Barn Cleaning

The barn door slowly creaked open on a warm and sunny November day. I peered inside, squinting my
eyes against the darkness. Beams of light pierced through the darkness amongst the rafters. It was the
first barn I’d ever been in, and it was filled with over 70 cats.

As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I noticed an object in the corner.“Oh wow,” I exclaimed, “It’s a hay
thing!”

“Hay bale,” Greg the senior volunteer corrected. “We need to winterize the barn for the cats with this.”

Sarah came in at that point, looking as stunningly authoritative and confident as ever. “You have to
make little beds for the cats,” she explained. “Make sure you compress the hay enough so that the cat
has plenty of insulation.”

At this point the feral cats which made the barn their home began to emerge from the shadows of
the barn. Black cats, fluffy cats, orange cats, all peering out at us curiously. I attempted to engage in a
staring contest with one, but Greg advised against it: “Some cats take it very seriously.”

The other volunteers were moving hay into hiding spots for the cats as Greg and I secured litter boxes
full of hay into the wall with a power drill. The cats began to appear more and more as the volunteers
started to fill their food dishes. Although the barn appeared completely empty when we’d first arrived,
the number of cats congregating around the food displayed how truly adept they are at hiding.

Either way, it was pretty impressive.

We took shelving units we built earlier and stacked them on top of each other, providing little cat trees
for them to climb on during the winter months. The room we were in had a heating system which would
provide a warm haven during the chilly Michigan winter months.

We secured the homes for the kitties, proud of what we accomplished.

“Hey,” I told Greg, “Is it okay if I run through the corn field?”

“Sure,” he replied amicably.

Stepping out of the big barn in the autumn sunshine, I ran over to the fields, recently plowed. Inky
Tinkerton, the resident manx cat, ran alongside me to play in the unseasonably warm weather. It had
been another great experience of volunteering at the Mid-Michigan Cat Rescue, and I couldn’t have

asked for any better way to embrace the warm fall day.

MSU students take over the cat house

On Sat., Oct. 20, thirty-three MSU students from the Pre-Vet Association descended on “the cat house” to help whip it into shape for the impending winter, and to play with the kitties.  They broke into many different work groups under the direction of regular volunteers and handled the cleaning and re-packing of the garage (despite many spider attacks), scrubbing the basement, quarantine, the kitten room, the office, the kitchen, the back yard, and the weed garden.

Just a few hours of individual volunteer time (they were here a total of three hours), and together, great things were accomplished for the kitties and their temporary home.

Heidi Vanden Berg

Sarah and CC kissing in the Tree

 Imagine the scene, we have just arrived at the Detroit Zoo after driving an hour and a half (after starting out late, of course!), unloaded all the cats & are lining them up putting them in their cages. It is general madness to get ready, people everywhere, rescues scrambling  around because they are way less organized than we are, dogs are barking incessantly or "walking" out of control on leashes. While several volunteers are placing cats in their cages, C.C freaks & bolts! NOT into his open cage like a good kitty but to the ground, under the table! Of course alarm bells among us go off! Someone hollers "C.C's loose!" I look around, he slinks past me low to the ground, I get my hands on him, JUST barely able to scruff him as he slithers through my hands and HE IS OFF!! Through our tent and the next! People from other rescues are trying to help corner him, others stand around dumfounded as if to say "Is that a loose cat?" He runs into the fence, through the pine trees, around the bend into another tent with Sarah in hot pursuit.  Now, he is in a DEAD RUN....  for the open patch of grass that only has wrought iron fencing, just wide enough for a thoroughly freaked out, formerly semi-feral cat to squeeze thru!!! and on the other side is 4 lanes of traffic & the "on" ramp leading to I-696. Luckily, he hesitates for a split second and thinks "Maybe the tree will be safer than the highway"...up he goes, and goes and goes until about 25 feet up & there is no more place to go! Now he is perched and poised to launch himself OVER the fence into traffic if he panics! Sarah is talking to him calmly from the ground, working hard at calming him and demanding his attention so he does not think about launching down and into the highway, she directs me to get a catch pole from SOMEWHERE, NOW and HURRY and Caitlin to get on the other side of the fence!!! So I am FRANTICALLY asking EVERY rescue "Do you have a catch pole?" Everyone says "No". I know she is thinking about the cat Max who was lost in the woods when she was 9 months pregnant with Shawn, he got out, ran to the woods and was GONE! (This is why the name "Max" is banned as to not remind her of the one furry baby she felt so bad about loosing even after she searched for hrs for him bare foot and pregnant in the woods) FINALLY, the Patron Saint of Rescued animals produces a catch pole from Oakland Co. animal control!! About 15 people are standing around watching, Sarah starts to climb the tree from behind C.C, hoping he will not launch himself over the fence as she approaches, Caitlyn is on the OTHER side of the fence talking to C.C hoping to distract him enough by just "being" where he would hope to land. Sarah has already said "If he jumps & you can't catch him DO NOT chase him into the road, we can't have volunteers hit by a car." (We all know what that means, he will be lost forever) By now Sarah has discovered she is not climbing an ordinary-looking crab apple tree but some native Michigan pricker tree with 2-3 inch pricker spikes coming out of the bark on every limb! She attempts to pole him 3-4 times but can't quite reach, she must go up another 4-5 feet, into the area where the branches are just slim enough to wonder if it will support adult weight. 3-4 more attempts of trying to slide the catch pole noose over C.C's neck WITHOUT catching the inconveniently placed branch he is holding onto in the noose as well and NOT holding on herself! FINALLY, she snags him, he struggles a bit then goes limp! She inches him down to her and snuggles him like she does ALL the babies-he is safe, she can breath, 15 feet up in the tree, with the catch pole still attached.  She hands him down and we get him safely in a covered carrier and Sarah climbs out of the tree!  No one is hurt......

