New Concord Feral Cats, Inc. NEUTER AND SPAY PROGRAM

New Concord Feral Cats, Inc. NEUTER AND SPAY PROGRAM

From Mike Ward

The NEUTER AND SPAY PROGRAM is designed to help manage the feral and homeless cat population in New Concord, OH. The GOAL is to offset the actual cost of vet bills and related medical expenses since 8/2/14.

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Mike Ward posted a new update:
27 days ago

Update #47

ATTACHMENT TO ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION OF
NEW CONCORD FERAL CATS, INC.
A Non-Profit Corporation
January 29, 2024

New Concord Feral Cats was founded by Michael E. Ward to help manage the feral and homeless cat population in New Concord, Ohio. Our primary purpose is to improve the quality of their lives and the treatment they receive by members of our community. We accomplish that objective by (1) feeding, rescuing and housing the cats, (2) financing necessary medical services at local veterinary clinics (including testing for diseases; neuter and spay surgeries; vaccinations; treatment of ticks, fleas and worms; treatment of illnesses, injuries and wounds; and humane euthanasia when necessary) (3) preparing the cats for adoption (4) locating suitable homes (5) reporting abuse and acts of cruelty to appropriate law enforcement agencies, (6) making referrals, donations and promoting local caregivers, shelters, humane societies, government agencies and veterinary clinics and (7) educating and advocating for the humane, compassionate, kind and loving care of feral and homeless cats in our community.

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Mike Ward posted a new update:
about 4 years ago

Update #46

NEUTER AND SPAY PROGRAM - #46
LOGAN - RIP - (2/18/19 - 9/10/19)

I am sad to report the death of my kitten Logan. He died this morning during neuter surgery at the Animal Clinic At Cambridge.

Logan was rescued by Cheyenne Giesey on July 18. She has large dogs and wasn't able to keep him. So she asked me to help. I agreed to try to find his owner but I didn't have any luck. So I decided to keep him a little longer and try to find a loving family that would give him a good home. I ran posts on facebook for a couple of weeks but no one was interested. So I decided to keep him. And I named the him Logan.

Logan was a beautiful short-hair tiger. He prefered a variety of dry food but didn't seem to like canned food very much. He was gentle and got along just fine with all the other cats. He preferred to be alone a lot of the time. But sometimes he liked to be with his best friend Faith. They enjoyed chasing each other through the house and playing on the cat trees. And then little Flash chose him as his best friend and protector. They became inseparable. Benji liked him and accepted him into the upstairs colony. And so he will be remembered as another magnificent member of the New Concord Feral Cats. RIP little friend. I love you.

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Mike Ward posted a new update:
almost 5 years ago

Update #45

NEUTER AND SPAY PROGRAM - UPDATE - ANDY
The Doug and Judith Waller Rescue Project in Norwich

In previous posts I mentioned Doug Waller in Norwich inherited a problem with a small colony of homeless cats and wanted to borrow my trap. Apparently his neighbor stopped feeding them and they showed up at his house afraid and hoping for a meal. Doug wanted to begin neutering/spaying the cats right away. So he started with a friendly male and decided to adopt the cat. He and his wife named him Zane Grey.

The following week Doug trapped a young female. He had her tested for leukemia, vaccinated and spayed. And he and his wife decided to keep her too. They named her Gracie Mae. She likes their screened porch. She is timid but gets along with Zane Grey.

And the next week Doug trapped another one. She is older than the first two. Dr. Jessica Springman at the Animal Clinic At Cambridge thinks she may be 3.5 years old and weighs 6.8#. The lab test shows she does not have feline leukemia. She recovered from her surgery at Doug's house. And they decided to keep her too. Doug and his wife named her Cookie. She gets along just fine with Zane Grey and Gracie Mae.

Then the next week Doug trapped a young female. Dr. Springman thinks she may be 2 years old and weighs 7.2#. She does not have feline leukemia. And she recovered from her surgery at Doug's house. He and his wife decided to keep her too. They named her Blackie and then changed her name to Pepper. She gets along with all the cats but it will take a little more time for her to get over her fear of people.

It wasn't long before Doug trapped another cat. He named him Polka Dot. Dr. Springman thinks he may be 6 years old and weighs 9#. And he does not have feline leukemia. Dr. Springman performed the neuter surgery. And he spent the entire 7 day recovery period in a cage at the Animal Clinic. We thought this was the best arrangement since Polka Dot is feral. And we are grateful they were willing to keep him for the full week. Polka Dot is afraid of people and is not ready to bring inside. So he lives outside and Doug feeds him every day. And Doug built him a nice shelter to use this past winter.

A couple of weeks ago Doug rescued another cat. It showed up one day last fall and Doug didn't have any luck trapping him. But he began feeding it and as time passed he was able to pick it up and take it to be fixed at the Animal Clinic At Cambridge. Dr. Springman said it is a 3 year old male and weighs 8.5#. He does not have feline leukemia. He was treated for worms and vaccinated. And he recovered from his surgery at Doug's house. Now he lives in a shelter Doug built for him. His name is Andy. And he has made friends with Polka Dot.

What a success story! I have enjoyed being part of this project. Please join me in congratulating Doug and Judith Waller for their patience and determination to solve this problem. They spent a lot of time and money and made a difficult decision to share their home and property with these 6 adult cats. Thanks for being part of the solution!

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Mike Ward posted a new update:
about 5 years ago

Update #44

NEUTER AND SPAY PROGRAM - UPDATE - Sundance

I've watched Sundance play with his brother Jasper since the first day his mom (Hope) brought them to eat with the other feral cats. At that time Spot was the leader of the colony. And Spot's father (Marcus) and his grandson (Midnight) were responsible for enforcing the "code of conduct". Hope is liked by most of the members of the colony but not by her mother (Izzy) and aunt (Amber). Both of them are "old school" and constantly worry there won't be enough food to feed all the cats in the colony. And so it took a little effort and persistence for Hope to gain approval for her kittens to be allowed to eat. But eventually everything worked out just fine. And now all of them have been accepted into the colony.

I named Sundance because he likes to play with his brother Jasper on sunny days. They race across their grassy playground and chase each other up and down the trees. Eventually they get tired and like to nap in the sun. I noticed them playing together last Wednesday (3/20). He is going to be a very aggressive alpha when he grows up. He is really high strung. And it doesn't take much to send him into a tizzy. So it was no surprise when I trapped him that he was loud and very angry. He bruised his nose banging against the cage. And he tore off one of his claws trying to get out. This isn't completely unusual behavior for cats when they are trapped. Or raccoons. But normally it happens when the females have a litter and want to get back to them. Cats and Raccoons have similar mating seasons and both of them deliver their kits in April and May.

