FFRC Blog Week Ending June 6, 2026

On June 4th, it was National Hug Your Cat Day--while on May 30th, it was International Hug Your Cat Day! What two days? Ha, it's really every day of the year! Not all cats like to be hugged

But many do!

Adoptions:

There were no adoptions this week, but we have MANY kitties waiting for their furever home!

More info about adoptions from Megan:

Alaska. Arizona. Michigan. Massachusetts. Tennessee. California. Nevada. Florida. Indiana. Alabama. Illinois. Minnesota. Kentucky.

What do all these have in common? They're just some of the places that FFRC kitties now call home!  

You see, adopting a kitty from FFRC is not limited to residents of Ohio, we'll adopt them out to qualified adopters anywhere! As long as you can come get them! You'll need to do two things to get started:

1. Apply to adopt! You'll need to be sure you're approved before you start the journey, to ensure your trip will be worth the effort. You can list a specific kitty on the application or just come and let a kitty pick you! Once you're approved you will be able to come and adopt anyone who is not a Resident or currently on hold.
Adoption Application: https://www.fofrescue.org/adop.../ffrc-adoption-application/

2. Contact us! Call or email us and let us know you're coming. We'll be glad to work out the details and how to make the trip as easy as possible for you and your new kitty!

So, if you were wondering just what you wanted to do this summer, well, maybe a road trip might just be in order! See some sights, have some fun, and come home with a new best friend or two! Sounds like an ideal vacation to us!
Defiance Lodging options: https://www.fofrescue.org/about-us/defiance-lodgings/

Here's a look at who is currently available on this link and look through our profile to see adoption bios with new ones dropping every week: https://www.fofrescue.org/adopting/now-available/

Hope to see you soon!  

Pictured: Wispy, Eric and Popsicle's Mama! She is now living life as southern lady in Tennessee after her humans came and got her and one other kitty.

Intakes:

All of our pens are FULL!

Yet, late on Saturday, May 30th, we received a kitty at about 9:30 pm. This cat was in need of immediate medical care. The kitty was found in a good Samaritan's yard, who thought the kitty had already passed. Because we are so full, we gave the finder two options: euthanasia or take the cat back home. Two sad choices. The finder could not keep the cat, the remaining choice--not good. We tested him and found that he was negative to Feline Leukemia and FIV. We cleaned him up a bit, just to see if we could save him. Well, Megan decided that even though the Center is full, she would take him home with her to foster. He was crawling with fleas, severely underweight and the most dehydrated cat Megan had ever seen. He also has a very bad eye, which will need to be removed. We will have to wait until his overall health improves before he can have that surgery. This baby is about 8 months old, but at intake only weighed about 4 lbs. 2 oz. He is a buffy orangie. Megan worked on hydrating him and he slept most of the day on Sunday. He is doing better now, is eating (with his whole face in the food dish) and is much more hydrated. He finally had his first bowel movement on Tuesday. He loves attention and can be quite vocal if his food is not presented to him as quickly as he would like, just ask SonJa! He will be coming back to the Center soon.

We named this sweet boy on Tuesday. The names are from the Name a Cat Program. The choices were:

Fox Mulder 22%

Lando 52%

Rupert II 26%

197 votes

It was LANDO for the landslide win! Thanks Ju-In-Ji for submitting his name.

The photo below is taken from his good side.

Health Updates:

All of our kitties are doing pretty great, but we do have some upcoming vet visits:

CHICA will be going to Dr. Darcy's office on June 11th for a dental checkup.

BOWIE and ZOOKY will also be going for a dental on June 18th.

Bowie

Zooky

ALIKI is doing great and has earned the nickname of Sassy Pants! She is quite the Jumping Bean!

MURPH has stomatitis. This is sores or ulcers in the mouth. In most cases a full dental will take care of the issue; however, with Murph, he still has the sores. He is treated with an antibiotic every three months, but like with humans, the effectiveness of the antibiotic will lessen over time. You may see him pawing at his mouth when he is in discomfort. Murph is about 6 years old and is a gentle giant.

Center Kitty Moves:

We made a few changes in the housing arrangements since we are so full:

SCHMOOKIE & TAYLA,

WILLOW & LEMON

plus FOZZIE and SCHMIDGEN are all in Patty's place. It's a KITTY-PAW-LOOZA!