  We place C.C under a table, in time out for the entire day!! Sarah is calm & collected, we continue to get our area ready for adoptions, thanks to Amy, Joann, Beth, her husband & exchange student, Bud, Mike & Greg we are already ready to roll. Not a thing was amiss in the MMCR area & we went on to adopt out 9 kitties to forever homes! Unfortunately, my camera was not available nor would I have thought to grab it while searching for the catch pole-A picture would have been worth a 1000 words for sure!

   

 And THIS would be the reason WHY you should sign up to help at this event...you never know when Sarah might do ONE MORE THING, just a little bit (more) outside of crazy all in the name of LOVE for our babies!!

Kimberly Allman-Griggs

The Gross Pointe Woods Hoarding Case

On August 4, 2012, Mid-Michigan Cat Rescue (MMCR) confiscated 75 cats from a home in Grosse Pointe Woods, MI. 39 cats were found in the house and 36 cats were shut in a non-ventilated garage. The outside temperature reached 90 degrees and the temperature inside the garage reached approximately 110 degrees. In looking at the outside of the garage, two legs and a tail were visible at the top of the garage door. A cat had been able to wedge itself there in order to cool off part of its body and gasp for fresh air. In looking at this with the owner, she stated, "That is how I got caught."  Upon entering the two-car garage, the stench was overwhelming. Cats were overhead in the rafters and tucked behind walls and debris. Further inspection revealed a kitten who was just hours old in the middle of the floor, covered in filth and barely moving. A second kitten of the same age was found; this one had deep puncture wounds from an attack from an adult cat. None of the cats had been altered. All of the cats were wild and completely untouchable. When the garage was cleaned out later that day, another litter of three-month old kittens were found. The house itself had feces, urine, litter, and old food throughout it. It was filled with household debris and clutter making it difficult to move around. The cats in the house were also unaltered and wild. Upon inspection, a litter of 4-week-old kittens was found under a household mattress; the owner was not aware of their existence. Due to the dangerous nature of the situation, every cat had to be captured with a catch pole. This was a very stressful, laborious, and dangerous process for the volunteers of Mid-Michigan Cat Rescue. It was also highly stressful for the cats. The cats were running around the stifling garage, climbing the walls and clinging onto the rafters. As the temperature reached unbearable levels in the garage, cats were panting and were close to immediate collapse. Two cats died after capture as a result of the culmination of years of captivity in awful conditions, heat exhaustion, and the stress of the capture.    The physical condition of the cats was appalling. The cats were infested with fleas; this produced severe anemia as evidenced by white gums. Many of the cats had open wounds on their faces and necks due to the constant scratching. The cats' internal parasite infestation was so severe that they were emaciated. Several cats had large bald patches due to allergic reactions and it was discovered that all of the female cats had already had multiple litters and were pregnant yet again. Due to the secluded environment, these cats were subject to severe inbreeding that resulted in many physical and mental issues.  Mid-Michigan Cat Rescue is a non-profit, no-kill organization that will take care of many of these cats for the rest of their lives. Most of them will be integrated into their feral cat colony on a 70-acre farm, where they will have fresh air and be able to feel the grass under their paws - two things that weren't available to them in them former home. The kittens and a few of the semi-feral cats can be socialized and will be put up for adoption. MMCR took on this hoarding case in the middle of kitten season when they were already at maximum capacity at all foster homes.   Thanks to community assistance, MMCR will be able to spay/neuter, vaccinate, de-worm, and have full medical visits done for every cat. To learn more about the Mid-Michigan Cat Rescue, please go to mmcr.petfinder.com. If you know of a hoarding situation, please contact your local authorities immediately. Your timing could save the lives of many animals that are in desperate need of help.  To contribute to MMCR's rescue efforts, please click on the PayPal button below or send a personal check or money order to:  Mid-Michigan Cat Rescue 1117 Tulip Street Grand Ledge, MI 48837 The kitties and I thank you for your help! Sarah Vicary

