognizing the need to provide for cats of the elderly and terminally ill when they can no longer care for them.  The pain of knowing their beloved pets would die for lack of successor care is an additional burden to one whose own life is hanging in the balance.  Specialized fee-based cat sanctuaries called "Cat Retirement Communities" have opened to address this need.  Individuals enroll their cats in advance and then, when they can no longer care for them, the cats are delivered to the sanctuary to live out their life.  Because of our focus on older cats, we have developed a cat retirement program too.  If you'd like to learn more about it, or receive a directory of other sanctuaries, just let us know.