We are pleased to announce a "Sister Charity" agreement with Save A Kitty Feral Cat Program, Inc. of Parkersburg, West Virginia. Save a Kitty is another all-volunteer rescue organization that not only works with feral cats but also "free roaming" cats with a higher probability of adoption. They also have a shelter with cats and kittens available for adoption! And I must admit, they have a really nice website! Yes, I'm a little jealous of their website <grin> as many of our regular visitors and supporters can understand our past frustrations.
What does this mean? Well, honestly, it will have little impact on the day-to-day operations of either group. It will, however, give us both an additional resources when it comes to helping you, our friends, members and visitors. As we have expanded with more than two dozen Spots and Stripes satelite teams, we still get a lot of email and phone calls asking about reliable charities closer to your homes. Now, with coverage coast-to-coast of like-minded rescue groups, the chances of directly helping a charity closer to home continues to grow.
Both of our groups, and many others who follow the same principle of helping cats Four Paws at a Time and seeking nothing for themselves in return, rely heavily on you for your support both as donors and volunteers. Your gifts of time and/or money is always greatly appreciated, and desparately needed.
Please give them a warm welcome and whatever amount of assistance you can!
January 31, 2008
Sadly, we must report the loss of our dearest friend, Naomi "Liz" Lantz-Youmans, on January 20th. Liz was always cheerful and always brightened the days
of her friends and co-workers. She was a Founding Charter member of Spots and Stripes, as well as serving as our Secretary/Treasurer. A tireless fundraiser
who love all cats (even "The Demon Cat" Miss Jean-Luc) and always seemed to find more than just 24 hours in a day when her friends or family needed her.
We all remember when Mary and David got married, with barely two weeks notice Liz threw together everything beyond belief to make that day wonderful for
everyone. Then she took over the care of Miss Jean-Luc when they went on their honeymoon a few months later, laying rose petals all around the house. Even
then, Jean-Luc was a handful, but the two of them came to a little "truce" that week.
There is so much that should be said about Liz and all the wonderful things she did, touching many lives, and all the hardships she endured without complaint.
Our hearts, thoughts and prayers go out to her family and friends. We dearly miss her, but know that she knew how deeply she is loved still.
It was her wish that instead of flowers, friends of hers, and friends of Spots and Stripes, give a donation in honor and respect for her, to the American Diabetes
We are still in an extended period of mourning due to the loss of Miss Jean-Luc Kitte`, the first feral we rescued and adopted in 1994. On November 2, 2007, we came home at 5:00 pm and for some reason we went into the bedroom to check on our "babies," and found "Senior" in severe respiratory distress. She had long suffered from a thyroid problem - cancer - and had lost a terrible amount of weight, but not her spirit. In fact, only a couple days before she had disciplined Cygan, the gypsy, for blocking her path to the litterbox. We both knew the end was near that night, and there was nothing we could do but stay with her to the end. We put her up on the window sill in a vain attempt to help her get some fresh air, and her last valient effort was to get to the litterbox to pee, but instead we rested her on our bed and both of us stroked her and talked to her, probably comforting us more than her. Our beloved Calico was nearing her last breathes, but she was at home, with us, surrounded by love. Cygan (Polish for "gypsy") jumped up on the bed with us and sniffed her and kissed her head, and when she expired he let out a loud and prolonged sorrowful moan. Soon his cry was joined by the rest of our cats, not to mention those of mom and dad. The queen of the household had left for the "Rainbow Bridge" to wait for the day the rest of us join her.
She was known to others, including most of the veterinarians and vet techs as "The Demon Cat", "Cat from Hell" and caution tape always adorned her carrier and cage whenever they had contact with her. To me, she was my "Love Muffin", Guardian Angel, and the "Kitte`" who saved my life not once but twice. I still can't talk, write or think about her without becoming an emotional wreck - this moment included. Cygan, now twenty-two pounds and two years old, now sleeps by my side with his head on my chest, while Shadow takes up position by mom's side. Both, like Miss Jean-Luc, were rescued as kittens from the wild. Her loss is indeed affecting them as well as it affects us. She was the mother many rescued cats have known as mother, protector and disciplinarian. Through her, we learned what a "feral" cat was, and she taught us much more about cats in general.
