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Friends of Felines' Rescue Center is a 501C3 non-profit, cage free, no-kill feline care facility. Our goal is to adopt our kittens & cats into permanent loving indoor homes and to reduce homelessness, abuse, and euthanasia due to animal overpopulation. We operate on the kindness of private donations, both monetary, food, and supplies.
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Week ending July 26, 2025 | |
In Memory of | Donated By |
Pania | Cat Friend |
Pania | Barry Johnson |
Pania | Tiffany Louis |
My first grade teacher: Louis Fredricks | Timmy Adams |
My Friend: Jacob Osborne | Laura Name |
FFRC Blog week ending July 19, 2025
Adoptions:
Macaroni and Pickles: Originally these two were being fostered with the hopes it would become an adoption. It really all depended on the family’s dog and if he would accept them and they would accept him. It took about 20 minutes until it became clear, this is a loving family that has two cats and a dog! Congratulations to our Macaroni and Pickles for being voted on the island by the family dog, Tanner while the cats decided Tanner makes for a good snuggle buddy! Their names did change a little bit. Macaroni is now Mac and Pickles is now Piccolo.
New Cats:
None.
Health Updates:
(see Other Updates below for Pania.)
Dusty Rose had all her teeth removed due to a major infection and plaque buildup and now that she is on the road to recovery and we now have an estimated age. We believe she is about 8 years old. She looks great, everything about her is thriving. Now that she has her horrible teeth removed, she is eating normally and has started to gain weight. Remember she came in grossly underweight. We are hopeful she will continue to thrive.
Jude has become a ‘chunka monk’. He is doing very well.
Ruffles is also doing well. We think he may end up being more of a medium hair cat.
Finney is doing great with his little button. His button will be removed in another two weeks or so. Remember, the button was to allow his lips to heal better. Most cats after button removal heal in a way that you don’t even know they had a button.
Holds:
None
Other Updates:
Sadly, our sweet, lovable, loving Pania passed away at the age of 13 and half years old.
Many of you have been asking about what happened to Pania. Below is a brief history of her medical issues over the years.
Pania came to FFRC in 2012 when she was just 7 months old. She was found on a street by herself. The people that rescued her realized she needed help as she had bulging eyes and did not look well at all.
More than likely she had the herpes virus which affected her eyes. One eye which was badly infected was removed, it was so bad there is no way she could see out of it. The other eye was bulging and appeared to be blind but there was some indication she may see light shadows.
While blind cats have been adopted out, successfully, by FFRC, it was determined given her frail health she would become a permanent resident. Over time she got much stronger, but would have periodic health setbacks.
She had a terrible skin condition which would flare up from time to time, causing much discomfort. She was always given treatment and eventually would recover.
She would suffer from bad bouts of bronchitis and chronic sinusitis. Again, she was always treated and recovered. As she has aged, her recovery times have taken longer.
In 2023 her remaining eye had swelling, off and on. By late 2024 she began losing weight and her rashes got more severe and she had a URI.
Early this year she was losing weight and xrays showed she had a small mass on her liver. Her age and other issues with her health made surgery not in her best interest. As this year has gone by, she has slowed down a lot. She took a fall and had a seizure in February.
And one final seizure, she kept losing weight and seemed to be having some memory issues. She passed peacefully with loving arms around her.
Sometimes medicine no longer works and the body says ‘it is time to go and find peace”.
Pania is at peace now, having spent 13 years enjoying life, surrounded by loving arms and thousands of Friends around the world.
Be happy she had a life of love, and is now at peace, still loved.
----
Sazaz is enjoying her little private area. She can come out, but she seems content where she is while her little wound on her back heals. Her back is more of a skin issue than an injury.
We had a Christmas in July Raffle last week and raised $5,500.
Thank you to Mike and Lola for providing the beautiful baskets. To all that bought a ticket, to the winners, the bumper uppers and everyone for encouraging and sharing about the raffle.
-------- A final thought about Pania. Pania never let her blindness slow her down. Her personality emerged based on her, not her blindness. Her little meows were when she wanted to let us know, “hey, pay attention to me and give me….Pania Flakes or other treats. If she got confused and turned around where she was sure, she would give a meow to ask for help.