I took Sundance to the Animal Clinic At Cambridge and made arrangements for him to be tested for leukemia, neutered, vaccinated and treated for worms. I put him in their cage and he was not pleased. He wanted to go home. The next day their staff had a lot of problems trying to prepare him for surgery. He was really agitated. And Dr. Elliott said there were complications. I noticed a fair amount of blood in his cage after surgery. But Dr. Elliott checked him before she went home and said he was just fine. Sundance weighs 6.7 pounds and he is approximately 7 months old. And like all of the other feral cats in the colony, the lab test showed he does not have feline leukemia. Dr. Elliott agreed to keep him for the full 7 day recovery period.

Sundance's surgery and related medical expenses were made possible by generous donations from Mike Ward, Doug and Judith Waller, Loni Hunt, Gail Hinshaw, Alice Montgomery, Kristine Turner Miller, Cassi Ragsdale, Animal Clinic At Cambridge, Bruce Naylor, Rick Elkins, Susan and Jim Fracker, Dr. Brian and Mary Kay Waggle, Paige Deuscher, Teresa Gum, Carla Hutchens, Andrea Zamensky, Shelly Boyd Tyo, Carol Goff, John D. Caffaratti, Lori Marshall, Kathy Frakes, Shawna Parks, Marcia and Bob Murphy, Marsha Hatfield, April Reed, Shari Stewart, Cathryn Kissinger, Roger Bates, Belinda Sowers, Alistair Hattingh, Kay Marshall, Mary McGee, Kathleen Mitchell, AVC Communications, Zamensky Family, Tera Landry, Lacy Gress, Brenda Buck, Mary Jane Rhodes, Cynthia Carroll, Daniel and Diane Troendly, Jerry and Sheila Blagg, Tom German, Beth and Mark Wharton, The Community Bank, Carol Bravatto, Sandy Christman, The Davidson Family, Breaking Free TRC, Jeremy Morrow, Jennifer Lyle, Lois Zook-Gerdau, Karen Logan, Jean Morris, Cheryl Badger, Rachel Gadd, Leah Simpson, Michael Funk, Erin Wilson Beane, Tonya White Abel and triplets, Anna Parry, Morgan Holsky, Susan Elliott, John Wycoff, Clay Curtis and several anonymous donors.

As of March 24, 2019 there are 7 adult feral cats on the south side of Main Street from Riesbeck's to Orme Hardware. One needs to be neutered (Alex) and one needs to be spayed (Hope). There are also 2 juveniles and both have been neutered. (The census data changes from month to month: Over the past two years 23 adults and 13 kittens have been adopted. 6 adults are missing. 8 are deceased. Approximately 12 kittens have been eaten by raccoons and possums. Plus strays show up from time to time).

Please consider making a donation. I have neutered/spayed and vaccinated and cared for 41 feral and homeless house cats over the past 2+ years. I hope to trap and fix at least 5 more feral and homeless house cats in this territory this fiscal year. I am forecasting it will cost approximately $1,498.48 ($299.70/cat). Please help if you are able. All will be tested for leukemia. All neutered/spayed. All vaccinated. All treated for worms and fleas. One or more may need to be given antibiotics and special care for their wounds and other health issues. And once again, all of the surgeries and medical care will be provided by Dr. Elliott and her staff at the Animal Clinic At Cambridge. Here is a link you can use to make donations with a credit card:
https://fundly.com/new-concord-feral-cats-neuter-and-spay-program
Or if you prefer to pay by check, please make it payable to the "Animal Clinic At Cambridge" for the "New Concord Feral Cats".

Thanks for your interest, encouragement, support, donations and adoptions. Thanks for loving the feral cats and their kittens. And thanks for being part of the solution!

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Mike Ward posted a new update:
about 5 years ago

Update #43

NEUTER AND SPAY PROGRAM - UPDATE - Jasper

It is mating and kitten season. And the feral cats are loud and aggressive. It was too dark to see them fighting when I put out food last Tuesday (March 5, 2019). But I was hoping there were no serious wounds. I am guessing it was probably Alex chasing Hope. I haven't had any luck trapping either one of them yet. There was also a possibility it was one of Hope's young male kittens fighting with one of the other cats. Or maybe an unneutered stray from some other part of town. They claim the males can smell a female in heat up to 2 miles away. So I decided I would try to trap them. And I called the Animal Clinic At Cambridge to let them know I might be bringing them a cat.

I have 2 traps. And I know a nice spot where the feral cats like to socialize. But the biggest problem was the temperature and the wind. I bait the traps with canned food and dry food. The cats can smell the canned food from quite a distance. And it draws them to the traps. But it was only 18 degrees and it froze fairly quickly. So I put out new food and checked the traps about every 90 minutes all night long.

I never know what to expect when I check the traps. Most of the time they are empty. Sometimes I catch a raccoon or possum or skunk. I've seen a fox playing in the snow near the spot where I put the traps. And there is a possibility there could be a bobcat in search of a meal. Every once in a while I get lucky and catch a feral cat.

I managed to catch a possum and raccoon late that night. And I found 2 more raccoons in the morning. But no feral cats. It was starting to get a little warmer and the spot where I was trapping is secluded so I decided to keep trapping all day Wednesday. And that paid off. When I checked the traps after lunch I found one of Hope's kittens. And he was not pleased.

I took the cat to the Animal Clinic At Cambridge and made arrangements for him to be tested for leukemia, neutered, vaccinated and treated for worms. The surgery was scheduled for the next day. Dr. Elliott said the surgery went just fine. She said he weighed 6.9 pounds and he is approximately 7 months old. And the lab test showed he does not have feline leukemia.

Normally I would pick-up the cat after he wakes-up from the anesthesia. But this situation was different. I have adopted so many cats (23) that I am completely out of room in my house. So Dr. Elliott agreed to keep him for the full 7 day recovery period. I visited him everyday. He was afraid at first. But day by day he began to calm down. And this week I decided to name him Jasper. Overall he was a very good patient. I picked him up yesterday. And released him where I trapped him. You should have seen him run. He showed up for supper with his brother and mom last night. And for breakfast this morning. Now everything is back to normal.