Hoarding Case: Raccoons!

Thursday, August 16th, 2012 the Albion MMCR house was overrun with volunteers helping to accommodate all the cats recovered from the hoarding case on the state's east side.

There was an assembly line set up to transfer all the male rescues from their temporary holding area in the basement to the first floor, where they were checked over, given all needed shots, numbered, tagged and had paperwork completed. Then the groggy males were passed to Dr. Joe's medical team where they were neutered and partially-revived before becoming a proud member of MMCR's feral cat community on a 70+ acre farm.

This is where I come in. My assignment for the day was to transport the carriers to the barn holding room (everybody has to have a skill) prior to their release later in the day. Another volunteer and I went in earlier in the morning to clean and sweep, when he noticed a pair of raccoons in an igloo-style dog house in the holding room. In looking around we also saw several more on a high shelf in the opposite corner of the room.

Now, this isn't a large open barn but a walled-off section about 20'x15' with one window, one door and no lights. Guess who can see better than we can. We continued to finish cleaning the room and decided to leave the cats in their carriers in the barn until someone came up with a solution for the raccoons.

Once all 36 cats had been transferred to the barn, it was time to kick some raccoon butt.

My thoughts were: steel-toed boots, Stihl 9 layer protective chain-saw clothing, heavy gloves, drugs from Dr. Joe (split 50-50 between me and the raccoons), and-- if MMCR has it-- a small tactical nuclear weapon.

I went back up to the house to see what was available from Sarah. She grabbed a 4 foot animal snare and said, "Follow me".

We went back to the barn and she proceeded to catch the two in the igloo with the snare and turned her attention to the high shelf.  She wasn't tall enough to reach up there so she grabbed a flimsy plastic shelf and jumped on it (if OHSA could see her now) and snared 5 more raccoons. My help consisted of holding a shovel, figuring I'd get one shot if one got out of the snare. The barn was now cleared and we could get the cats into the holding room.

Oh, did I mention she did all this barefoot, in blue jeans and a tie-dyed MMCR t-shirt? 

I got schooled yesterday on raccoons and I am impressed.

Hoarding Case! MMCR To The Rescue!

On August 4, 2012, Mid-Michigan Cat Rescue confiscated 75 cats from Grosse Pointe Woods, MI.  39 cats were in the house and 36 cats were shut in the non-ventilated garage.

The outside temperature reached 95 degrees and the temperature inside the garage reached approximately 110 degrees. In looking at the outside of the garage, two legs and a tail were visible at the top of the garage door. A cat had been able to wedge itself there in order to cool off part of its body. In looking at this with Ms. Qu, she stated “That is how I got caught.”

Upon entering the two-car garage, the stench of urine and feces was overwhelming. Inspection revealed urine, feces, and dirt coating every surface. Cats were overhead in the rafters and tucked behind walls and debris. Further inspection revealed a kitten who was just hours old in the middle of the floor, covered in filth and barely moving. A second kitten of the same age was found; this one had deep puncture wounds from an attack from an adult cat. The legs of a third kitten were found; the rest had been eaten. Both kittens later died. None of the cats had been altered.  All of the cats were wild and completely untouchable.

The house itself had feces, litter, and old food throughout it. It was filled with household debris and clutter making it difficult to move around. The cats in the house were also unaltered and wild. Upon inspection, a litter of 4 week old kittens was found under a household mattress. Ms. Q was not aware of their existence.