We all have our memories of Pania that we hold close to our hearts. When you are confronted with something you are a little unsure on how to proceed, remember how many times Pania would climb a condo or tower, with one foot in front of the other to ensure her next step was safe. She was cautious but courageous. She was an inspiration to so many of us. But to her, she was a cat, first and foremost, never letting anything make her stop being a cat, in all her glory. She left her mark and left us better people for “seeing” her for the cat she was.
FFRC Blog week ending July 12, 2025
Note: Due to unforeseen stuff, this is a long blog, encompassing information from June 21 until July 13. Because of the ‘catch-up’ mode, there may be entries that are sparse or missing. When you fall behind on something like this it’s like swimming in an ocean when you know you gotta stay afloat then remember you can’t swim.
Anyway, here it goes!
Adoptions:
Eileen was adopted and is now Irene. She was a returned girl originally adopted in 2020. She’s almost 5 and when she came back was dehydrated and fleas all over. She’s all clean up and just wanted to go somewhere that will love and keep her safe. She’s hit the jackpot. Sweet girl who just didn’t love being around all the noise of the rescue. Now her life is quiet and full of love.
Macaroni and Pickles: This bonded pair came to us in March, 2025. They were in a loving home, but the dynamics of the family changed and they had to surrender both for their best interests. We were determined to see them adopted together which is one of the hardest things to do in a rescue environment. But a loving family out there came in to pick two other cats and then met them and fell in love. Pickles and Macaroni wouldn’t let them pick anyone but them. They insisted on it. They have a dog (who is quite old) and neither Macaroni nor Pickles are fond of dogs so we are calling this a “Foster to adoption”. As of right now they are being fostered but we are thinking positive thoughts that it will become an outright adoption. Pickles is female at almost 3 years old. Macaroni is the boy and also almost 3. Their original home had 4 big pitbulls so they are cautious about dogs. But while you should never put pickles in your macaroni, these two simply go together and hopefully, will grow old together. They deserve that.
Breaking news update! Both cats have met the family dog Tanner and all three have sniffed one another and decided ‘smelly cats and smelly dog’ make for friends in the making!
When people ask “how could you do a rescue. Too much stress, I couldn’t do it.” It is these stories of knowing the cat you gave a hand to, the cat you let into your heart is safe, healthy, happy and most of all, loved! We all do what we do for them. Cats are our energy and inspiration.
Foxy: Foxy was adopted! This sweet girl was found wandering the streets in April 2024. She was scared, skinny and in need of TLC She was adopted out in January, 2025 but returned in April, 2025 as the owner developed health issues and could no longer care for her.
She is about 10 years old and enjoys serenity now and always. She’s a big fan of chicken and her new home loved giving their previous kitty rotisserie chicken once a week. She’ll keep her name but instead of Foxy, it’ll be Foxi. The spell change better fits our sweet girl.
New Cats:
Phoebe: One of four kittens found under Debbie's car in the morning. A little skittish but very friendly. Very dirty and needing baths. Loads of flea dirt and dead fleas. 4 months old female.
Dottie: One of four kittens found under Debbie's car in the morning. A little skittish but very friendly. Very dirty and needing baths. Loads of flea dirt and dead fleas. 4 months old female.
Bueller: One of four kittens found under Debbie's car in the morning. A little skittish but very friendly. Very dirty and needing baths. Loads of flea dirt and dead fleas. 4 month old male.
Hayden: One of four kittens found under Debbie's car in the morning. A little skittish but very friendly. Very dirty and needing baths. Loads of flea dirt and dead fleas
River: Volunteer found less than 14 day old infant. We don’t have gender yet as he/she’s keeping it from us. We are syringe feeding him. He/she is an inky.
Finney:. Two- week old baby found all by himself. Possibly thrown from the car.. Brown tiger but very pale, lots of fleas, upper lip laceration, Bottom lip pulled down which normally happens when thrown from a car. He was brought to the vet and had a ‘button’ inserted to help his lips heal. Button will be removed after healing.