Jasper's surgery and related medical expenses were made possible by generous donations from Mike Ward, Doug and Judith Waller, Loni Hunt, Gail Hinshaw, Kristine Turner Miller, Alice Montgomery, Cassi Ragsdale, Animal Clinic At Cambridge, Bruce Naylor, Rick Elkins, Susan and Jim Fracker, Dr. Brian and Mary Kay Waggle, Paige Deuscher, Teresa Gum, Carla Hutchens, Andrea Zamensky, Shelly Boyd Tyo, Carol Goff, John D. Caffaratti, Lori Marshall, Kathy Frakes, Shawna Parks, Marcia and Bob Murphy, Marsha Hatfield, April Reed, Shari Stewart, Cathryn Kissinger, Roger Bates, Belinda Sowers, Alistair Hattingh, Kay Marshall, Mary McGee, AVC Communications, Zamensky Family, Tera Landry, Lacy Gress, Brenda Buck, Mary Jane Rhodes, Cynthia Carroll, Daniel and Diane Troendly, Kathleen Mitchell, Jerry and Sheila Blagg, Tom German, Beth and Mark Wharton, The Community Bank, Carol Bravatto, Sandy Christman, The Davidson Family, Breaking Free TRC, Jeremy Morrow, Jennifer Lyle, Lois Zook-Gerdau, Karen Logan, Jean Morris, Cheryl Badger, Rachel Gadd, Leah Simpson, Michael Funk, Erin Wilson Beane, Tonya White Abel and triplets, Anna Parry, Morgan Holsky, Susan Elliott, John Wycoff, Clay Curtis and several anonymous donors.

As of March 13, 2019 there were 7 adult feral cats on the south side of Main Street from Riesbeck's to Orme Hardware. One needs to be neutered (Alex) and one needs to be spayed (Hope). There are also 2 juveniles and 1 of them needs to be neutered. (The census data changes from month to month - over the past two years 23 feral adults and 13 feral kittens have been adopted, 6 adults are missing and 8 are deceased, approximately 12 kittens have been eaten by raccoons and possums plus strays show up from time to time).

Please consider making a donation. I have neutered/spayed and vaccinated and cared for 40 feral and homeless house cats over the past 2+ years. I hope to trap and fix at least 6 more feral and homeless house cats in this territory this fiscal year. I am forecasting it will cost approximately $1,798.80 ($299.80/cat). Please help if you are able. All will be tested for leukemia. All neutered/spayed. All vaccinated. All treated for worms and fleas. One or more may need to be given antibiotics and special care for their wounds and other health issues. And once again, all of the surgeries and medical care will be provided by Dr. Elliott and her staff at the Animal Clinic At Cambridge. Here is a link you can use to make donations with a credit card:
https://fundly.com/new-concord-feral-cats-neuter-and-spay-program
Or if you prefer to pay by check, please make it payable to the "Animal Clinic At Cambridge" for the "New Concord Feral Cats".

Thanks for your interest, encouragement, support, donations and adoptions. Thanks for loving the feral cats and their kittens. And thanks for being part of the solution!

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Mike Ward posted a new update:
about 5 years ago

Update #42

NEUTER AND SPAY PROGRAM - UPDATE - HOMER GLENN
This little feral tiger kitten showed up on November 15, 2018 and decided to make its home under the bushes on the west side of the Glenn Museum. I looked out my kitchen window and noticed it playing in the grass and sunning on the steps. But the feral females in this territory did not approve. Izzy and her sister Amber both tried to chase it down the street. It must have been hungry and smelled the food in my back lot because it kept coming back. The adult males were curious but didn't seem to mind it living next door. Even the ferocious rogue male Alex would join him for a little sun. Midnight and his nephew Willie also spent some time with him. And they would escort him to the food and water. Marcus didn't bother him. And Spot accepted him into the colony.

The kitten was never with any siblings. So I am guessing it wandered away from from its' mom. Or his mom went for a walk and wasn't able to make it back. It took me several days but I finally trapped it and brought it inside. I gave it one of the large cages in my basement. I guessed it was about 12 weeks old. And since it was feral and afraid I was not able to handle it to determine gender. It was starving and ate adult portions for the first 2 weeks. And after 7 weeks I decided it was time to take it to the Animal Clinic At Cambridge.

Dr. Springman did the examination and tested it for leukemia. She said he is a healthy 5.6# boy and estimated his birthday at 8/7/18. She gave him his first vaccinations, treated him for worms and fleas, and neutered him. He did just fine and the next day I brought him back to his cage in the basement. The kitten was very happy to be back home. Debbie Allender (Manager of the Glenn Museum and Zane Grey Museum) suggested I name it after one of John Glenn's relatives. So I decided to name this one Homer. My hope is to tame him and find a good family that will give him a nice home. Although he is slower than most to trust me and the adult feral cats in the basement.

Homer's surgery and related medical expenses were made possible by generous donations from Mike Ward, Doug and Judith Waller, Loni Hunt, Gail Hinshaw, Kristine Turner Miller, Alice Montgomery, Cassi Ragsdale, Animal Clinic At Cambridge, Bruce Naylor, Rick Elkins, Susan and Jim Fracker, Dr. Brian and Mary Kay Waggle, Paige Deuscher, Teresa Gum, Carla Hutchens, Andrea Zamensky, Shelly Boyd Tyo, Carol Goff, John D. Caffaratti, Lori Marshall, Kathy Frakes, Shawna Parks, Marcia and Bob Murphy, Marsha Hatfield, April Reed, Shari Stewart, Cathryn Kissinger, Roger Bates, Belinda Sowers, Alistair Hattingh, Kay Marshall, Mary McGee, AVC Communications, Zamensky Family, Tera Landry, Lacy Gress, Mary Jane Rhodes, Cynthia Carroll, Daniel and Diane Troendly, Kathleen Mitchell, Jerry and Sheila Blagg, Tom German, Beth and Mark Wharton, The Community Bank, Carol Bravatto, Sandy Christman, The Davidson Family, Breaking Free TRC, Jeremy Morrow, Jennifer Lyle, Lois Zook-Gerdau, Karen Logan, Jean Morris, Cheryl Badger, Rachel Gadd, Leah Simpson, Michael Funk, Erin Wilson Beane, Tonya White Abel and triplets, Anna Parry, Morgan Holsky, Susan Elliott, John Wycoff, Clay Curtis and several anonymous donors.