Due to the dangerous nature of the situation, every cat had to be captured with a catch pole. This was a very stressful, laborious, and dangerous process for the volunteers of Mid-Michigan Cat Rescue. It was also highly stressful for the cats. The cats were running around the stifling garage, climbing the walls and clinging onto the rafters. As the temperature reached unbearable levels in the garage, cats were panting and were close to immediate collapse.  Two cats died after capture as a result of the culmination of years of captivity in awful conditions, heat exhaustion, and the stress of the capture.

The conditions of the garage were such that we had anticipated multiple bodies after a long hot summer, but found none. Female cats can have 2-3 litters per year; we should have found many more litters.  Ms. Quinn had been taking debris out of the garage prior to our arrival.

The physical condition of the cats was appalling. The cats were infested with hundreds of fleas; this produced severe anemia as evidenced by white gums. Many of the cats had open wounds on their faces and necks due to the constant itching. The cats’ internal parasite infestation was so severe that they were emaciated.  Several cats had large bald patches due to allergic reactions.

At the end of the day, as we were preparing to leave, Ms. Q commented to MMCR’s director “I’ll be in contact with you again after I have re-stocked.”

Volunteering at Sarah's House

Last Wednesday I was able to help out for a few hours at Sarah's house in Albion. It was my first time volunteering there, so I really didn't know what to expect. The only information I had was that Sarah currently had 70+ kittens and was struggling to find enough time to work on social skills with all of them. Since I had just started fostering a little kitten rescued from a feral mother in my neighborhood, I thought I might pick up few techniques which would help me at home. On this particular day I received way more than I could have imagined... I was able to witness a miracle! A mother cat had just given birth to 3 kittens that morning. Sarah came in to check on the kittens and took one out of the cage that unfortunately had not survived. Or so we thought! Just as Sarah asked Kallie to get something to wrap the body in, the kitten gave a small sign of life. Immediately, Sarah began rubbing the kitten's body to warm it and breathed into it's mouth several times. She placed it on a warming pad and continued to work on saving this kitten's life. With Sarah's determination and encouragement, this little guy finally stabilized and was breathing! She then proceeded to work with the mother cat and the baby, until the baby finally started to nurse. It was exciting to be a witness to such an amazing event! I am so very thankful for MMCR and Sarah's passion for helping all of our feline friends, from the tiniest little newborns, the senior cats, the kitties with special needs and every one in between! No one is turned away. As a bonus, I was able to bring home a shy little foster kitten who needed extra attention and socialization. It has been a pleasure bonding with her as well as watching the two kittens learn to become friends and bond with each other.

Thanks again, Sarah and MMCR for all that you do!
- MMCR Volunteer
Laura Johnson

Charity Dinner at Mongolian Barbecue!

Tomorrow, July 30th, MMCR will be taking over Mongolian Barbecue of Okemos from 6 - 9 pm, and 20% of all proceeds from the evening will be donated back to MMCR! 

• Call the friends you've been missing and plan a dinner!

• Re-connect with family over stir-fry!

• Have a date night with your significant other!

• Bring the kids for an exciting make-your-own meal!

• Meet with other MMCR volunteers for a fun evening!

Mongolian Barbecue is perfect for everyone!  Customers pay per bowl and can create their own feast with a large variety of meats, veggies, and sauces.  Then, watch your dinner done stir fry style by friendly and fun chefs!  The experience is 100% personalized and can't be beat!

There will be a group of volunteers meeting at 7:00 pm, in MMCR t-shirts, if you want to come and join them, or bring your own party!

July 30th, 6:00 - 9:00 pm 

2080 West Grand River

Okemos,  MI 48864

Don't forget to tell your waiter or waitress that you are there to support MMCR!  We are hoping to get so many people there that it is standing room only - help us by bringing family, friends and neighbors!

Lets show them that we love MMCR!

The Joy of Adopting

Volunteering at MMCR adoption events affords those involved with our great organization to witness first-hand the ultimate goal: The adoption of our wonderful kitties. This past Saturday, one of our formerly feral kittens, Caleigh, found his forever home. Volunteer Kelly was there for the magic moment:

The woman who came to meet Caleigh was so sweet and so ready to meet him. It was very hard to get him out of his carrier, as he was very scared. Once we got him out, we placed him in the woman's arms. He calmed right down, shut his eyes and started nuzzling against her arm. Tears of joy started streaming down the woman's face. She said she knew he was made for her and she instantly loved him. It was so touching and so wonderful to see how a pet can bring so much joy to someone's life.