Gandalf: Two-year old was surrendered from a family that has adopted from us before. He’s a good boy but was just a little ‘rough’ with the kittens in their home. He’s not mean, but sometimes older kitties play rough with kittens, not realizing while kittens are flexible, they are not indestructible. Some have asked if he was adopted from us originally. He was not. While we did have a Gandalf in the past, this isn’t him. Can you imagine how many ‘Fluffys’ we’ve had! He’s in good health and
Bon Bon: Little girl about 8 weeks old found in the middle of the road with a sibling who had passed. She was brought into Fountain City Vets and is a brown tiger baby. She’s a little skittish but when held is a purr baby. She also loves belly rubs.
Ruffles: Found all by himself in a wood pile, we thought Ruffles was a girl but then, well he’s a boy. He’ll be altered when he’s ready. When found we put him at less than a month old. The things that “pop up” every day are amazing and we just go with the flow
Health Updates:
Amy continues to do well with her FIP treatment. She has regained weight and energy and loves to play again. Her treatment continues.
Lena had 12 teeth removed and after recovering she is eating well and doing well.
Holds:
None
Other Updates:
Sadly we lost two babies
as Hot Pockets and Beetles both passed.
Hot Pockets. He developed a high fever and open mouth breathing. He had a high fever. He came to us on June 11, 2025. We estimated he was a little over a month old when he came in. He passed peacefully.
Beetles. He came in when he was just over a week old. He battled a very high fever and his bladder ceased outputting. He was simply too young for any type of surgery. He passed with loving arms around him.
Losing a cat saddens us all. However, there are cases where medicine simply can’t fix those problems and nature prevails. We mourn them, hold them in our hearts forever and are comforted in the knowledge they knew love, no matter how short a time. Sometimes they are meant to be on this earth for a short while, always teaching us how precious life is, no matter its length.
“If you are having a bad day, take a nap and when you wake up embrace a new beginning vow to have a great day. See beyond the houses and your eyes, it’s ok to shoot for the moon. You are stronger than you think.”
FFRC Blog week ending June 21, 2025
Adoptions:
We celebrate our Clove getting a very loving home of her own.
In March, Kathy, one of our volunteers (blanket party Kathy!) found an open cat carrier at the nearby reservoir. Inside were two cats, terrified and huddled together. How they got there, who cruelly left them to fend for themselves, we will never know. And you know what, we don’t care. All we care about is that they were found and we have helped them trust again. And now, Clove has found her very own family who have promised to keep her safe, keep her happy and keep her a part of their family, forever.
Clove is 8 months old. She is going home to a tortie sister, Lana Muwana (don’t you just love that name!) Her new family isn’t yet sure if they’ll keep her name. Who knows, maybe they’ll name her Carma. Carma and Lana Muwana sounds like a good beginning to their cat dynasty!
New Cats:
A very dirty cat, (Megan says it’s the dirtiest cat she’s seen in a long time, was found in a closed factory by a friend of one of our volunteers. He is covered in fleas and dirt and just looks a mess. After several baths, he looks so much better and you can tell, he feels so much better. He is a salt and pepper color.His name is Muddles (from Name a Cat).
A little inkie baby was found on the street, all by himself..The herpes virus/infection has ruptured one eye, and the other eye is in the process of rupturing. He is not weaned and looks to be about a week old. He has been given the name Jude (from Name a Cat). We know the one eye that has ruptured will need to be removed and sutured closed. And at this point, the other eye is almost certainly going to need to be removed. He looks awful, but we are immediately starting him on antibiotics and are doing everything we can to keep him comfortable. The herpes virus takes a toll on cats. It is a deadly killer if not treated right away. After we gave him some food and a warm heating pad, the sweet thing actually started to purr. The resiliency of cats is simply amazing.
Health Updates:
Amy is doing very well. She looks like a different cat than a week ago. She continues her FIP treatment and is eating well and getting a little playful. She so enjoys the toys you’ve all sent in for her.
All the new kitties are being given the necessary treatments for their conditions. We are always hopeful but cautious when a sick baby comes in. We know there is so much more than just good medicine needed and we are positioned to handle whatever comes our way, in the best interest of the cat.
Holds:
None
Other Updates:
We have names!
The orange kitten found last week outside by himself now has the name Opie Cunningham. We estimate him to be almost 2 months old and will be neutered when he reaches the proper weight.