As of January 1, 2018 there were 9 adult feral cats on the south side of Main Street from Riesbeck's to Orme Hardware. Two need to be neutered (Alex and Freddie). And one needs to be spayed (Hope). All of them are smart and very difficult to trap. And Hope has 2 kittens that will need to be trapped and neutered/spayed. Please consider making a donation. I have neutered/spayed and vaccinated and cared for 39 feral and homeless house cats over the past 2+ years. And I hope to fix more this fiscal year. Here is a link you can use to make donations with a credit card:
https://fundly.com/new-concord-feral-cats-neuter-and-spay-program
Or if you prefer to pay by check, please make it payable to the "Animal Clinic At Cambridge" for the "New Concord Feral Cats".
Thanks for your support! And thanks for being part of the solution!

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Mike Ward posted a new update:
over 5 years ago

Update #41

NEUTER AND SPAY PROGRAM - UPDATE - JOHN AND ANNIE GLENN

Each year I wonder which feral cat will be the first to be neutered and spayed. In 2016 it was the alpha male Spot. Last year it was Tiger. And this year it is John and Annie Glenn. The Animal Clinic has cared for them since I found them under the bushes at the Glenn Museum. Dr. Elliott did their initial examination on June 7. She vaccinated them on July 8. And gave them their final boosters on August 2. Last Thursday they turned 6 months old and Dr. Springman neutered and spayed them. Both of them did fine and now they are recovering with Toby and Samson on the first floor of my house.

I found good homes for their siblings (Ashley, Zach and Simba). But I wasn't able to find a family that wanted John and Annie. They have always been together and are very closely bonded. So I wanted them to be adopted as a pair. Many people were interested in adopting one of them. Some wanted John. And others wanted Annie. But no one wanted both of them. So I decided to keep them.

John and Annie's surgery and related medical expenses were made possible by generous donations from Mike Ward, Doug and Judith Waller, Loni Hunt, Gail Hinshaw, Alice Montgomery, Kristine Turner Miller, Cassi Ragsdale, Rick Elkins, Dr. Brian And Mary Kay Waggle, Paige Deuscher, Susan and Jim Fracker, Teresa Gum, Carla Hutchens, Andrea Zamensky, Shelly Boyd Tyo, Bruce Naylor, Carol Goff, John D. Caffaratti, Lori Marshall, Kathy Frakes, Shawna Parks, Marcia and Bob Murphy, April Reed, Shari Stewart, Cathryn Kissinger, Roger Bates, Belinda Sowers, Alistair Hattingh, Kay Marshall, Mary McGee, AVC Communications, Zamensky Family, Tera Landry, Marsha Hatfield, Lacy Gress, Mary Jane Rhodes, Cynthia Carroll, Daniel and Diane Troendly, Kathleen Mitchell, Jerry and Sheila Blagg, Tom German, Beth and Mark Wharton, The Community Bank, Carol Bravatto, Sandy Christman, The Davidson Family, Breaking Free TRC, Jeremy Morrow, Jennifer Lyle, Lois Zook-Gerdau, Karen Logan, Jean Morris, Rachel Gadd, Leah Simpson, Michael Funk, Erin Wilson Beane, Tonya White Abel and triplets, Anna Parry, Morgan Holsky, Susan Elliott, John Wycoff, Clay Curtis and several anonymous donors.

As of November 1, 2018 there were 8 adult feral cats on the south side of Main Street from Riesbeck's to Orme Hardware. One needs to be neutered (Alex). And one needs to be spayed (Hope). Both of them are smart and very difficult to trap. And now Hope has 2 kittens that will need to be trapped and neutered/spayed. Please consider making a donation. I have neutered/spayed and vaccinated and cared for 38 feral and homeless housecats over the past 3 years. And I hope to fix 15 this fiscal year. Here is a link you can use to make donations with a credit card:
https://fundly.com/new-concord-feral-cats-neuter-and-spay-program
Or if you prefer to pay by check, please make it payable to the "Animal Clinic At Cambridge" for the "New Concord Feral Cats". Thanks for your support! And thanks for being part of the solution!

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Mike Ward posted a new update:
over 5 years ago

Update #40

NEUTER AND SPAY PROGRAM - 2018 ANNUAL REPORT

Please join me in celebrating the 2nd ANNIVERSARY of the New Concord Feral Cats NEUTER AND SPAY PROGRAM. If we look back to the beginning of the program, it was on September 27th, 2016 that I trapped the first feral cat in this territory. He is the alpha male named Spot. I took him to be neutered by Dr. Elliott and her staff at the Animal Clinic At Cambridge. Next was Lucy, Simon and Samson. And then Midnight, Benji and Sophie. I trapped Evie, Zoe and Red. And Gaia, Abby and Kerby. Finally there was Amber and Moses. I named them all. And now they know their names. There were 7 males and 8 females for a total of 15 feral cats. All tested for leukemia. All neutered/spayed. All vaccinated. All treated for worms and fleas. Some were given antibiotics and special care for their wounds and other health issues. All of the surgeries and medical care was provided by Dr. Elliott and her staff at the Animal Clinic At Cambridge.

Here is a link to the 1st Annual Report (9/27/16 - 9/26/17)
https://www.facebook.com/NewConcordFeralCats/posts/1901850060141923

I continued the Neuter and Spay Program this fiscal year (9/27/17 - 9/26/18). It began with Tiger, Ace and Samson Jr. Then Rachel, Maggie, Lucas and Pepper. Next was Willie, Jason and Tigger. And then Jacob, Izzy and Marcus. I trapped Morgan, Margie and Cassi. And I helped Doug Waller in Norwich with Zane Grey, Gracie, Cookie, Pepper and Polka Dot. All of them have names. And all of them know their names. This year there were 12 males and 9 females for a total of 21 feral cats. All tested for leukemia. All neutered/spayed. All vaccinated. All treated for worms and fleas. Some were given antibiotics and special care for their wounds and other health issues. And once again, all of the surgeries and medical care was provided by Dr. Elliott and her staff at the Animal Clinic At Cambridge.