CHEWIE is in Hensley's Pen, because she is shy. She can see the kitties and will come out when she is ready.

KAYLEE is in Dodger's Pen. She likes her private accommodations and doesn't want to leave.

We have moved PHILOMENA and her 5 babies to June's Room so that they all have more room to play.

They're bigger now and running around.

Center Kitties:

OTTER and BUEHLER helping during Tuesday's Box Day.

WERLOR taking a nap and getting weighed at the same time. He knows how to multi-task.

EGYPT surveying his kingdom.

Here are our Welcome Room greeters, THOR and POPSICLE, laying down on the job.

Holds:

There is a very special hold in the making. RAISIN and WIBBLES will become Vegas Babies! That's right, JUDE'S mommy is looking for some more friends for him. No date has been determined yet but stay tuned for more updates!

Meet the Porchies!

This is from our recent Facebook post:

The cats that live in the backyard are mostly “friendly strays,” having been “dumped” on the Rescue Center property or simply having found their own way here. Like all cats that live on the grounds, they are fully vaccinated, tested for FIV/FeLV, and spayed/neutered. They have 24/7 access to the sun porch via a small pet door where they have food, water, and cat furniture to lounge on. In the winter they have heated beds and mats available on the sun porch as well. They also have Porchie Haven which is a wonderful small building with heated lamps and lots of cushies. In the nice weather, we can open the windows! They are very friendly and can be found waiting for our many visitors who come to the rescue center. They love to be petted and have  their chins scratched. Try as we might, they refuse to become “indoor only” cats due to spraying and just general unhappiness at being confined, so as with the residents of Cats’ Cove and The House that Jonah Built, we do what we can to keep them healthy AND happy. They are known as The Porchies. 
Current Porchies:
Azreal
Betty
Cooper
Jughead 
Jimmy James
Millie 
Sargent
Zavatar
A few fun facts:
Azreal is the hostess of our "Kitty Kastle" where visitors sometimes stay.
Millie is the mother of Butterbean and her siblings!
Jughead is the only cat on the property who is not neutered because no one can get near him. We'll never stop trying, though!
Zavatar, JJ, and Sarge are all teenagers, turning 15 and 13 this year.
If you visit these will likely be the very first kitties you'll meet! 
 #defianceohio #NWOhio #rescuecats


Adopted Kitties:

Here's WIXX! She loves to give High-Fives to get her treats!

Ann visited FFRC this last week and helped A LOT with the preparations for Cat-A-Thon! On Friday, June 5th, she showed photos of her baby, ZEKE. He is a beauty and looks pretty comfy!

CAT-A-THON

June 15th thru 19th 10 AM to 4 PM

Again this year, our fundraiser will be an Adopt-an-Envelope event. How this works:

There will be 400 envelopes numbered 1 to 400. The envelope you choose to ‘adopt’ is the amount you contribute to the fundraiser (i.e., you pick envelope 298=your donation is $298).

FIRST: To pick an envelope, you must call 419-393-2400 between 10 AM and 4 PM beginning on the 15th. Please do not email or request numbers in chat–this is to prevent people from choosing duplicate numbers.

THEN: Once your choice is confirmed on the phone, you can send in your donation by PayPal, Venmo, or check.

There will be many events during the week for your enjoyment, so tune in often! On June 19th, there will be a wrap-up event at 10 AM to announce the final amount raised and the drawing of prize envelopes.

Each envelope contains a ticket for a drawing! We have 20 baskets to award – 1 basket to every group of 20 tickets. (Baskets are lised below.) Should all envelopes get adopted, we will have raised over $80,000.

Here are the expenses we would like to cover:

pre-pay vet bills
refill medical supplies
random upkeep including painting and staining
insulate the sheds and make them more comfortable for the outdoor kitties
Any amount received beyone these will go toward continued operating expenes

CAT-A-THON 2026 Baskets

FFRC Chatters Weekend:

Here is the link for the hotel block to get discounted rates at the Hampton Inn! Make your reservations soon! [https://group.hamptoninn.com/lqhld7](https://group.hamptoninn.com/lqhld7)

Current Needs:

We are out of almost everything!!!! We do have plenty of paper products, like paper towels, toilet paper and trash bags.

Other:

Megan still has a bit of a cough but is feeling much better. Thank you for all for your kind thoughts.

