"Foreclosure cats" ready for adoption
Rescued, vetted; many now ready for forever homes
Cincinnati, Ohio, July 17, 2007 - More than 50 "foreclosure cats," who gained public notice after being abandoned in the East End by an evicted man, have been rescued, given medical care and many are now ready for adoption into permanent homes.
The foreclosure cats will be introduced for adoption as part of the "9Lives Morris' Million Cat Rescue Tour" on Thursday and Friday, July 19 and 20, 4 to 6 p.m. at the Biggs at 5218 Beechmont Avenue, and the Meijer at 4825B Marburg Avenue, respectively.
Several of the foreclosure cats and kittens will be available to meet potential adoptive families, and others will be represented in a "Foreclosure Cat Book" of photos and stories. A professional photographer volunteered to photograph the cats, and more than a dozen volunteer artists are creating original drawings and paintings of the cats, for eventual auction to help cover the medical and other expenses involved in their rescue. Some of this work will be shown at the adoption events on Thursday and Friday, as well.
The cats were discovered by a rescuer in early May, apparently weeks after the evicted man walked away from his home without telling anyone about the cats and kittens trapped inside without food, water or medical attention. Several small rescue groups joined together to organize a community rescue effort. A website, http://www.foreclosurecats.org/, was created to solicit volunteers, accept foster and adopter applications as well as donations.
In cooperation with the Cincinnati SPCA, several veterinary hospitals who offered discounted services; Fannie Mae, the lender that owned the house; neighbors who live on the block where the cats were found; fosters and other volunteers who heard the story and showed up to help, nearly 60 cats were rescued or accounted for, including six cats and kittens who did not survive.
Many of the animals were sick and required extensive veterinary and dental care in addition to the routine spaying or neutering, vaccinating and microchipping that was performed as the cats were well enough. "While most of the cats are now fully recovered, jumping, playing and happy like any cats or kittens,” said Gail Silver, the rescuer who discovered the cats in early May, "we’re looking for adopters who are not deterred by imperfection."
For example, some of the cats have damaged eyes from respiratory and viral infections which went untreated for too long. Four sisters, Run-around Sue, Rambeaux, Tortellini, and Tabitha, were too young to be weaned when discovered, and have among them only three normal eyes as a result of having these infections so early in their development.
"But now, all they know is that they feel good, and are jumping around and happy," said Janet Corbett, who manages veterinary and foster relations for the project and has secured both traditional and holistic treatments to help the four kittens recover.
One cat, Fuzzy, gets along fine with only three legs. Mieke and Lily, two tortoiseshell sister-kittens who had developed severe abdominal infections, are completely recovered and hoping to find a home together.
Some of the cats were so severely traumatized and frightened, they were initially thought to be feral, or wild, and therefore not adoptable. Stradervarius and JoJo, both pumpkin-colored cats with green eyes, were so stressed when rescued that all who came in contact with them thought they probably could never live with families. But through close monitoring and the patience and creativity of their foster families, these and other cats who acted feral at first have proven to be tame, sitting in laps and purring.
"Sometimes adult cats who never felt safe or well a day in their lives, and suddenly do, act like the joyous little kittens they never had a chance to be," said Corbett. "Thanks to the care of their foster families and their veterinarians this is what we are seeing. Now the Foreclosure Cats are ready for their forever families."
For photos and more information about the foreclosure cats, please visit www.ForeclosureCats.org. For more information about Morris' Million Cat Rescue Campaign, please visit www.9lives.com.
###
Attached: Fact sheet, paintings and photos
Fact Sheet
Foreclosure Cat Project Partners
Pet Alliance, Inc.
Silver Bells rescue
Wildwood Pet Network
Foreclosure Cat Project Rescues
Neighborhood Cat Helpers
Purrfect Friends
Save Our Strays
Save the Animals Foundation
Scoop
Small Potatoes Rescue
Foreclosure Cat Project Veterinarians
All Creatures
Animal Hospital on Mt. Lookout Square
Appletree Pet Clinic
Blue Ash Evendale Animal Hospital
HomeVet (certified homeopathic veterinarian)
Kyle Veterinary Hospital
Liberty Veterinary Hospital
Loveland Animal Hospital
Pleasant Ridge Animal Hospital
Towne Square Animal Hospital
United Coalition for Animals
Foreclosure Cat Project Funding
O’Bryonville Animal Rescue
SPCA Cincinnati
United Animal Nation
The majority of funding for this project has come from individual donors
across the nation
What is needed now:
- Adopters to give Foreclosure Cats and kittens wonderful forever homes. Some of the cats will have chronic health issues or permanent injuries, including damaged eyes or blindness.
- Foster homes experienced with cats, including frightened or semi-feral cats, are needed for cats who might not have found homes when their time is up with their first foster families.
- Volunteers to transport cats or supplies.
- Donations for vet bills accrued to date plus continuing care, including ophthalmology and dental care for the cats who are still recovering from neglect.
Community education needed:
- This situation and the suffering these animals have endured could have been avoided easily if the guardian of the cats had asked for help from rescue groups in the Cincinnati area. Most shelters and many veterinary hospitals have contacts for area rescues, and Internet searches yield rescues for specific animals and breeds, for example.
- Spay and neuter could have prevented the rapid multiplication of what most likely started with two or three unaltered cats. Low-cost spay-neuter options are available, as well as financial assistance.
- Veterinary care for upper respiratory illness (common cold) that was probably minor at the start, could have been treated easily and inexpensively but has escalated to pneumonia, blindness, and other serious conditions for some cats.
- Dental care must be routine for cats just as for people, and serious health issues can result if ignored.