Improve-A-Thon:
We had a wonderful visit by our main Veterinarians (Dr. Adams and Dr. Pettigrew) who gave us an insight into how FFRC got started.) These two heroes of ours were informative and reminded us all that without a plan that includes good medical care, no rescue can survive. Thankfully we have that plan and the good medical professionals at Fountain City Veterinary Hospital are a phone call away.
Our cats painted some wonderful pictures. We had a taste test of some items that may have looked different but tasted great (well, some of them). We played some games, including Pictionary. And we had a visit from the La Chat Sisters who really need to visit us more often. We also learned that Cheerio possesses mystical powers as it relates to soda cans.
These were just some of the wonderful things that happened this week. Oh, wait, we also set some financial goals for the week and all of YOU helped us blow those goals away.
What a fantastic week. Thanks to our Friends, we adopted out each of the boxes on our big board, raising $80,200. Then we added our bump-ups. There was the anonymous donor to start the week that donated $5,000 as a challenge for specific boxes. Then our Friends started giving $10, $20, $25…you name it. And just when we thought our bump-ups were all counted, we received an envelope from an anonymous Friend. On it was written “The Dream Continues”. Inside was a check for $20.000.
Never stop dreaming, never give up. If you seek to do good, good will seek you. And if you always remember to surround yourself with good people, they will inspire others to come on board and make dreams a reality. If you want to change the world, ask your Friends to help you do just that.
We raised $112,382.70. This was the largest fundraising amount we have ever achieved in our 26 year history.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Our mission continues, our dreams remain strong and our Friends remain our strength to do things never thought possible from a little cat rescue in Defiance, Ohio.
FFRC Blog week ending June 14, 2025
Adoptions:
None
New Cats:
Dr. Mercer (new vet at Dr. Darcy’s office) called Megan on Saturday and there was a cat brought by a kind woman who found him outside. He required medical attention for a URI, eye infection, fleas and dirty ears. The finder was unable to keep himt. Dr. Mercer asked if we could take him and find him a good home. Siggy is about 6 months old. He has beautiful coloring which is silver and black with shades of other colors. They all kinda blend in producing a beautiful kitty.
A family brought in a young kitten that they wanted to keep but their young son is allergic. Kitty is a little over a month old. He appears to be in good health. He’s not yet ‘fixed’. He does not have a name yet.
A young orange kitten (maybe a month old) was found wandering (full story to come at a later date!) He is a big talker and adorable. He has passed his initial blood test.
Health Updates:
Marvin went to the Vet on June 9 to have a polyp removed from his ear. Remember Marvin is less than 2 months old. He is one of Sinopa’s babies.
We’ve been hand feeding him even as his siblings have been eating on their own. He just hasn’t been gaining weight or eating. A polyp branches out to other areas. Dr. Darcy removed one in his ear and discovered another one had branched out to his throat. This was one of the reasons he would ‘gag’ when he tried to eat. The third ‘branch’ was on the roof of his mouth. She was able to remove pieces of the polyp from the throat and mouth. He is so tiny so she couldn’t risk removing it all. He’ll eventually have to go back to have the remaining polyp removed (probably when he is weight heavy enough to be neutered.)
Ludwig went in for his eye removal. His left eye was removed and the surgery went very well. Remember Ludwig is one of the three cats left in our driveway in a terribly dirty crate. He is around 1 and half years old. He’s on pain meds as he recovers. So far, so good. While he has some sight in his right eye, it is still in bad shape and we are hoping we can save it with meds.
Barnie Dude: He had to have a full mouth dental extraction. Despite his age (16 or 17) he has been in pain, so we had to take the risk and do the dental. He is actually doing well and he appears to be much more comfortable. He’ll be recovering here for about 5 days then we’ll let him go back on the farm yard where he has spent his life and is most happy with his two siblings, Stripe and Snoopy.
Amy contains her treatment for FIP. She’s 12 days into treatment. She is actually doing better and has gained about half a pound. She still looks terrible but things look better for her. Her jaundice is gone now which is a big improvement.
Dusty Rose is doing well since her dental (complete teeth removal due to infection).
Our olderster Covie Glory is looking and feeling much better. Remember, she is about 11 years old and still has a ways to go with her kidney issue.
Holds:
None
Other Updates: .