The Valentine's Day Date videos are nearly ready to be sent.

If you haven't looked at our Instagram page, please do!! There are great pictures of our center's kitties. Thanks so much!

FFRC is always looking for Center volunteers. Candidates need to be at least 18 years old and have transportation to get here. Volunteers work set shifts and have assigned tasks, which include cleaning, feeding and other caring for cats. Please contact Megan if you would like to help.

Please make sure that you have a plan for your pets in the event that you are no longer able to take care of them. The best plan is to have both a primary and a secondary backup.

2026 Calendars are now available and are being offered in two sizes: 8 1/2 x 12 or 8 1/2 x 14. Orders for calendars will be through the FFRC Store and also on the FFRC website. We are unable to take orders via the phone or e-mail.

Photos by Dawn and friends.

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As we approach our largest fundraiser of the year, please do not feel that you have to participate by buying a box on our grid. You can help just by liking our YouTube videos and subscribing to our two sites.

"It's not how much we give but how much love we put into giving."

Mother Teresa

"Giving is not just about making a donation. It is about making a difference"

Kathy Calvin

"Every good act is charity."

Charles Caleb Colton

FFRC Blog Week Ending May 30, 2026

It's the unofficial start of Summer!!!! Pools are open; many kids are out of school and the weather is warm! Oh yeah, and it's Kitten Season. We all love to watch the babies play but is important to Spay and Neuter your kitties. An unspayed female can have between 2-5 litters per year. The average size of a litter is 3-6 kittens. Do the math/science---these means 6-21 kittens per year. This is on the low side. Many estimate the number is closer to 20-40 kittens during peak fertile years. This doesn't count the kittens having kittens or the fact that a single tom spreads his love with multiple females. FFRC is happy to partner with Humane Ohio to offer low cost spay/neuters. This week we sent 29 females and 19 males for their spay/neuters. Humane Ohio is hosting a 20th Birthday Bash on June 20th and is proud to have spay/neutered over 250,000 dogs and cats since they opened their doors.

Adoptions:

There were no adoptions this week.

Intakes:

All of our pens are FULL!

On Tuesday, May 26th, a local fire department contacted FFRC. They had a cat that was dumped at their department. The kitty was found in a ditch in a clear backpack. No food, no water and very hot conditions. The cat had been in this carrier for over 24 hours before she was found by a passerby and her dog. Kitty is shell-shocked from being in this deplorable situation. She ate for the first time on Friday, but she is still very scared. She is very shy and we will need to earn her trust. We named her CHEWIE, a name from the Name a Cat Program that was submitted by SonJa. Chewie is a domestic medium hair inky with silver highlights and big beautiful green eyes. She is approximately a year old.

Voting Results of the 154 votes cast:

Chewie 38%

Hiccup 37%

Buddha 25%

We also had a baby kitty dropped off at about 9:30pm on Wednesday 5/27. This kitty was found in a gentleman's yard. She has bad eyes due to a common issue caused by the herpes virus. One eye will need to be removed. She is only 4-5 weeks old. She is also an inky but has white on her chest and her bikini area. She loves her purry momma! We have named her ALIKI, a name from the Name a Cat Program that was submitted by Patrick R.

Voting Results of the 173 votes cast:

Aliki 49%

Feisty 35%

Moocher 16%

And if two new kitties weren't enough, we also had a return. ROCHESTER was returned on 5/28. He was adopted as a little kitten about 11 years ago. He is also an inky with white paws and bits on his face--almost a tuxie. He has a severe cauliflower ear, that we will help with repeated cleaning by our famous Lynnette. Other than his ear, he is a healthy chunky boy! Returns make us very sad. Cats are very traumatized by changes in their environments. Please have a plan for your kitties if you can no longer provide a healthy home for them.

Health Updates:

All of our kitties are doing great, but we do have some upcoming vet visits:

CHICA will be going to Dr. Darcy's office on June 11th for a dental checkup.

BOWIE and ZOOKY will also be going for a dental on June 18th.

Bowie

Zooky

The date for JENNY's eye removal has not yet been sent. We will take the advice of our vet on whether he second eye can be saved.

Center Kitties:

Who is this? Looks like a POPSICLE at rest or is it a COUCHSICLE?

