From Depot to Domicile: Rescuing Tram Cats and Kittens
$982 raised
TARGET $1,500
Please support this cause
$
AUD
About
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TL;DR version: Please donate to help these TWENTY-ONE depot cats get socialised, receive proper medical treatment, and find their furever homes.
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Update 6 Feb:
Thank you so much for donating to help these beautiful depot cats and kittens find their furever homes!! Your generosity means more than we can say, and it has helped immensely in getting us this far along.
There have been a lot of unexpected setbacks (and expenses!) but we have made incredible progress and we know it will be worth it in the end!
Here are some updates since the MyCause page was last edited:
-Mika finally returned home after weeks of staying at the vets' houses. They took turns looking after him until he was all better (and they all fell in love with him, of course). He is back here with his brother and sister now and he is as cheeky and purry as ever!
-As of Wednesday (3rd Feb) all of the community cats from the area surrounding the depot have been desexed and given official homes!! This required a lot of liaising (and a little tough love) with the neighbours in the area, and we are incredibly pleased to have finally succeeded in this endeavour! This means that the depot cat colony should remain stable for quite some time. (There are rumours of two other adult males in the area, but for now we can breathe a little easier.)
-The three kittens with Feline Eyelid Agenesis--Moira Rose, Marmalade, and Mika--have another appointment with the specialist at the end of the month. All three are growing and thriving and are slowly winning over the hearts (and food bowls) of our family cats. We hope to establish a treatment timeline for them soon.
-Mischief went to his furever home and is doing very, very well!! We sure do miss his antics, but are endlessly happy that he is home now! His new best friend is his doggie brother and I'm told they are getting into a lot of trouble together (in the cutest way possible, of course). CONGRATULATIONS, MISCHIEF!!!
-All eleven kittens (six born to Ruby on 31 Dec; five born to Possum on 7 Jan) have been given official foster names and are growing up fast! They are an absolute handful but are positively hilarious and now that they are starting to eat solid food on their own, they are messier than ever!
-Possum, the terrified mum, is coming out of her shell more and more every day. She and the other mum, Ruby, are sharing the same space and even nursing each others kittens! Possum is allowing us to give her pats (especially when we bribe her with chicken) and spends a lot of time out of her pen now. It's taking a lot of time and patience but she's already come further than expected, so we know we'll get her there eventually!
-Bogie (mum of Marusha, Moira Rose, Marmalade, and Mika) is also doing better than we ever expected. She still hisses and swats the ground when you approach, but as soon as you touch her she melts into a purry, snuggly kitty. She is being transferred to a new personalised enclosure in the next couple of days so that she can have more room and more socialisation time.
-Best news of all: WE ARE OFFICIALLY WORKING WITH MANEKI NEKO for treatment and rehoming!!!! Maneki Neko is an incredible organisation and we are both overjoyed and relieved that they are helping us with this massive endeavour. Please visit their website for more info or, even better, check out their beautiful cat cafe in Preston!
---
Update 15th Jan:
A lot has happened since I created this page, both ups and downs:
-We found an incredible vet who is working with us to desex, vaccinate, and microchip every single one of the cats; several have been treated already
-Three of the kittens (Mika, Marmalade, and Moira Rose) were diagnosed with a very rare congenital eye defect, and will need to be seen by a specialist; they will require surgery or eye removal.
-Marusha found her furever home with a wonderful family. Her name is now Mavis and she is settling in beautifully to her new life alongside her siblings (both feline and canine). Congratulations, Mavis and family!! <3
-Both pregnant mums gave birth, bringing us ELEVEN more kittens! The total number of cats being helped by this effort is TWENTY-ONE (and the total number in our house right now, excluding our own furever kits, is eighteen)!!
-I am in the final stages of linking up with a rescue organisation who will assist us in the costs and, most importantly, in finding forever homes for each and every one of the kitties
-One of the kittens, Mika, had a very complicated desexing (he had a very complex case of cryptorchidism) and did not recover as well as he should have; he is on the mend but is spending the weekend with a vet nurse just in case
Needless to say, it's been very busy around here, and I've fallen a bit behind with updates/posts.
I started a Facebook page to document the entire effort chronologically from start to finish. Once I'm finished backlogging posts it will be updated any time we reach a milestone (or hit a wall, haha).
In case you're keen to follow share, here is a link: https://www.facebook.com/From-Depot-to-Domicile-Rescuing-Tram-Cats-and-Kittens-105295018196171
---
Original post:
Hey everyone, Monika here! Thanks so much for visiting this page and giving your time (and hopefully some funds) to this extremely worthwhile cause.
Those who know me have probably heard that I have been exceedingly busy trapping the street cats/kittens that live in and around the depot. This has taken a lot of time, effort, and patience--and a bit of neighbourhood networking--but it has been a big success so far!
I currently have SEVEN depot cats (five kittens and two adults) temporarily in my care while I socialise, vet-treat, desex, and rehome them. One of the adults is pregnant, though, so it won't be seven for long...!