Without her, Spots and Stripes might not have ever come to be. We learned so much from her about feral cats, the short lives they tragically lead (usually only two-five years), and the number of offspring they are capable of producing in a short time. One fertile feral female can produce, with her kittens, over 400,000 wild, unloved and unwanted cats in just five years. We also learned how some large "charities" talk a big game, but instead of helping cats they grow their wallets and purses fat. Shame on them! While they are pocketing literally MILLIONS of dollars with fancy web sites, paid professional fundraisers, advertising campaigns and big parties in mansions on Park Avenue, we scrimp by as best we can with what money we have and the donations we get from kind people like you. Over the years, both before and after Spots and Stripes was founded, we have spayed/neutered over 1,000 feral cats, and found home for hundreds of cats and kittens. What have the "Big Boys/Girls" done? Pocketed millions of dollars. What have they done for feral cats? Put up nice websites with a lot of information about how wonderful they are and what they'd like you to do to "help" them, and sent out millions of letters asking for donations, showing pictures of dead and maimed cats and kittens to shame you into donating to them. How many cats have they actually helped? I haven't found proof they've rescued one cat or spayed/neutered any cats. Talk and get rich is all they do, from their own tax statements. I'd venture to say in our home we have more rescued cats than they've ever saved, but all this in my opinion. Based on information they themselves provide, but still (for legal reasons), just an opinion.
Don't misunderstand me - we have found many, many small groups that really do help cats, from their own pockets just like us. And we encourage you to find them in your area, volunteer and donate to those that really do help cats or whatever little beings you love. We've worked with many groups in all 50 states and places around the world. We NEVER take a penny for ourselves, and we never can - it is in our "Articles of Incorporation" and by-laws. Yes, we have a lot of expenses besides vet, food, and other supplies directly benefitting feral and wild cats. To date, our founders have covered those expenses, like rent, utilities, gas and internet expenses. Every dime, nickle and penny donated by you and those like you goes directly to the cats. No one gets a paycheck.
Spots and Stripes, Inc., was founded by humans, but it is the legacy of one little calico furball born April 21, 1994. A little girl misnamed after a man, Jean-Luc Kitte`. Her loss is devasting for us, and will be for a long time. But in her memory, Spots and Stripes will continue to move forward to help wild cats, "Four Paws at a Time" when and where ever we find them. Please join us in this mission. Please make a small or larger donation. Please feed a hungry cat somewhere. Please, spay or neuter your own pets. Most of all, love your own "babies" and remember their lives are in your hands, and they trust you to always be there for them as they are for you. Make my rule yours: Never miss an opportunity to stroke your pet.
September 4, 2007 I've been accused of neglecting this website. Guilty as charged. The past year has been very difficult for me personally, and our cats as well. Donations are always something we can never get enough of, and we've put in more and more of our own money to keep the ferals fed and spayed. If you can help, it is always appreciated. Over 300 feral cats have been lost in the past twelve months. Extreme heat last summer, followed by extreme cold, cost many lives. We also had a terrible outbreak of feline aids in our biggest colony, and it has virtually been wiped out. It has been very depressing recovering bodies instead of feeding many cats I've known for years. That heartbreak is somewhat minimized knowing we made a difference in their lives and for once in those all to short lives, they knew human love, and they never went long with an empty tummy. We have now spayed/neutered over 1,000 feral cats, and still have not had any new kittens born in the wild, a major accomplishment. The number of new cats dumped near our maintained colonies dropped dramatically to only six this year, and between our own efforts and those of the Pierce County Animal Welfare Society, homes were found for all of them. Reports from Siberia confirm three new tiger cubs were born, and have survived, and poaching has been curtailed in the region our friends are protecting. That means we now have eight Siberian Tigers under watch. The three leopards and two cheetahs orphaned there are thriving on their reserves were they are maintained in a quasi-natural environment, since they could never survive on their own completely in the wild. There has been a strong growth in Spots and Stripes off-shoot chapters across the country. This is very encouraging, as more people get involved in actively working to control feral populations instead of euthanizing them. If you can make that commitment, it will be very rewarding, but also very costly in feeding and neutering wild cats. So for those that don't have the time and money to start your own chapter, please make a donation. Everything goes to the cats because no people are paid, and your donation will make a difference. Finally, for now, this news: We have reached an affilate arrangement with LifeLock, arguably the best Identity Protection Service out there. Our friends that go to http://www.lifelock.com and use promo code spotsandstripesinc will not only get a 10% discount, but Spots and Stripes will get a small referal. Also, you can click on the banner below. Check them out!