Story that will make you smile (unless you are a flying bug). Mitzy (one of our three blind office cats) likes to sit in the window over Lynnette’s desk. She started making some strange noises and moving about and Lynnette and Megan realized she had caught a fly with her paws (kinda like Mr. Miyagi in the Karate Kid.) She was so proud of herself (as were we!) You go girl!!
Our Improve-A-Thon kicks off on Monday, June 16 running to June 21st. Important Note: This blog is based on the week ending June 14th so it may be the first day of Improve-A-Thon has happened, but we want you to think it happened and it really is June 14th. We do have a prediction from Magic that we will have a great first day and will adopt out 221 envelopes, raising about $35,433. Again, Magic is predicting this so he doesn’t know for sure. But it’s Magic, so come on people!!
“We all have the power to be positive, choose to lift up, not tear down.”
Our Karate Kid---our girl Mitzy
419-393-2400
Catathon 2025 Baskets
Row 1 (1-16): Basket 1 (Laura Ashley) - Laura Ashley plush flower hooded robe/throw 50X60, 1 - 24oz. Flowers ‘Blessed’ bottle w/handled lid & straw.
Row 2 (17-32): Basket 2 (Love) - 1 - 12X7 canvas ‘Love’ paw print storage basket w/handles, 1 - 30X40 plush ‘Love’ paw print throw, 1 - Infinity track ball cat toy, 1 - catnip play toy.
Row 3 (33-48): Basket 3 (Cats Travel) - ‘Cats’ travel bag set w/ 1 - 15X12 ‘Cats’ tote bag w/handles, 1 - 8X6 zippered ‘cats’ storage bag, 1 - 6X5 zippered ‘cats’ storage bag, 1 5X3 ceramic glazed sitting cat home/shelf decor.
Row 4 (49-64): Basket 4 (Butterfly Home) - 1 - 50X70 Plush butterflies throw blanket, 1 - 5pc. Wooden cooking utensils, 1 - Butterfly cooking apron w/pockets
Row 5 (65-80): Basket 5 (Towels & Lotions) - 1 6pc. Towel set w/2 bath, 2 hand, & 2 washcloths, 1 - 3 pc. Hand cream lotion.
Row 6 (81-96): Basket 6 (Farm Life) - 1 - pc. Cork Trivet set w/farm animals, 2pc. ‘My Roost My Rules’ pot holder set, 1 - Rooster kitchen towel, 1 - Mama hen w/2 baby chicks home decor.
Row 7 (97-112): Basket 7 (Cat in Flowers) - Canvas tote bag ‘Cat in Flowers’, 10X8 Canvas Zippered Storage Bag ‘Cat in Flowers’, Glass ‘Cat Mom’ bottle w/lid, straw & cleaning brush, 1 - black cat key ring.
Row 8 (113-128): Basket 8 (Funny Cat Faces) - 16X16 Canvas tote bag ‘Funny Cat Faces’, 10X7 Canvas zippered storage bag ‘Funny Cat Faces’, 1 - Glass ‘Funny Cats’ bottle w/lid & straw, 1 pack Funny Cat Butts magnet.
Row 9 (129-144): Basket 9 (Live, Love Meow) - 13X18 ‘Live, Love Meow’ pet feeding mat, 1 - foldable spiral cat tunnel, 1 - nerf cat slow feeder ball, 1 - Glass paw print treat jar w/cat treats, 1 - ‘Life is Good but cats make it better’ hanging home decor, 1 - 1.75oz stainless feeding bowl.
Row 10 (145-160): Basket 10 (I’m Fine): Cat lovers print beach towel, 1 - large ‘I’m Fine’ cat stainless tumbler w/handle, straws & brush, 1 - 16X16 Canvas tote bag ‘Sorry I have plans w/my cat’, 1 - 5X5 ‘I’m Fine Everything is Fine’ wooden home decor.
Row 11 (161-176): Basket 11 (Gnome Watermelon): 1 - Watermelon shaped wicker dish holding basket, 4 - 8X8 Watermelon plates, 4 - Watermelon serving bowls, 4 - Watermelon dinner sized plates, 2 - Gnome Watermelon kitchen towels, 1 - 5X5 Gnome Watermelon home decor.