Every kitty has come to me with ailments, from cat flu to near-blinding eye infections to worms to an absolutely unbelievable amount of fleas! (These are very minor health issues compared to what most street cats will experience in their lifetimes; these cats are the lucky ones.)
The good news is, they are all receiving treatment and are well on their way to making a full recovery.
Addressing these medical issues has been rather costly, however, as have the day-to-day expenses (food, bowls, litter, litter trays, towels, beds, more food, toys, cleaning supplies, more litter, even more food... kittens eat and poo a lot!) which is why I'm starting this fundraiser. :D
Every single cent donated will go directly to help these kitties on their journey to find a loving, stable home. Anything in excess will then be given to the rescue organisation** to help them save other animals from a life on the streets. (I will post pictures of all of the receipts, etc. on the Facebook album so that you know exactly where the money is going.)
I am happy to say that the kittens are all socialising very well. They are absolutely adorable and it won't take long until they are ready for their furever families.
The adult cats are going to take a bit more work; they have both spent years surviving on the streets without any real human contact, and thus will take more time to adjust.
Here is a public Facebook album of purrtastic pictures and bios so that you can see all of the beautiful beneficiaries of your donations and follow them on their journeys. (Hopefully the link works, I'm not the most tech savvy human!)
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=206774884392338&set=a.206774587725701
If you are interested in adopting, that information will also be added as soon as I have it (as it will most likely be through the liaising organisation).
In the meantime, thank you so, SO much for your donations. Even a small amount will make a HUGE difference, not only in the lives of these kitties, but in the lives of the kitties that would have inevitably followed (and probably seen a much worse fate).
You are doing an amazing thing.
Lastly, I want to thank everyone who has been such a tremendous help to me and the furry monsters throughout this process so far: those who helped me to trap the kitties, those who have already offered/given donations, those who have helped to spread the word for rehoming efforts, those who have contacted vets and rescues, those who have leant an ear when I needed to vent (it has been a very stressful process at times!), those who have done all of this and more... you know who you are. I appreciate you beyond words. Truly. THANK YOU.
(**This organisation will be announced as soon as all is confirmed. It's kitten season and most rescues are at capacity, so it has taken a lot of time and effort finding one that will help. If all else fails, I will pay for the desexing out of pocket, but let's hope it does not come to that because 7 cats would be HUGELY costly!)
TL;DR version: Please donate to help these TWENTY-ONE depot cats get socialised, receive proper medical treatment, and find their furever homes.
---
Update 6 Feb:
Thank you so much for donating to help these beautiful depot cats and kittens find their furever homes!! Your generosity means more than we can say, and it has helped immensely in getting us this far along.
There have been a lot of unexpected setbacks (and expenses!) but we have made incredible progress and we know it will be worth it in the end!
Here are some updates since the MyCause page was last edited:
-Mika finally returned home after weeks of staying at the vets' houses. They took turns looking after him until he was all better (and they all fell in love with him, of course). He is back here with his brother and sister now and he is as cheeky and purry as ever!
-As of Wednesday (3rd Feb) all of the community cats from the area surrounding the depot have been desexed and given official homes!! This required a lot of liaising (and a little tough love) with the neighbours in the area, and we are incredibly pleased to have finally succeeded in this endeavour! This means that the depot cat colony should remain stable for quite some time. (There are rumours of two other adult males in the area, but for now we can breathe a little easier.)
-The three kittens with Feline Eyelid Agenesis--Moira Rose, Marmalade, and Mika--have another appointment with the specialist at the end of the month. All three are growing and thriving and are slowly winning over the hearts (and food bowls) of our family cats. We hope to establish a treatment timeline for them soon.
-Mischief went to his furever home and is doing very, very well!! We sure do miss his antics, but are endlessly happy that he is home now! His new best friend is his doggie brother and I'm told they are getting into a lot of trouble together (in the cutest way possible, of course). CONGRATULATIONS, MISCHIEF!!!
-All eleven kittens (six born to Ruby on 31 Dec; five born to Possum on 7 Jan) have been given official foster names and are growing up fast! They are an absolute handful but are positively hilarious and now that they are starting to eat solid food on their own, they are messier than ever!
-Possum, the terrified mum, is coming out of her shell more and more every day. She and the other mum, Ruby, are sharing the same space and even nursing each others kittens! Possum is allowing us to give her pats (especially when we bribe her with chicken) and spends a lot of time out of her pen now. It's taking a lot of time and patience but she's already come further than expected, so we know we'll get her there eventually!
-Bogie (mum of Marusha, Moira Rose, Marmalade, and Mika) is also doing better than we ever expected. She still hisses and swats the ground when you approach, but as soon as you touch her she melts into a purry, snuggly kitty. She is being transferred to a new personalised enclosure in the next couple of days so that she can have more room and more socialisation time.
-Best news of all: WE ARE OFFICIALLY WORKING WITH MANEKI NEKO for treatment and rehoming!!!! Maneki Neko is an incredible organisation and we are both overjoyed and relieved that they are helping us with this massive endeavour. Please visit their website for more info or, even better, check out their beautiful cat cafe in Preston!
