2014 year in review

Every new year's I like to do a little year end in review, and 2014 was certainly not lacking in stuff going on.  With the colony, all spayed and neutered and aging, most of the news is sad.  Every day when I see my ferals and they look healthy I'm happy but every year we lose a few and 2014 was no exception.  

Teddy the big old patriarch was having issues with his ears, bleeding and clearly sore.  The only solution was very expensive surgery.  We did an on-line fundraising campaign and thanks to people's generosity, raised enough funds for the surgery but sadly the old cat died a few weeks afterwards.

Teddy RIP

Pebbles died during last year's brutal winter.  He was always very wary.  I'm still not sure what happened to him.

Pebbles RIP

And tragically one of the newer cats, Audrey, was killed by a dog in the spring.

Audrey RIP

It wasn't the best year for the four cats I relocated to the yard.  Clara disappeared when things got busy and I found her two months later a kilometre away emaciated.  Miraculously she recovered and now she is living safely at a sanctuary.  The other two Penny and Bonnie, has passed their one year anniversary at the yard and have settled in.

Clara in recovery

One of my favourites, Stubby, got friendlier and friendlier, allowing me to pat him and brush him. With winter coming, I thought that perhaps he could be homed, so I scooped him up, got some dental done, but in recovery it was clear he was miserable inside so he's back "home" now, getting Fancy Feast.

Stubby

Our numbers are at about fifteen right now, it feels like not many cats at all. but I know that the losses are inevitable, but it's still heartbreaking every time.  I've also started feeding at two other sites too, one colony has 12 cats and the other 3 or 4.

Things were busy on the rescue side too.  About 25 TNRs, a dozen tame adults rescued and homed, and 50+ kittens.  Joanne gets the most kittens fostered award, she didn't even want to foster kittens, but had a litter in her bathroom almost the entire year, she still has two!  Some of the kittens were feral rescues, some came from Niagara Falls and I helped a woman in Bowmanville with almost 40 cats and kittens.

Kittens!

Pigpen, one of my favourites

Maddie, born outside, now in a loving home

A few of those kittens passed through my house, this one stuck, Bunny came in February from Niagara Falls.

Bunny

And the biggest drama for me personally was the 32 horrible days and nights that Buddy was missing for.  He got out through a screen one night in the spring.  It was a nightmare, thanks to an infrared camera we knew he was out there but we couldn't get near him.  We trapped and trapped to no avail, barely sleeping and then on night 32 we got him and Buddy was home.

Buddy sleeping at home

I thank everyone who has supported what I do this year, I couldn't do it without your donations, without the foster homes, the feeders, the transport, the kind words.  It is the community that keeps me going, I've met the most wonderful people doing this.  I can feel happy that many cats are in better situations due to that community, whether it's in homes, or spayed and neutered, or injuries treated.  So I wish everyone Happy New Year.  My new year's resolution is to help more cats!  But not adopt anymore LOL.  Oh, and to find a way to monetize cat poo! If not, then I need my own internet sensation.