In summary, over the past 2 years I have neutered/spayed 19 males and 17 females for a total of 36 feral cats. I have raised $10,476 and the program has cost $10,810. Total expenses are $334 higher than my personal contributions and donations from my customers and families in our community. All of the services were made possible by generous donations from Mike Ward, Doug and Judith Waller, Loni Hunt, Gail Hinshaw, Kristine Turner Miller, Cassi Ragsdale, Rick Elkins, Alice Montgomery, Dr. Brian And Mary Kay Waggle, Paige Deuscher, Susan and Jim Fracker, Teresa Gum, Andrea Zamensky, Carol Goff, John D. Caffaratti, Lori Marshall, Kathy Frakes, Shawna Parks, Marcia and Bob Murphy, April Reed, Shari Stewart, Cathryn Kissinger, Roger Bates, Belinda Sowers, Kay Marshall, Mary McGee, AVC Communications, Zamensky Family, Shelly Boyd Tyo, Carla Hutchens, Tera Landry, Marsha Hatfield, Lacy Gress, Mary Jane Rhodes, Cynthia Carroll, Daniel and Diane Troendly, Kathleen Mitchell, Jerry and Sheila Blagg, Tom German, Beth and Mark Wharton, The Community Bank, Carol Bravatto, Alistair Hattingh, Sandy Christman, The Davidson Family, Breaking Free TRC, Jeremy Morrow, Jennifer Lyle, Lois Zook-Gerdau, Karen Logan, Jean Morris, Leah Simpson, Michael Funk, Erin Wilson Beane, Tonya White Abel and triplets, Anna Parry, Morgan Holsky, John Wycoff, Clay Curtis and several anonymous donors.

As of September 1, 2018 there were 8 adult feral cats on the south side of Main Street from Riesbeck's to Orme Hardware. And 2 need to be neutered (Alex) and spayed (Hope). In July, I discovered Hope had 3 kittens. I was able to catch 1 of them. Her name is Duchess and she was adopted by Adam and Ashley Karlen in Cambridge. The other 2 will grow-up to be members of the feral colony. This winter I will try to trap them and take them to be neutered and spayed.

EXPENSES AND FUNDRAISING - NEUTER & SPAY PROGRAM

Expenses have been a little higher than I expected this year. There were several reasons. I expanded my territory east of Orme Hardware to include all of New Concord on the south side of Main Street. I decided to trap later in the mating season compared to last year. I helped Doug Waller in Norwich with his colony of 5 homeless cats. And there was a larger than usual number of cats abandoned by students from Muskingum University - and many of them had kittens.

I would like to continue trapping again this winter as time and money permits. 2019 will probably cost the same as previous years. So I am budgeting another $20,000 from my personal funds to finance the program and care for the feral cats in this territory. And there will be some donations from my customers and families in our community.

I would also like to tackle two large projects in the coming year. I have begun planning a rescue and relocation project with Carol Goff for the Phil Ahl farm in Norwich (17 feral cats plus kittens) and a second project for Jim Kornokovich at H & K Towing in New Concord (20+ feral and homeless cats plus kittens). The projects will require significant financial resources. I am estimating $3,500 for the Ahl farm and $5,000 for H & K Towing.

Please consider making a donation. Here is a link you can use to make donations with a credit card:
https://fundly.com/new-concord-feral-cats-neuter-and-spay-program
Or if you prefer to pay by check, please make it payable to the "Animal Clinic At Cambridge" for the "New Concord Feral Cats".

Thanks for your interest, encouragement, support, donations and adoptions. Thanks for loving the feral cats and their kittens. And thanks for being part of the solution!

In memory of my friends Lucy (7/31/15 - 3/14/17), Sasha (6/21/08 - 4/10/17), Samson (12/14/10 - 6/5/17), Atlas (4/15/17 - 11/17/17), Fuzzy (5/1/05 - 5/23/18) and Jason (7/4/2016 - 7/21/18).

Mike Ward - 76 West Main Street - New Concord

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Mike Ward posted a new update:
over 5 years ago

Update #39

NEUTER AND SPAY PROGRAM - UPDATE - POLKA DOT
This completes the Waller Project in Norwich! :)

In previous posts I mentioned Doug Waller in Norwich inherited a problem and wanted to borrow my trap. Apparently his neighbor stopped feeding a small group of homeless cats and they showed up at his house afraid and hoping for a meal. Doug wanted to begin neutering/spaying the cats right away. So he started with a friendly male and decided to adopt the cat. He and his wife named him Zane Grey.

The following week Doug trapped a young female. He had her tested for leukemia, vaccinated and spayed. And he and his wife decided to keep her too. They named her Gracie Mae. She likes their screened porch. She is timid but gets along with Zane Grey.

And the next week Doug trapped another one. She is older than the first two. Dr. Elliott at the Animal Clinic At Cambridge thinks she may be 3.5 years old and weighs 6.8#. The lab test shows she does not have feline leukemia. She recovered from her surgery at Doug's house. And they decided to keep her too. Doug and his wife named her Cookie. She gets along just fine with Zane Grey and Gracie Mae.

Then the next week Doug trapped a young female. Dr. Elliott at the Animal Clinic At Cambridge thinks she may be 2 years old and weighs 7.2#. She does not have feline leukemia. And she has recovered from her surgery at Doug's house. He and his wife decided to keep her too. They named her Blackie and then changed her name to Pepper. She gets along with all the cats but it will take a little more time for her to get over her fear of people. There is one more cat to trap. Doug is making excellent progress!

I have very good news! Doug trapped the fifth and final cat at his home in Norwich. He named him Polka Dot. Dr. Jessica Springman at the Animal Clinic At Cambridge thinks he may be 6 years old and weighs 9#. And he does not have feline leukemia. Dr. Springman performed the neuter surgery. And he spent the entire 7 day recovery period in a cage at the Animal Clinic. We thought this was the best arrangement since Polka Dot is feral. And we are grateful they were willing to keep him for the full week. Polka Dot is afraid of people and is not ready to bring inside. So he lives outside and Doug feeds him every day. Doug mentioned he won't eat until he goes inside. But Polka Dot has chosen to stay close by. And Doug is building him a nice shelter to use this winter. Please join me in congratulating Doug and Judith Waller for their patience and determination to solve this problem. They spent a fair amount of time and money and are willing to share their home and property with these 5 adult cats. Thanks for being part of the solution!

Polka Dot's surgery and related medical expenses were made possible by generous donations from Mike Ward, Doug and Judith Waller, Gail Hinshaw, Kristine Turner Miller, Cassi Ragsdale, Loni Hunt, Rick Elkins, Alice Montgomery, Paige Deuscher, Susan and Jim Fracker, Teresa Gum, Andrea Zamensky, Carol Goff, John D. Caffaratti, Lori Marshall, Kathy Frakes, Shawna Parks, Marcia and Bob Murphy, April Reed, Shari Stewart, Cathryn Kissinger, Roger Bates, Belinda Sowers, Kay Marshall, Mary McGee, AVC Communications, Zamensky Family, Shelly Boyd Tyo, Carla Hutchens, Tera Landry, Lacy Gress, Mary Jane Rhodes, Cynthia Carroll, Daniel and Diane Troendly, Marsha Hatfield, Kathleen Mitchell, Jerry and Sheila Blagg, Tom German, Beth and Mark Wharton, The Community Bank, Carol Bravatto, Alistair Hattingh, Sandy Christman, The Davidson Family, Breaking Free TRC, Jeremy Morrow, Jennifer Lyle, Lois Zook-Gerdau, Karen Logan, Jean Morris, Leah Simpson, Michael Funk, Erin Wilson Beane, Tonya White Abel and triplets, Anna Parry, Morgan Holsky, John Wycoff, Clay Curtis and several anonymous donors.