---
Update 15th Jan:
A lot has happened since I created this page, both ups and downs:
-We found an incredible vet who is working with us to desex, vaccinate, and microchip every single one of the cats; several have been treated already
-Three of the kittens (Mika, Marmalade, and Moira Rose) were diagnosed with a very rare congenital eye defect, and will need to be seen by a specialist; they will require surgery or eye removal.
-Marusha found her furever home with a wonderful family. Her name is now Mavis and she is settling in beautifully to her new life alongside her siblings (both feline and canine). Congratulations, Mavis and family!! <3
-Both pregnant mums gave birth, bringing us ELEVEN more kittens! The total number of cats being helped by this effort is TWENTY-ONE (and the total number in our house right now, excluding our own furever kits, is eighteen)!!
-I am in the final stages of linking up with a rescue organisation who will assist us in the costs and, most importantly, in finding forever homes for each and every one of the kitties
-One of the kittens, Mika, had a very complicated desexing (he had a very complex case of cryptorchidism) and did not recover as well as he should have; he is on the mend but is spending the weekend with a vet nurse just in case
Needless to say, it's been very busy around here, and I've fallen a bit behind with updates/posts.
I started a Facebook page to document the entire effort chronologically from start to finish. Once I'm finished backlogging posts it will be updated any time we reach a milestone (or hit a wall, haha).
In case you're keen to follow share, here is a link: https://www.facebook.com/From-Depot-to-Domicile-Rescuing-Tram-Cats-and-Kittens-105295018196171
---
Original post:
Hey everyone, Monika here! Thanks so much for visiting this page and giving your time (and hopefully some funds) to this extremely worthwhile cause.
Those who know me have probably heard that I have been exceedingly busy trapping the street cats/kittens that live in and around the depot. This has taken a lot of time, effort, and patience--and a bit of neighbourhood networking--but it has been a big success so far!
I currently have SEVEN depot cats (five kittens and two adults) temporarily in my care while I socialise, vet-treat, desex, and rehome them. One of the adults is pregnant, though, so it won't be seven for long...!
Every kitty has come to me with ailments, from cat flu to near-blinding eye infections to worms to an absolutely unbelievable amount of fleas! (These are very minor health issues compared to what most street cats will experience in their lifetimes; these cats are the lucky ones.)
The good news is, they are all receiving treatment and are well on their way to making a full recovery.
Addressing these medical issues has been rather costly, however, as have the day-to-day expenses (food, bowls, litter, litter trays, towels, beds, more food, toys, cleaning supplies, more litter, even more food... kittens eat and poo a lot!) which is why I'm starting this fundraiser. :D
Every single cent donated will go directly to help these kitties on their journey to find a loving, stable home. Anything in excess will then be given to the rescue organisation** to help them save other animals from a life on the streets. (I will post pictures of all of the receipts, etc. on the Facebook album so that you know exactly where the money is going.)
I am happy to say that the kittens are all socialising very well. They are absolutely adorable and it won't take long until they are ready for their furever families.
The adult cats are going to take a bit more work; they have both spent years surviving on the streets without any real human contact, and thus will take more time to adjust.
Here is a public Facebook album of purrtastic pictures and bios so that you can see all of the beautiful beneficiaries of your donations and follow them on their journeys. (Hopefully the link works, I'm not the most tech savvy human!)
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=206774884392338&set=a.206774587725701
If you are interested in adopting, that information will also be added as soon as I have it (as it will most likely be through the liaising organisation).
In the meantime, thank you so, SO much for your donations. Even a small amount will make a HUGE difference, not only in the lives of these kitties, but in the lives of the kitties that would have inevitably followed (and probably seen a much worse fate).
You are doing an amazing thing.
Lastly, I want to thank everyone who has been such a tremendous help to me and the furry monsters throughout this process so far: those who helped me to trap the kitties, those who have already offered/given donations, those who have helped to spread the word for rehoming efforts, those who have contacted vets and rescues, those who have leant an ear when I needed to vent (it has been a very stressful process at times!), those who have done all of this and more... you know who you are. I appreciate you beyond words. Truly. THANK YOU.
(**This organisation will be announced as soon as all is confirmed. It's kitten season and most rescues are at capacity, so it has taken a lot of time and effort finding one that will help. If all else fails, I will pay for the desexing out of pocket, but let's hope it does not come to that because 7 cats would be HUGELY costly!)
Fundraising For
Monika Hakkinen
Help these seven (and counting!) depot cats get socialised, receive proper medical treatment, and find their furever homes.Funds Banked To
Monika Hakkinen
Fri, 5 Feb 2021
Anonymous
$ 100
Mon, 1 Feb 2021
Anonymous
$ 32
Wed, 6 Jan 2021
Debra White
$ 50
Wish I could adopt one Russell - but my other cats would not appreciate new roommates.
SINCE Dec 2020
15
Donations
$982 raised
TARGET $1,500
Please support this cause
$
AUD
Fundraising For
Monika Hakkinen
Help these seven (and counting!) depot cats get socialised, receive proper medical treatment, and find their furever homes.Funds Banked To
Monika Hakkinen
SINCE Dec 2020
15
Donations
Thank you for everything that you are doing!