San Antonio Feral Cat Coalition Community Cat Foster/Adoption Program: Grant Report

How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?

'- 195 FVRCP vaccines & syringes
- 3 tracking thermometers
- 13 bottles of broad spectrum worming medication
- 4 bottles of worming medication (pyrantel pamoate)
- 100 microchips
- 2 steam cleaners

This grant provided funds to improve the health and safety of cats and kittens in our foster program. We did not have steam cleaners or tracking thermometers, and the cost savings on the medical supplies and microchips allowed us to intake and save more kittens off the streets.

We have had a few outbreaks in our stores and are hopeful the steam-cleaning machines will prevent further issues. We have not had them long enough to evaluate at this point.

Microchips are an important investment, we feel, to ensure all cats and kittens adopted through our program have a chance for recovery if lost. We only adopt to people who promise the cats will be indoor-only, so this is an added benefit we provide in case of accidental escape.

How many pets did this grant help?

63 cats and kittens have/will receive FVRCP vaccines. 260 kitties have/will be wormed. 100 cats and kittens will receive microchips. The thermometers will provide assurance that vaccines are kept at optimum viability to enhance immunity for all cats in our program. The steam-cleaning machines will reduce/prevent the spread of microorganisms and parasites for cats in our care.

Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.

All cats and kittens in our foster program are benefiting from the grant through enhanced wellness and sanitation practices. This is the story of one lucky litter of kittens. Four kittens were first seen at 4 weeks of age by an elderly couple who called the San Antonio Feral Cat Coalition for help. The kittens’ mother was a feral cat who had her kittens in the couple’s back yard. (Mom-Cat has been trapped, spayed and returned to avoid repeated births.) One of the kittens was unable to walk and could not use her back legs. A volunteer took her to the vet, where a severed spine was diagnosed. She was humanely euthanized. The SAFCC Foster and Adoption program accepted the remaining three severely malnourished and parasite-ridden kittens. Petal, Peaches and Prince blossomed in the expert care of their foster caregiver. With the help of the Petfinder Foundation grant, we were able to provide timely vaccinations and worming medication to keep them healthy, as well as microchips to help find them if they get lost.

Petal, Peaches and Prince were posted for adoption on Petfinder.com, where they received a lot of attention! They were quickly pre-adopted, pending spay/neuter. Being able to provide necessary care and wellness support makes the difference between healthy kittens and the sad alternative. Thank you, Petfinder Foundation, for making a difference in the lives of Petal, Peaches and Prince!