As of August 1, 2018 there were 6 adult feral cats on the south side of Main Street from Riesbeck's to Orme Hardware. And 1 needs to be neutered (Alex). There are also 2 juveniles and 1 of them (Hope) needs to be spayed. Last month I discovered she had 3 small kittens. I was able to catch 1 of them, bottle fed and raised her for 4 weeks, had her vaccinated at the Animal Clinic At Cambridge and found a great home for her. Her name is Duchess and she lives with Adam and Ashley Karlen in Cambridge.

Please consider making a donation. I have trapped and neutered/spayed and vaccinated and fed 35 feral and homeless housecats over the past 3 years. And I hope to fix more. Here is a link you can use to make donations with a credit card:
https://fundly.com/new-concord-feral-cats-neuter-and-spay-program
Thanks for your support! And thanks for being part of the solution!

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Mike Ward posted a new update:
over 5 years ago

Update #38

NEUTER AND SPAY PROGRAM - UPDATE - PEPPER

In previous posts I mentioned Doug Waller in Norwich inherited a problem and wanted to borrow my trap. Apparently his neighbor stopped feeding a small group of homeless cats and they showed up at his house afraid and hoping for a meal. Doug wanted to begin trapping and neutering/spaying the cats right away. So he started with a friendly male and decided to adopt the cat. He and his wife named him Zane Grey.

The following week Doug trapped a young female. He had her tested for leukemia, vaccinated and spayed. And he and his wife decided to keep her too. They named her Gracie Mae. She likes their screened porch. She is timid but gets along with Zane Grey.

And the next week Doug trapped another one. She is older than the first two. Dr. Elliott at the Animal Clinic At Cambridge thinks she may be 3.5 years old and weighs 6.8#. The lab test shows she does not have feline leukemia. She recovered from her surgery at Doug's house. And they decided to keep her too. Doug and his wife named her Cookie. She gets along just fine with Zane Grey and Gracie Mae.

Then the next week Doug trapped a young female. Dr. Elliott at the Animal Clinic At Cambridge thinks she may be 2 years old and weighs 7.2#. She does not have feline leukemia. And she has recovered from her surgery at Doug's house. He and his wife decided to keep her too. They named her Blackie and then changed her name to Pepper. She gets along with all the cats but it will take a little more time for her to get over her fear of people. There is one more cat to trap. Doug is making excellent progress!

Pepper's surgery and related medical expenses were made possible by generous donations from Mike Ward, Doug and Judith Waller, Gail Hinshaw, Kristine Turner Miller, Cassi Ragsdale, Loni Hunt, Rick Elkins, Paige Deuscher, Susan and Jim Fracker, Alice Montgomery, Teresa Gum, Andrea Zamensky, Carol Goff, John D. Caffaratti, Lori Marshall, Kathy Frakes, Shawna Parks, Marcia and Bob Murphy, April Reed, Shari Stewart, Cathryn Kissinger, Roger Bates, Belinda Sowers, AVC Communications, Zamensky Family, Shelly Boyd Tyo, Tera Landry, Lacy Gress, Mary McGee, Mary Jane Rhodes, Cynthia Carroll, Daniel and Diane Troendly, Kathleen Mitchell, Jerry and Sheila Blagg, Tom German, Beth and Mark Wharton, Carol Bravatto, Marsha Hatfield, Alistair Hattingh, Sandy Christman, The Davidson Family, Breaking Free TRC, Jeremy Morrow, Jennifer Lyle, Lois Zook-Gerdau, Karen Logan, Jean Morris, Leah Simpson, Michael Funk, Erin Wilson Beane, Tonya White Abel and triplets, Anna Parry, Morgan Holsky, John Wycoff, Clay Curtis and several anonymous donors.

As of August 1, 2018 there were 6 adult feral cats on the south side of Main Street from Riesbeck's to Orme Hardware. And 1 needs to be neutered (Alex). There are also 2 juveniles and 1 of them (Hope) needs to be spayed. Last month I discovered she had 3 small kittens. I was able to catch 1 of them, bottle fed and raised her for 4 weeks, had her vaccinated at the Animal Clinic At Cambridge and found a great home for her.

Please consider making a donation. I have trapped and neutered/spayed and vaccinated and fed 34 feral and homeless housecats over the past 3 years. And I hope to fix more. Here is a link you can use to make donations with a credit card:
https://fundly.com/new-concord-feral-cats-neuter-and-spay-program
Thanks for your support! And thanks for being part of the solution!

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Mike Ward posted a new update:
over 5 years ago

Update #37

NEUTER AND SPAY PROGRAM - UPDATE - COOKIE

In previous posts I mentioned Doug Waller in Norwich inherited a problem and wanted to borrow my trap. Apparently his neighbor stopped feeding a small group of homeless cats and they showed up at his house afraid and hoping for a meal. Doug wanted to begin trapping and neutering/spaying the cats right away. So he started with a friendly male and decided to adopt the cat. He and his wife named him Zane Grey.

The following week Doug trapped a young female. He had her tested for leukemia, vaccinated and spayed. And he and his wife decided to keep her too. They named her Gracie Mae. She likes their screened porch. And she gets along with Zane Grey.

Then last week Doug trapped another one. She is older than the first two. Dr. Elliott at the Animal Clinic At Cambridge thinks she may be 3.5 years old and weighs 6.8#. The lab test shows she does not have feline leukemia. Now she is recovering from her surgery at Doug's house. He and his wife decided to keep her too. They named her Cookie. And she gets along with both Zane Grey and Gracie Mae. There are more cats to trap but for now Doug is making excellent progress!