We are still getting situated with our new host and building our new site. It seemed like the dead of winter would be a great time to do this, as so many of the ferals in the colonies we maintain tend to find a warm place and stay there, so generally there is less work to do. What we didn't plan on was most of us coming down with the flu! So, it is time to play a little catch-up for our new members, donors, and readers. Spots and Stripes was founded by Mary and David Lemke of Puyallup, Washington, in January, 2004, after researching several of the charities they had been donating to over the years for wild cats big and small. What they discovered shocked and sickened them. Among the recipients of their generosity was an organization for feral cats - domestic cats that had reverted to wild after being abandoned. While this group was a wonderful source of information, they did little or nothing for the cats themselves! Reading their financials, they learned that of the slightly more than two million dollars this group recieved in donations, 1.7 million dollars went to salaries. $500,000.00 each to the two founding ladies alone! It didn't take a mathematician to figure out that after adding in "administrative" costs, advertising costs, and the cost of using hired guns to raise donations, that left very little for the cats themselves. So, when Spots and Stripes filed for 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, they actually had the I.R.S. Agent who was reviewing their application write a part of their "Articles of Incorporation" to state clearly that no Founder, Officer, Board Member, etc., could ever get a dime of salary for doing their jobs. Donations go to the cats, not humans. Very, very few charities can say that - if any! "Mary and I would do what we do with or without 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status" Mr. Lemke was quoted as saying. "501(c)(3) is more of an assurance to our donors, an extra layer of protection and legitimacy for them before they decide whether to donate to us or not." Doing what they do. What exactly "do they do?" you ask? Pretty much anything related to the welfare and preservation of wild cats big and small, from the Mighty Siberian Tiger in Russia to Bengal Tigers in India, to the plains of Africa and leopards and cheetahs, to the neighborhood's feral "ally" cats, Spots and Stripe's motto is "Helping cats Four Paws at a Time!" Currently, they help maintain five Siberian tigers, three African leopards, two African Cheetahs, and over 250 feral cats in over a dozen colonies in the United States. Feral cats are spayed, vaccinated, checked by a certified veterinarian, then released back into their colony where they are fed and monitored.
**********MAJOR SUCCESS STORY************
As of March 5, 2006, it has been 15 months since a single new kitten was born into any of the colonies under our care! Knock on wood, our capture-neuter-release program has been a smashing success so far! FACT: One fertile female cat can, with her offspring, produce over 400,000 unwanted homeless kittens in seven years!
More clumps from the Litterbox:
I watch one of my favorites, "Leeza", as she makes her way towards me. She gives me her traditional, voiceless open-mouthed "hiss" as she edges ever so carefully towards me. It is hard to believe she's almost a year old now, and pretty much on her own. Leeza got her name because she looks a lot like a Bengal cat - the domesticated Asian Spotted Leopard. I remember trying to explain to Mary how she looked, "kinda like a Bengal...Bengalish...Bengaleze...short, almost spotted, glowing golden-brown coat" She looked nothing like her brother, a scraggly-grey chap who always looked, well, like he'd been sleeping outdoors. They had two other littermates, both young ladies who appeared to be closer to Leeza's coloring, but they had a lot of white in their coats.
It was a late afternoon in April, 2005 when I came upon them. At first, I only saw two kittens, maybe three months old. They scooted down an embankment where a small stream barely trickled by. In the winter, the whole area pretty much would be flooded, and the water would rush under the road and on its way towards an eventual joining with the Puyallup River. As I peeked over the edge, I saw not two but four kittens huddled together near the water's edge, getting a drink of water. It didn't look like they'd eaten much in a few days, a tad on the thin side. "Lucky for you guys I got some food left over from the colony on the other side of the water", I remembered saying to them, knowing they didn't understand a word of it. About half-way down, they all went into full alert status. Who is this person, and what does he want? Maybe we should all run away now - he's getting too close! I wish mom where here, she'd know what to do! She'd protect us! Stand your ground, cowards!
