Fosters, adopters, donations needed as cat rescue takes in over 150 felines in two weeks

More than 150 cats and kittens are arriving at Fort Collins Cat Rescue & Spay/Neuter Clinic in June from across six states, and with multiple foster volunteers on vacation, the cat shelter is in dire need of help from the community in placing these homeless kitties.

The cat rescue had planned three transports from areas with much higher euthanasia rates, including 13 felines from BARC of Houston, 50 from Merced County, Calif., and more than 50 combined from Southern Animal Rescue of Atlanta and Animal Rescue Fund of Jackson, Miss.

What the Fort Collins shelter did not expect were calls for help from its “No More Homeless Pets Network” partner Best Friends Animal Society (with 16 emaciated kittens from Arkansas), and a shelter in Kansas that is being shut down after multiple failed inspections (with 35 unaltered adult cats).

“We’re fortunate to be in a region that cares deeply about pets and sees the value of spay/neuter, but that isn’t always the case in other parts of the country,” said Sarah Swanty, co-founder and executive director of Fort Collins Cat Rescue & Spay/Neuter Clinic. “For this reason we receive multiple pleas for help on a daily basis from shelters that have hundreds of kitties facing certain euthanasia. We try to help when we can.”

The influx of so many cats and kittens in a span of less than two weeks, combined with many regular volunteers taking summer vacations, means Fort Collins Cat Rescue & Spay/Neuter Clinic is looking for several helping hands. Anyone interested in providing a temporary home through fostering, even if only one time, is encouraged to call 970-658-0793 or e-mail [email protected] to learn more. Extra volunteers are also needed to help with shelter care and cleaning; e-mail [email protected] or visit www.FCCRSNC.org to sign up.

Monetary donations are being sought to help cover veterinary expenses and care, as dozens of the felines are battling infections and parasites and still need spay/neuter and vaccines. Cleaning supplies, such as paper towels, bleach and laundry detergent, are also needed and can be dropped off at the Fort Collins Cat Rescue or Loveland Cat Adoption Center. Make an online donation or print a shopping list at FCCRSNC.org.

Another way community members can help is by adding a new cat or kitten to their family by adopting. The cat rescue has adoptable cats at multiple sites in Larimer County:
• Fort Collins Cat Rescue & Spay/Neuter Clinic shelter (2321 E. Mulberry St. #1, Fort Collins)
• Loveland Cat Adoption & Resource Center (621 E. Eisenhower Blvd., Loveland)
• PetSmart Fort Collins (4432 S. College Ave., Fort Collins)
• Poudre Pet & Feed Supply West – 1 cat (2100 W. Drake Rd., Fort Collins)
• Hank’s Pet Food Market – 1 cat (2245 W. Eisenhower Blvd., Loveland)
• Animal House Rescue & Grooming – 1 cat (1104 Vine St., Fort Collins)

There are also several special cat adoption events planned for the coming weekends:
• June 21, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. – Mobile adoptions at Dog Baths & Beyond (1221 W. Eisenhower Blvd., Loveland)
• June 22, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. – Cat Caravan Adoption Fair (Thomas M. McKee 4-H Building, The Ranch, 5280 Arena Cir., Loveland)
• June 28, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. – Mobile adoptions at PetSmart Northglenn (10600 Melody Dr., Northglenn)

More information about adopting can be found online at FCCRSNC.org, or by calling the Fort Collins shelter at 970-484-8516 or the Loveland adoption center at 970-669-1689.

“We are a community of animal lovers who don’t want to see animals die due to homelessness,” Swanty said. “Our community stepped up to help us save many additional lives during the devastating floods, and we know they will step up again in this situation.”

Fort Collins Cat Rescue & Spay/Neuter Clinic regularly assists rescue groups nationwide by taking in cats and kittens that have nowhere else to go. Its efforts to help with a sanctuary-turned-hoarding case in California last year garnered FCCRSNC a feature article in Best Friends Animal Society’s monthly “Best Friends Magazine” in January.