WILLOW and LEMON have joined SCHMOOKIE and TAYLA in June's Room. This is a room just to the left of the camera (as Chatters see it). Schmookie has new cream for her wound and is newly spayed and loves her adopted baby Tayla.

Here is Schmookie with Tayla, and babies Willow and Lemon

We need to move PHILOMENA and her babies to Paddy's Place so that they all have more room. However, the hoarding kitties are in there now. We have been leaving the door open so that kitties can get used to the main room. Moving day is soon.

Holds:

Meet the Covies!

This is from our recent Facebook post:
Cats’ Cove and The House that Jonah Built are home to a group of permanent resident cats. These cats are known as The Covies. These cats are large adults that are mostly unadoptable due to behavior problems such as unreliable litter box usages and demanding outside time. FFRC strives to ensure cats are kept indoors, which is why all our adoptable cats go to homes where they will be kept indoors at all times. Cats that are raised indoors only are perfectly happy staying indoors, but cats that are raised with outdoor access are often not content with remaining inside. We believe that the quality of life and happiness of our cats is of the utmost importance, so rather than turn away cats that refuse to remain indoors we have the compromise of the Cats’ Cove and The House that Jonah Built structures. These are wonderful, friendly, visitor-greeting cats! We know them well, each and every one of them.
The Cove is currently occupied by:

Anony
Walter
Fluffs
Victor
Pogo 
Frank
John
Dude
Dollop
Gordy
Chowder
Bandit
Biscuits
Parker
A few interesting Cove facts:
Walter is deaf and has mild CH.
Dollop and John are both polydactyl, they have thumbs!
Biscuits and Parker are the only female Covies.
Gordy and Chowder were rescued from a hoarding situation in Michigan along with Emmy, Tigerlily, and Bellamy.
Anony was elected Mayor by his fellow Covies. (We don't ask too many questions about what goes on down there. Strictly cat business!)
 #rescuecats #ffrc

Adopted Kitties:

Do you remember BRYNN and RENEE (Wonder)?

BUCKEYE is living the dream with him new mom, Stephanie! He is very loved.

May Wrap Up:

Here is the May Wrap Up from Megan:

This month...

We said "Hello!" to:

Philomena and the Philomena Five! This lady was dropped off in our parking lot along with her 5 babies: Rumer, Renly, Pascal, Smudges, and Catsby. They're still working on growing and figuring out life. When they do it'll be time to find their Forever Homes! We hope they find them quickly.

Tayla, a little girl who was also dropped off in our parking lot. She was terribly sick and her intake led to one of the most heartwarming things you'll see... While Director Megan and Assistant Director Lynnette were tending to her, Schmookie, one of the girls we took in from the hoarding situation last month, was in a pen nearby. Upon hearing the baby's cries Smchookie perked right up and demanded she be brought to her. She was so insistent that Megan and Lynnette decided to let her see the baby. Smchookie instantly began to groom Tayla from head to toe! Just like she was her own! It was absolutely adorable, almost too much to take! They still nap together and are both working on healing together.

Chewie, a beautiful inky fluff who was found by someone and taken to the fire department, who contacted us. The circumstances where she was found were very, very stressful and she's stll extremely nervous. We're just letting her chill until she's comfortable. It's okay, Chewie girl, your best life has just begun!

Aliki! She's a little girl who was brought in by a kind gentleman who found her in his yard and had no way of caring for her. She has a really bad eye that will have to be removed but is otherwise doing great. After she gets all healed up she'll be ready for a home! We hope she doesn't have to wait long to find one.

Rochester, returned 11 years after being adopted. He's very unsure right now but he's trying to readjust to life here. An awful lot has changed since he left!

We said "Have a Great Life!" to:

Crackers! Our cuddly little one eyed boy has found his Forever Home! He is keeping his name.

Miley! It's laughable to think that this girl was ever thought to be feral as she picked out her very own family. She now lives in Michigan. Her name is TBD.

Other things of note:

We had SO many birthdays! 14, in fact! Let's break it down, in case you missed it:

5 Residents:

Derecho turned 14

Ramsay turned 9

Marilyn turned 9

Dagda turned 4

Butterbean turned 3

4 Adoptables:

Jefferson turned 9

Dusty Rose turned 9

Zoolove turned 8

Puddin turned 3

2 Porchies:

Sarge turned 13

Cooper turned 9

And 3 Barnies:

Grizzly turned 12

Blackie turned 10

And Barnacle Farnsworth III turns 3 May 31st! Happy birthday, buddy!