"Easy kids, I get the hint", I told them as I paused midway down the trail, knowing if I approached any closer they would scatter. I had learned what I needed to know about them - that they were indeed feral kittens, born wild of a feral queen. "Dumps" would usually have come to greet me, or at least not been as aggitated by my presence. I didn't know where mama cat was, but her kittens were barely old enough to survive on their own. To me, that meant one of two things: Mom was no longer alive, or she'd gotten pregnant again and weaned these guys the hard way, cold turkey. Usually mom keeps her young a little longer, to make sure they can hunt and survive on their own. It had been a harse winter, and I'd lost the only feral cat I'd named, Molly, to the bitter cold and the failure to get her spayed. That was a pain I'll never forget. Molly was probably the sweetest ragmuffin I've ever known. We just couldn't raise the money to get her spayed, with all the natural disasters around the world - the tsunami and all the hurricanes - and the human needs and suffering, we had encouraged people not to give to us, but to the disaster relief. Now Miss Molly was gone, along with her kittens, lost to the bitter cold and the trauma of giving birth so young. If not for a strong support group, I almost gave up that winter. Now four more mouths to feed, and help to survive.
I openned a can of food, tapping it firmly so they would recognize that sound again, and placed the contents in front of me. Their little heads bobbed up and down to see what I was up to, and what I'd left for them. But not a paw moved in the direction of the food... not yet ... although I knew they could smell it. No one was willing to take the first chance. "Okay, I see how we're gonna have to play this. I'm backing up the hill now, but I know one can isn't going to fill all four of your tummies! I met you half way, no it is your turns! If you like that, you'll have to come up to the roadside for more!" I laid a trail of dry "kitty-kibbles" a few feet apart on my way up. At the top, off to the side of the private road, I opened a couple more cans for the "Gang of Four", taking a peek over the side to see them now face-down in patee`. I headed home slowly, glancing back and pausing to watch them eating at the top, and watching me back. Okay, fine. I know where you live, and you're gonna see where I live. Fair enough.
Over the next few weeks, I exposed the "Gang of Four" to several groups of new volunteers. They were close enough to our home, it made it easier to make them a starting point, and an end point, when breaking in new helpers. It was with great joy one afternoon we discovered the other two ladies caught in the metal cage trap we'd set for them. They would get their shots, debugging and deworming at the vet. After that, I had the perfect place to try to tame them - a friend who had the same experience and success at "re-domesticating" cats as I did, but had one thing I didn't: The room to do it. That just left "The Bengal-eze" and "The Grey" to tend to, and capture. Something that would be easier said than done, I would find out.
It wasn't for lack of trying. The fact is, they disappeared for several weeks. As the cold, rainy spring gave way begrudgingly to the heat of summer, "The Swamp" shrunk gradually down to a trickling creek, if you can call it that. What it meant in practicle terms was there was more land than water, and the distance between the colony on the other side, and the area "The Gang of Four" occuppied could now be traversed in a single bound, not a long swim. Colony A-1 was by far the largest of the 12 we maintained. At one point, there were over 200 cats and kittens residing in it, with more being dumped and born there seemingly every day. That had made it priority one as far as capture-neuter-release of the members of that clan. Like an uncontrolled cancer it spread over about a square mile, and each day we never knew who or how many would show up for feedings, or where we'd have to go to find the stragglers. We wanted a daily head-count, not just to keep track of the numbers, but to be on the look-out for any that might be sick or injured - or worse. Had the brother and sister found their way to the main colony? Had they been accepted in, or rejected by the colony? If mom were still alive, and living in the colony, she might hold veto rights on them re-joining her. Where were they?
