FFRC Blog Week Ending February 28, 2026

It's been a tough month for FFRC. On 2/27/26 we lost another long-time resident, our Queen, Alma.

Special:

ALMA:

First, her story from the FFRC website:

Est. DOB 02/22/2013

Arrived 02/22/2014
Age at arrival: 1 year

Is there a more determined girl than our Alma? Alma arrived from a vet office in PA. She lived for months in a cage until she came to FFRC and she hasn’t been in a cage since then! Alma has severe CH and cannot actually get up and walk. But…..she’s so smart! She’s figured out how to do the things she wants and how to get around. Between her flips, falls, leaning, and flops, she has worked out a way to move! And she also lets us know what she wants by different meows that she does! Her wish is our command! She’s a beautiful grey tiger girl.

Second, her final chapter:

As most of you know, Alma, has had cancer and bowel issues for a long time. Late last year, we decided to stop some of Alma's treatments, because they weren't helping her. Since that time, Alma seemed to be holding her own and much of her appetite had returned. In fact, if you watched the YouTube channel for any length of time, you would most likely hear Alma's "gentle" requests for food. She certainly let everyone know when she wanted more! On Friday, she had no appetite and her stool was loose and bloody. It was time to let her go.

Her Legacy and Friends:

Alma was one that many YouTube viewers would tune in to see. If she wasn't in her big fluffy bed, we all wondered where she was. Most of the time she wasn't alone in her bed. Her favorite partner was Marilyn. You could see Alma giving Marilyn kitty massages or the two of them just snuggling. She also let a few other kitties share her bed. Lately, Jenny was seen snuggling in the bed with her and Marilyn.

Although we have heavy hearts, we know that it was time to let our Queen go. I'm sure that Magic was standing at the Rainbow Bridge welcoming her to pain-free and full mobility. If we listen close, we may be able to hear her letting everyone know that she is now a happy girl! Run-free, my Queen!

We will miss you ALMA!

Adoptions:

There were no adoptions this week.

Intakes:

There were no intakes this week.

Health Updates:

MR. ROGERS is doing great! When he arrived, he weighed 6 lbs. 8 oz. Last week he was up to 7 lbs. 5 oz. This week, he gained another half ounce. He is such a sweet guy!

ROCKET is still in Back Thumpers Room. The drag bag hasn't worked out as well as we expected. He is staying in the back so that we can control and clean up his "trails". He is a very happy boy and is still working out on his pole. The hope is that he will build up strength in his forelegs and upper torso. Once that occurs, he'll be able to lift his back end off of the floor and no longer leave his trails.

JENNY is doing great. We are monitoring her eye situation. If her eyes deteriorate any further, we will take appropriate action.

Holds:

There are no kitties currently on hold.

Center Kitties & Others:

BARNACLE FARNSWORTH III will get a few more vaccines and then become an outside kitty, with free range of the FFRC property. He will join others like JJ (Jimmy James), Sarge and Cooper.

EGYPT is one of the fluffiest kitties ever and Momma Megan's bestest boy!

SPIKER is taking one of his many naps. Would someone please pull up the covers?

THE NEW GOATS have integrated with SUNSHINE and LUCY and are doing great. They love their goat treats and animal crackers. These new girls are LOUD! 😮There is a short goat video available on YouTube that shows all 7 girls together.

Events:

We had a flash sale on Wednesday, 2/25, that raised $1,036. YouTube had some connectivity issues that made this sale difficult, but Megan, Lynnette and the Mods pulled it off, thanks to their hard work!

Most of the items that were sold were handcrafted by our multi-talented viewers. We had many quilted items by Katscratch, crocheted hats by Linda F, afghans by Karan, Aprons by Joyce E and the much-anticipated tote bags that our kitties worked hard on and were furnished by Mary Braids and Gem. I apologize if I have missed anyone that provided their hard work. We had to cut the sale a bit short due to the YouTube issues, but the remainder of the tote bags and new items will be in the next sale--Coming Soon!

We had a Humane Ohio event on Tuesday, 2/24. A total of 48 cats were sent for their spay/neuter. This included 23 females and 25 males, including our own Barnacle Farnsworth III.

Ros will be hosting a virtual St. Patrick's Day party soon. Our Mods will let us know more detail as we get closer.

A Little Extra Info:

Have you ever wondered if your cat has a healthy weight? Where does your baby fall? (Found on Facebook)

Current Needs:

A list is kept up to date on the Amazon Wish List found on the FFRC website.

Other:

We had a BIG anniversary on 2/22. Megan became our illustrious leader on 2/22/22. It's hard to believe that she's been the director for 4 years now. HIP HIP HURRAY!

We have a new volunteer that started on 2/28. Her name is Christy. She will be working on Saturday afternoons.

Amanda has also joined us and worked with us on Friday, 2/27.

Jolyn has become an official volunteer. She is a regular visitor that works hard when she is here--we just made it official.

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

The Kitten Lady is coming to Ft. Wayne on March 19. Megan and Team are looking forward to attending the event and learning more about kitten care and also sharing their information on CH cats with her.

FFRC is looking for 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 still 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. I've received mine, how about you?

Photos by Dawn and friends.

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"Trying to avoid sadness is trying to avoid life."

Maxime Lagace'

"Tears come from the heart and not from the brain."

Leonardo da Vinci

"The good life is not one immune to sadness but one in which suffering contributes to our development."

Alain de Botton