Cookie's surgery and related medical expenses were made possible by generous donations from Mike Ward, Doug and Judith Waller, Gail Hinshaw, Kristine Turner Miller, Cassi Ragsdale, Loni Hunt, Rick Elkins, Paige Deuscher, Susan and Jim Fracker, Alice Montgomery, Teresa Gum, Andrea Zamensky, Carol Goff, John D. Caffaratti, Lori Marshall, Kathy Frakes, Shawna Parks, Marcia and Bob Murphy, April Reed, Shari Stewart, Cathryn Kissinger, Roger Bates, Belinda Sowers, AVC Communications, Zamensky Family, Shelly Boyd Tyo, Tera Landry, Lacy Gress, Mary McGee, Mary Jane Rhodes, Cynthia Carroll, Daniel and Diane Troendly, Kathleen Mitchell, Jerry and Sheila Blagg, Tom German, Beth and Mark Wharton, Carol Bravatto, Marsha Hatfield, Alistair Hattingh, Sandy Christman, The Davidson Family, Breaking Free TRC, Jeremy Morrow, Jennifer Lyle, Lois Zook-Gerdau, Karen Logan, Jean Morris, Leah Simpson, Michael Funk, Erin Wilson Beane, Tonya White Abel and triplets, Anna Parry, Morgan Holsky, John Wycoff, Clay Curtis and several anonymous donors.

As of July 1, 2018 there were 6 adult feral cats on the south side of Main Street from Riesbeck's to Orme Hardware. And 1 needs to be neutered (Alex). There are also 2 juveniles and 1 of them (Hope) needs to be spayed. I discovered this week that she had 3 small kittens. So far I haveI caught 1 of them and brought him inside. Over the next month I will have him vaccinated and find him a good home.

Please consider making a donation. I have trapped and neutered/spayed and vaccinated 18 feral and homeless housecats this year. And I hope to fix more. Here is a link you can use to make donations with a credit card:
https://fundly.com/new-concord-feral-cats-neuter-and-spay-program
Thanks for your support! And thanks for being part of the solution!

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Mike Ward posted a new update:
over 5 years ago

Update #36

NEUTER AND SPAY PROGRAM - UPDATE - GRACIE

I got a message from Doug Waller in Norwich a few weeks ago. He mentioned he inherited a problem and wanted to borrow my trap. Apparently his neighbor stopped feeding a small group of homeless cats and they showed up at his house afraid and hoping for a meal. Doug wanted to begin trapping and neutering/spaying the cats right away. So we started with a friendly male. Everything went very well and he and his wife Judy decided to adopt the cat. They named him Zane Grey.

The following week Doug called to let me know he had another cat. And I called the Animal Clinic At Cambridge to let them know he was on his way. Dr. Elliott prefers to wait at least 12 hours after a cat has eaten before she will do surgery. So the cat was boarded for the night and she did surgery the next day. Dr. Elliott thinks she is one year old and she weighs 6.6 pounds. The lab test shows she does not have feline leukemia. Now she is recovering from her surgery at Doug's house. And Doug and his wife decided to keep her too. They named her Gracie Mae. Doug has sent several messages and called to let me know she is doing very well. She likes their screened porch. But it will take time for her to get over her fear of people. She gets along with Zane Grey so eventually everything will be fine.

Gracie's surgery and related medical expenses were made possible by generous donations from Mike Ward, Doug and Judith Waller, Gail Hinshaw, Kristine Turner Miller, Cassi Ragsdale, Loni Hunt, Rick Elkins, Paige Deuscher, Susan and Jim Fracker, Alice Montgomery, Teresa Gum, Andrea Zamensky, Carol Goff, John D. Caffaratti, Lori Marshall, Kathy Frakes, Shawna Parks, Marcia and Bob Murphy, April Reed, Shari Stewart, Cathryn Kissinger, Roger Bates, Belinda Sowers, AVC Communications, Zamensky Family, Shelly Boyd Tyo, Tera Landry, Lacy Gress, Mary McGee, Mary Jane Rhodes, Cynthia Carroll, Daniel and Diane Troendly, Kathleen Mitchell, Jerry and Sheila Blagg, Tom German, Beth and Mark Wharton, Carol Bravatto, Marsha Hatfield, Alistair Hattingh, Sandy Christman, The Davidson Family, Breaking Free TRC, Jeremy Morrow, Jennifer Lyle, Lois Zook-Gerdau, Karen Logan, Jean Morris, Leah Simpson, Michael Funk, Erin Wilson Beane, Tonya White Abel and triplets, Anna Parry, Morgan Holsky, John Wycoff, Clay Curtis and several anonymous donors.

As of July 1, 2018 there were 6 adult feral cats and 1 homeless house cat on the south side of Main Street from the IGA to Orme Hardware. And 1 needs to be neutered (Alex). There are also 2 juveniles and 1 of them (Hope) needs to be spayed. Please consider making a donation. I have trapped and neutered/spayed and vaccinated 17 feral and homeless housecats this year. And I hope to fix more. Here is a link you can use to make donations with a credit card:
https://fundly.com/new-concord-feral-cats-neuter-and-spay-program
Thanks for your support! And thanks for being part of the solution!

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Mike Ward posted a new update:
almost 6 years ago

Update #35

NEUTER AND SPAY PROGRAM - UPDATE - HOMELESS HOUSE CAT

I got a message from Doug Waller in Norwich last Monday. He mentioned he inherited a problem and wanted to borrow my trap. Apparently his neighbor stopped feeding a small feral colony and they showed up at his house hoping for a meal. One of them is friendly and can be handled. Doug thought it might be a male. The others are more afraid and he wonders if they might be feral. He also mentioned that the male was scratched on his nose near his eyes. That is the fingerprint of an inexperienced house cat in a fight with a skilled and experienced feral male. Feral cats normally wound their opponent's feet and legs. And then they go for the eyes. House cats do not know how to defend themselves agains a skilled adversary. And some of their wounds can be serious.

Doug wanted to begin trapping and neutering/spaying the cats right away. So I suggested we start with the male. Later that morning Doug called to let me know he had the cat. And I called the Animal Clinic At Cambridge to let them know he was on his way. Dr. Elliott prefers to wait at least 12 hours after a cat has eaten before she will do surgery. So the cat was boarded for the night and she did surgery the next day. Dr. Elliott thinks he is one year old and he weighs 8.9 pounds. The lab test shows he does not have feline leukemia. Now he is recovering from his surgery at Doug's house. And Doug and his wife Judy have decided to keep him. They named him Zane Grey. Judy called this morning to let me know he is doing very well. He likes their screened porch. He has started exploring their house. He slept with her in bed last night. And he likes to play with their cat toys. Doug and Judy have 3 other cats. It will take time for them to accept him. But so far everything is going ok.