Apparently, not far. Or at least they were smart enough to know where to return to. Not far from home, near where we parked our car, sunning themselves like they owned the place, brother and sister lay curled up beside each other. Of course, it would be on a day I was to deliver a young tri-colored "teenager" to her new home. "Stainker" had been dumped as a kitten, and was by no means a feral cat, at least not yet. A young couple had fallen in love with her the first time I showed her to them, and that love was mutual. But she had to pass *my* requirements, and so did they, before they could keep her. She had to have her shots updated, and be checked over by one of the vets we used. And spayed. The couple had to assure me they understood this was a live-long commitment. They couldn't just grow tired of her one day and just show her the door. It would be no different than having a child, with the exception that eventually the child will understand you, talk to you, and eventually feed and take care of itself. Now, I had a bigger problem. "Bengal-eza" was jealous! This was the first time she gave me her now-trademarked open-mouth silent hiss! Geez! You disappear for a month or two, and your the jealous one? I put down some dry food so the two of them could have a bit to eat while I made my delivery, which didn't take long. I had to see if the siblings were still around. Much to my relief, they still were lounging about when I'd returned.
"The Bengal-eza" was looking okay, but her brother, "The Grey", he didn't look so good. Thin and scraggly. And very skittish. This was going to take some extra care and time, or we'd lose him. But the two of them were inseparatable. Like the A.S.L. siblings we had, sis could do just fine without her brother, but he was lost without her. The Grey seemed to feel he had to watch over his sister at all times, while she vowed never to let me forget she'd seen me with another cat in my arms. "Hey, you won't even let me touch you, so why are you so jealous? Besides, if you knew I had my own "babies", you'd all be climbing the wall mad!" Over time, with a lot of special foods, The Grey began to fill out again, and a shine returned to his coat. He was getting healthier and heavier. And by now I was starting to call his sister "Leeza" instead of "The Bengal-eza" - a chink in my armor. I'd sworn I'd never name another feral after losing Molly. However, we could capture neither of them, as they still had a health fear of humans, and they probably witnessed their sisters being trapped.
They would pretty much come and go as they pleased, but always with each other. Either they'd both be lounging around, or they'd both be off somewhere for days, even weeks. Mary and I were proud of having saved "The Grey" and probably Leeza as well. They were both healthy and fit, although The Grey could sure use a grooming - he still looked worse than a hobo. But it wasn't until that Fall that we'd know for sure how healthy he was, and capture him to get him "fixed". The real surprise, though, was how it happened. Since my wife works nights and we have one vehicle between us, I often take her to work and pick her up. We hadn't seen Leeza or her brother that afternoon, but when I came home - well, let's say I found them. I found them "in the act" - and it angered me! For whatever made me do it, I jumped out of the car and marched right over to them without so much as a long-sleeved shirt on, and snatched "The Grey" by the scruff of his neck and carried him back to the car to a waiting cat carrier in the trunk. Not once did I think about this not being a very good idea - feral cat - teeth - claws - no sleeves - bare skin - no Kevlar capture gloves... All I can remember is telling him "And I brought your scrawny little butt back from Death's doorstep, and this is how you repay me? NO! NO! NO! THAT is NOT how it works!" It wasn't until I was back in the driver's seat with the carrier door facing me in the passenger seat that I looked over at The Grey and realized what I'd done. After a couple deep breathes I finally looked him in the eye and said "Well, that was easy!" HA! I was lucky!
Eventually he would "forgive" me for that little ride to the vet, but afterwards he soon decided to join the colony down the road. Now, it's just Leeza hanging around. She still comes and goes as she pleases, and I miss her when she's gone, and worry about her. When she shows back up, she's always a little thinner. She's spayed now, as well. Mary and I know we don't have room in our home for another cat - I guess that's part of why we take care of so many ferals. But I still kept her in "The Sterile Room", where we keep ferals after they've been spayed while the anesthesia wears off, and they have a little time to heal before re-joining their colonies, trying to calm her down. If we could have kept her, I don't know that she'd ever really transition back to domestic life. It is a full-time job taming one feral cat, part-time doesn't cut it. Not with other cats in the house that need and want attention. But she, and so many like her, in different ways, is what keeps me and the other volunteers going. Her open-mouth silent hiss always puts a smile on my face, and is just one of many reasons we are committed to helping cats, Four Paws at a Time!