Row 12 (177-192): Basket 12 (Pamper Yourself) - 1 - 12X8 wicker storage basket, 1 - waffle textured body towel w/hairband, 1 - complete set manicure kit w/carrying case, 2 - face & body exfoliating sponges, 1 - hair drying towel.
Row 13 (193-208): Basket 13 (Kitchen Helper) - 1 - 8X8 Oster non-stick cake pan, 1 - mini silicone rolling pin, 1 - 4pc. Silicone utensil set, 1 - 3pc. Silicone tog set (6, 7, & 9 inch), 1 - 4pc. Cat shaped quick dry kitchen sponges.
Row 14 (209-224): Basket 14 (Lemon Summer) - 1 - 15X6 lemon serving/display tray, 1 - set of 8 32 oz outdoor/indoor demon drink cups, 2 - lemon themed kitchen towels, 1 - 8X8 hot plate trivet ‘When life gives you lemons’, 1 - florentine lemon hand soap, 1 - 11 oz. refillable liquid hand soap pump.
Row 15 (225-240): Basket 15 (Flowers & Butterfly Coloring Set) - 1 - 30 oz. Butterflies & flowers insulated tumbler w/lid, 1 - adult flowers & butterflies coloring book, 1 - 24 pack watercolor markers, brush, & fine tipped, 1 - ‘Love Revival’ hand cream & pulse point oil set.
Row 16 (241-256): Basket 16 (Strawberry): 1 - 16X16 Laura Ashley canvas strawberry tote bag w/shoulder handles, 1 - 4pc. Set of 8X6 strawberry shaped serving plates, 1 - 4pc. Set of strawberry print reusable drinking cups.
Row 17 (257-272): Basket 17 (Rooster/Chicken) - 2 - rooster/chicken print kitchen towels, 2 - rooster/chicken print pot holders/pads, 2 - rooster/chicken hand oven mitts, 1 - honey almond soap bar, 1 - 5X4 resin chicken w/chicks home decor.
Row 18 (273-288): Basket 18 (Every Birdy Welcome) - 1 - 18X14 ‘Every Birdy Welcome’ porch/home throw pillow, 1 - bird themed kitchen towels, 1 - bird themed matching dish cloth, 1 - 4X6 resin BlueJay garden/home decor, 1 - 5X5 ‘The Earth has Music for those who listen’ wooden home decor.
Row 19 (289-304): Basket 19 (Quirky Kitty) - 1 - electronic action cat toy, 1 - 16X14 cat face pet mat, 1 - 6.75 oz. stand up cat face feeding bowl, 1 - 6pc. Catnip plush cat toys set.
Row 20 (305-320): Basket 20 (Happy 4th of July) - 1 - 18X12 Gnome Garden Flag, 1 - U.S. flag kitchen towel, 1 - LED red lantern, 1 - 6X4 wooden gnome 4th of July decor, 1 4X3 resin gnome 4th of July dangles leg shelf sitter.
Row 21 (321-336): Basket 21 (Take me to Lunch) - 1 - cat/floral insulated lng bag w/shoulder & hand carrying straps, 2 - lunch/food containers w/lids included, 1 - 12 oz. floral travel mug w/lid snap lock.
Row 22 (337-352): Basket 22 (Sunflowers & Daisies) - 1 - 10X8 metal ‘Fresh cut flowers’ catering can decor, 1 - bouquet of artificial sunflowers & daisies home decor, 1 - handmade sunflowers jar opener pad, 1 - sunflowers kitchen towel.
Row 23 (353-368): Basket 23 (Let Love Grow) - 1 - premier kitten collection by Maruri ‘Kitten inside Teacup’, 1 - 9X9 wooden hand painted ‘Floral’ decor bowl, 1 - floral garden kitchen towel, 1 - ‘Let Love Grow’ wooden home decor.
Row 24 (369-384): Basket 24 (Thankful for fall) - 1 - 50X70 ‘Thankful/Grateful’ plush throw, 1 - 18X18 fall leaf pillow cover, 1 - 4pc. ‘Gather Pumpkins’ placemats, 1 - 2pc. fall/pumpkins kitchen towels, 1 - pumpkin butter scented candle.