On the 29th of February 2020, on a very cold, and rather wet and blustery winter day, volunteers from Felines 1st and Foresters gathered in a back yard in Gossops Green to erect a double foster pen. This volunteer event was kindly arranged and sponsored by Foresters Financial Community Grants, which enable families to spend time together, have fun, and give back to the community.
Step 1: Erecting the back of the pen…
Step 2: Building the bed boxes…
Step 3: With the bed boxes complete the runs could be added…
Step 4: A happy team with the runs complete…
Many hands made light work, and over the course of the next few weeks the safety corridor was added and the roof attached. Thereafter the windows were fitted, and finishing touches, including electrics, installed in the pen.
Today, even in mid-winter, the pens are warm and cosy. This double pen has provided a much needed foster home to 17 cats over the past 11 months…
The very first resident cat was Coco, followed by Holly, who was recovering from a severe flea allergy while in foster care. The next cat, Jeeves, was lucky to be rescued by Felines 1st. He came in as a stray with a nasty septic wound on his neck, which needed daily treatment and took several weeks to heal. We were delighted to get an update from Jeeves‘ new owners that he had settled happily into his new home.
Sometimes a very specific home is needed… FIV-positive Johnny required an indoor-only home, not only to prevent him being exposed to illnesses that might harm him, but also to prevent him infecting other cats with FIV. Regular updates from his new owner, who is now volunteering for Felines 1st, support the popular saying that “Dogs have owners but cats have staff”!
Fostering is hard work, but also very rewarding, and sometimes heart breaking. A very special resident who we sadly were unable to rehome, due to a sudden and unexpected illness, was beautiful, gentle ginger Fritz, may he rest in peace.
The latest residents in the foster pen have been Domino and her biological kittens, Mario, Oreo, Tabitha and adopted Emilo. This beautiful family have needed a lot of attention and care, as Mum was semi-feral and pregnant when taken in by Felines 1st, and couldn’t be touched. However, once she understood we were not going to harm her, she was curious, and enjoyed human company. Instead of releasing her back into the wild, we decided to work with her and the kittens. Domino has since been rehomed, and the kittens are making good progress in accepting being stroked.
We are very grateful to Foresters and the community that erected the foster pen, which has made such a difference to all the resident cats that Felines 1st have rescued.
That is such a lovely story… especially as I now am the proud owner of Domino!!!
To think she may have been let out into the wild and I would never have met her…and more to the point been able to give her a happy & stable life..
I know I have said it before..,, but you guys are just amazing… so sorry about Fritz how sad. But on the other hand …sooo many unwanted cats NOW have had the chance to have a happy and contented life in their new homes with loving owners..
. all because if ‘YOU’ fosterers …
at Felines 1st ….
:have made it possible!!
I’m sure the ‘local feline community’ must be really grateful!!!! 👍💜👍
😺😸🙀😾😿😽😺😽😸😿😼😺😺xx