Whew! That was a lot. Almost like May is kitten season or something...

We set up a booth at the local Lilac Festival and raised $758! The money raised will be used to replenish our vouchers for our spay and neuter program, to help make the cost even more affordable! Thanks to everyone who came out to see us and donated!

May was a great month, here's to hoping June is ever better! Here's some ways you can be part of it and help out:

Adopt!! https://www.fofrescue.org/adop.../ffrc-adoption-application/

Monetary donations: https://www.fofrescue.org/ways-to-help/paypal/

Amazon wishlist: https://www.fofrescue.org/ways-to-help/amazon/

Chewy wishlist: https://www.fofrescue.org/chewy-wish-list/

Or you can subscribe to our YouTube channel, like our videos, share our posts on social media, etc. Every little bit helps!

Let's do it, June!

Yama giving Faisy a bath!

Other Events:

It's nearly time for this year's Cat-a-thon! This year, the event will be held from June 15-19. This is the biggest financial Fundraiser of the year. We will use the same type of board as we have in the past. The boxes will be numbered 1 through 400. We ask for a purchase of one of more boxes. The number on the box is the amount that you pledge to FFRC. Many fun activities will be held during the week. We plan on having two phone lines this year to make it easier to get through to us. Calls will be taken from 10am to 4pm, so that we can reserve time for meds and other crucial kitty business. We are also hoping to have a visit from a doctor! Let's beat last year's total of just over $112K.

Also, back by popular demand will be CatStock which has been renamed FFRC Chatters Weekend!!!

Here is the link for the hotel block to get discounted rates at the Hampton Inn! Make your reservations soon! [https://group.hamptoninn.com/lqhld7](https://group.hamptoninn.com/lqhld7)

Current Needs:

Thank you so much for all that sent in items during Tuesday's Box Day. We received lots of food, treats and cleaning supplies. For items that we need, a list is kept up to date on the Amazon Wish List found on the FFRC website. We are almost out of the following:

Disinfecting Wipes

6" plates

Other:

Megan is back from her wonderful vacation where she was able to meet Mods Claire and Paul and also Mod Burgundy. These visits were the highlight of her trip! Vacations end, but her cold is keeping on giving. Get well soon, Megan!

The goats got their nails trimmed this week. One of the larger goats has a bit of a nail issue, but we are working on it.

The Valentine's Day Date videos are nearly ready to be sent.

If you haven't looked at our Instagram page, please do!! There are great pictures of our center's kitties. Thanks so much!

Please make sure that you have a plan for your pets in the event that you are no longer able to take care of them. The best plan is to have both a primary and a secondary backup.

Photos by Dawn and friends.

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In honor of International Hug Your Cat Day!

International Hug Your Cat Day 2026

International Hug Your Cat Day is celebrated on May 30, 2026, as a global day to show love, affection, and appreciation for cats National Day Today+1.

Date and Observance

Primary date: May 30, 2026 — widely recognized worldwide for hugging and pampering cats National Day Today+1.
Some sources also note June 4 as a related “Hug Your Cat Day” in certain calendars, but May 30 is the official International Hug Your Cat Day Neakasa.

Purpose and Significance

This day is dedicated to:
Celebrating the human–cat bond and the joy cats bring to our lives daysanddates.com.
Encouraging affection through hugs, petting, and play to strengthen trust and emotional well-being daysanddates.com+1.
Promoting animal welfare by raising awareness about proper cat care, nutrition, and veterinary visits daysanddates.com.

How to Celebrate

Hug and cuddle sessions — spend extra time snuggling your cat daysanddates.com.
Playtime — use toys, laser pointers, or fetch games to keep them active Catster+1.
Pamper with treats and toys — spoil them with favorites or new items daysanddates.com+1.
Grooming spa day — brush their coat and give a gentle massage Awareness Days+1.
Social media — share photos/videos with hashtags like #HugYourCatDay or #InternationalHugYourCatDay daysanddates.com.
Support animal charities — attend adoption events or fundraise for shelters daysanddates.com.

"In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this."

Terry Pratchett

"What greater gift than the love of a cat."

Charles Dickens

"One cat leads to another."

Ernest Hemingway