You’d think Sarah and her BFF, Michelle, could go on a house tour without finding a dead body. You’d be wrong. Behind the red velvet rope designed to keep visitors out of private areas on the upper floor, was the body of a man, very dead.
Wil Threadgill wasn’t one of the popular kids in school. He was an outsider and treated that way. Wil ended up dropping out after his junior year. Charlie Harris remembers him but his friend and colleague, Melba, remembers him best—she had a huge crush on Wil.
For this month’s article, we’re going to introduce you to three beautiful cats who were saved by Feral Paws Rescue from the CCSPCA (Fresno), and all three have unique stories behind them.
My morning starts with immediate work. The leisurely cup of coffee is nonexistent during kitten season. The first thing I do is feed the many hungry bottle babies. I make the formula the night before to save time. Then, I have to clean the litter boxes because I do believe that the inside cats wait all day long in order to all go poop during the night. Next, I feed the outside cats. I have the cats that hang in the front, the cats that hang in the back, and the cats that live around the fringe of the perimeter. Everyone has their chosen area, and they pretty much stay there.
Valley Animal Center works closely with local animal advocate Brandi Sherman, CEO of Fresno T.N.R., an organization dedicated to the Trap-Neuter-Return of the feral cat population in Fresno County. Dr. Jamie Medina, veterinarian at Valley Animal Center, will spay or neuter feral cats rescued by Sherman. Some weekdays, Dr. Medina can spay or neuter at least one cat and dedicates one Saturday a month to spaying or neutering an average of 25 cats.
The month started with helping the residents of a small apartment complex with their resident “strays”. With one resident’s help we were able to corral the daddy of the group and get him into a carrier. I then took him home and transferred him into a trap. I also grabbed a young kitten who looked very ill. I fed and cleaned up the kitten and gave him a warm bed. However, the next morning he was gone. My consolation lies in the fact that he felt safe, fed, warm, and loved in his final hours … not die outside, cold, hungry and alone.
When my husband and I lost our wonderful rescue dog to an incurable heart tumor, I vowed to never get another dog. But, after a year, the house and our hearts felt empty and we started to discuss adding another dog. Finding ourselves at the county rescue we encountered a beautiful Lab mix. My husband was sure she would be snapped up and didn’t think we had a chance.
One mission of Feral Paws Rescue after pulling cats from a high-kill shelter is to find the perfect home for the cats who are deemed adoptable. Some cats who come to the rescue are shy, fearful of their new surroundings, especially after losing the home they were accustomed to, and others are naturally friendly either to their human caretaker, other cats or both.
The past month has been difficult. The sheer number of kittens needing help is overwhelming. There is a meme making the rounds that says: “It’s rude to ask a rescuer how many cats they have during kitten season.” When people ask me that question, I just sigh, shrug my shoulders, and say, “I don’t know.” In reality, the numbers for the past month have hovered around 23-27 kittens and cats.
Feral Paws Rescue regularly receives calls from the CCSPCA (Fresno) for cats they deem unadoptable or cats who are not adopted within their allowed time to be on-site. Often the cats are scared to be at the shelter so they seem unadoptable. Or maybe they’re too old or have a disability, so they’re tagged as rescue-only. Many just need more time to adjust, but Feral Paws Rescue is always there for them no matter what the reason.