Be a part of the miracle of compassion: Volunteer today!

MMCR to the Rescue

                                                                                                                      

MMCR was contacted this week by an area animal control with a special request for help. Nine, eight-week old kittens were in danger of being euthanized. Each of the kittens either has or is expected to have eye problems that will require medical attention. Animal control simply could not afford to treat them. 

Without any hesitation, MMCR agreed to take in the nine babies, provide the medical treatment they need and find them forever homes!

What to be part of this wonderful organization? Visit our website for a volunteer application.

28 Cats in Two Days!

·         On May 19^th and 20^th, MMCR attended the Michigan Humane Society's "Meet Your Best Friend at the Detroit Zoo" event. We were located right by the entrance to the event and received a lot of visitors.  Even with being between two groups with lots of very small and adorable kittens, we had a very successful weekend. We found “only-cat” homes for several of our dominant cats where they can rule the house. Two special needs kitties went to homes that will give them the love and attention they need. A number of senior cats found great new homes to enjoy their second kittenhoods in!

 

Here are the kitties who found their new best friend at the Detroit Zoo:
 

Albere, Ashes, Baby, Bobby, Buthayna, Carley, Chandler, Cosmo, Eclaire, Elso, Flossie, Friskie, Gerber, Leona, Louisa, Magdelena, Magellan, Nala, Nova, Pico, Pong, Pretty, Snowbell, Tamara and Yuli

While all this was happening at the Detroit Zoo, three kitties found their new homes through the PetSmart adoption event on Saturday: Berel, Carys, and Cobin. 

This was the most exciting weekend that we have had in years! We are so happy about the homes all of our kitties found!

Adoption Follow Ups!

April 25th

Here are some follow ups on a couple of our recent adoptions!

Botan

just wanted you to know the boys are doing great. they went to the vets and are healthy. they are getting along very good with my other babies. thank you for letting me have them they are so loving and both are sleeping with me at night they only spent one day under the bed! thank you~

Jasper

He is very affectionate - he must know how badly we needed a kitty to love.  He seems to have made himself at home and adopted us as his humans.  (He loves to play in water.  He will sit on the edge of the tub and play with the water while someone draws a bath ) Thank you so much for recommending Jasper and for the heartwarming work you do.  My son, who will be 13 tomorrow, and I are seriously considering volunteering for your organization. 

Merrit and Paul 
Paul and Petey (Merritt) are doing AWESOME!!!!  We love them.  They are best buddies and play together all the time.  It has been an adjustment since our last two babies we had for 18 years and it all just seems so new and so much fun. We have settled into a routine and every morning they get their Fancy Feast treat.  Petey has actually trimmed up a little from all the playing him and Paul do. Paul likes to chase Petey. They are both so playful. We were expecting Petey (from what MMCR staff said) to be more of a lap cat but neither of them really want to be in our laps too much.  They sleep with us and do snuggle sometimes. They also both do GREAT with my small nieces and nephews; they do not run and hide when company comes which makes us very happy. Thank you so much for what you do and for our wonderful babies.  

Yoko

I just wanted to write to let you know that everything is going good with Yoko. I renamed her Yuna and she is the princess of the apartment. My boyfriend says she is a manipulative little girl, because every time she looks at him he has to pet her lol. This has led to arguing in whose lap she should sit while we watch TV. He is so jealous she almost always chooses me. she seems to be very happy and oh does she meaw when she doesn't see people. Lol She just loves being around us. She even won over my friend who is a total dog person and has a hard time getting along with cats. I don't think anyone around her can resist her charm.

Calinda
I adopted Calinda in January and things have been great ever since! She is the perfect kitty, she loves to play and she loves to cuddle! The vet says she is average size for a cat her age. It took Calinda about an hour to adjust to her new home, she was running around and exploring right away. she loves to play in tote bags, I always seem to leave them laying around after school and she runs right into them!

BB and Fred

Fred and BB adjusted extremely well when we first introduced them to their new home. They are crack me up. Every night they are playful and wrestle with each other. The vet said they are healthy as ever. I will have to send you pictures of them napping on the couch. Thank you very much for introducing these cats into my life!