Zane Grey's surgery and related medical expenses were made possible by generous donations from Mike Ward, Doug and Judith Waller, Gail Hinshaw, Kristine Turner Miller, Cassi Ragsdale, Loni Hunt, Rick Elkins, Paige Deuscher, Susan and Jim Fracker, Alice Montgomery, Teresa Gum, Andrea Zamensky, Carol Goff, John D. Caffaratti, Lori Marshall, Kathy Frakes, Shawna Parks, Marcia and Bob Murphy, April Reed, Shari Stewart, Cathryn Kissinger, Roger Bates, Belinda Sowers, AVC Communications, Zamensky Family, Shelly Boyd Tyo, Tera Landry, Lacy Gress, Mary McGee, Mary Jane Rhodes, Cynthia Carroll, Daniel and Diane Troendly, Kathleen Mitchell, Jerry and Sheila Blagg, Tom German, Beth and Mark Wharton, Carol Bravatto, Marsha Hatfield, Alistair Hattingh, Sandy Christman, The Davidson Family, Breaking Free TRC, Jeremy Morrow, Jennifer Lyle, Lois Zook-Gerdau, Karen Logan, Jean Morris, Leah Simpson, Michael Funk, Erin Wilson Beane, Tonya White Abel and triplets, Anna Parry, Morgan Holsky, John Wycoff, Clay Curtis and several anonymous donors.

As of June 1, 2018 there were 6 adult feral cats and 1 homeless house cat on the south side of Main Street from the IGA to Orme Hardware. And 1 needs to be neutered (Alex). There are also 2 juveniles and 1 of them (Hope) needs to be spayed. Please consider making a donation. I have trapped and neutered/spayed and vaccinated 16 feral cats this year. And I hope to fix more. Here is a link you can use to make donations with a credit card:
https://fundly.com/new-concord-feral-cats-neuter-and-spay-program
Thanks for your support! And thanks for being part of the solution!

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Mike Ward posted a new update:
almost 6 years ago

Update #34

NEUTER AND SPAY PROGRAM - FERAL CAT WITH 4 KITTENS

I got a message from Cassi Ragsdale who was with her friend Somer Smith at 57 East Main Street (next to Orme hardware). They trapped a small feral female and managed to rescue all of her kittens. It was lunch time when she sent the message so I decided to take a break and deliver the cat to Dr. Elliott at the Animal Clinic At Cambridge. Cassi had the trap located behind the house and the cat was very upset.

I don't have any experience with this female. She is a tuxedo and appears to be the daughter of Alex from this territory. The dividing line for the territory is Orme Hardware and I don't know much about the cats on the east end of the Village. Her surgery went well and I was able to bring her home last Friday. Dr. Elliott thinks she was born on June 14, 2017 and she weighs 6 pounds. The lab test shows she does not have feline leukemia. Now she is spending the next 7 days recovering from her surgery at my house. I named her Cassi after Cassi Ragsdale. Our plan is to relocate her to Cassi Ragsdale's barn. It will provide good shelter and Cassi will feed her every day. It is unlikely the cat can be tamed to the point where she would be satisfied living inside. But over an extended period of time it is very likely Cassi will be able to bond with her. And there is a possibility she will eventually be able to pick her up and take her to the vet for vaccinations and medical care.

Another important part of this story is about Cassi's 4 kittens. There are 3 females and 1 male. 3 of them have been to the Animal Clinic At Cambridge for their first examinations and shots. And there are already firm commitments to adopt 3 of them into very good homes in the near future. Cassi's Ragsdale's dad is finding homes for them.

Cassi's surgery and related medical expenses were made possible by generous donations from Mike Ward, Gail Hinshaw, Kristine Turner Miller, Cassi Ragsdale, Loni Hunt, Rick Elkins, Doug and Judith Waller, Paige Deuscher, Susan and Jim Fracker, Alice Montgomery, Teresa Gum, Andrea Zamensky, Carol Goff, John D. Caffaratti, Lori Marshall, Kathy Frakes, Shawna Parks, Marcia and Bob Murphy, April Reed, Shari Stewart, Cathryn Kissinger, Roger Bates, Belinda Sowers, AVC Communications, Zamensky Family, Shelly Boyd Tyo, Tera Landry, Lacy Gress, Mary McGee, Mary Jane Rhodes, Cynthia Carroll, Daniel and Diane Troendly, Kathleen Mitchell, Jerry and Sheila Blagg, Tom German, Beth and Mark Wharton, Carol Bravatto, Marsha Hatfield, Alistair Hattingh, Sandy Christman, The Davidson Family, Breaking Free TRC, Jeremy Morrow, Jennifer Lyle, Lois Zook-Gerdau, Karen Logan, Jean Morris, Leah Simpson, Michael Funk, Erin Wilson Beane, Tonya White Abel and triplets, Anna Parry, Morgan Holsky, John Wycoff, Clay Curtis and several anonymous donors.

As of June 1, 2018 there were 6 adult feral cats and 1 homeless house cat on the south side of Main Street from the IGA to Orme Hardware. And 1 needs to be neutered (Alex). There are also 2 juveniles and 1 of them (Hope) needs to be spayed. Please consider making a donation. I have trapped and neutered/spayed and vaccinated 16 cats this year. And I hope to fix more. Here is a link you can use to make donations with a credit card:
https://fundly.com/new-concord-feral-cats-neuter-and-spay-program
Thanks for your support! And thanks for being part of the solution!

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Mike Ward posted a new update:
almost 6 years ago

Update #33

NEUTER AND SPAY PROGRAM - HOMELESS HOUSE CAT WITH 4 KITTENS

I got a message from NASA Mission Control about multiple UCO's (Unidentified Crawling Objects) at the John and Annie Glenn Museum. They said Ron and Jean Hinebaugh reported 2 tiny kittens playing in the yard. And they wanted me to try to rescue them. I bumped into Ron at the Subway and mentioned I haven't seen any kittens this year. But he said his wife Jean saw them when they were out for a walk. Apparently a homeless house cat and her kittens made their home at the museum. And there weren't just 2. I found 2 more.

I've seen the mom coming for supper since May 5, 2018. And then she started coming for breakfast too. I always wondered where she lived. I am guessing she was abandoned by a Muskingum University student. It happens every spring. Most of the homeowners in the Village are familiar with the annual tradition and unthinkable tragedy of irresponsible and downright cruel college students abandoning their pets when they are done with finals. It has been going-on for as long as I can remember.

The kittens were born and raised under the bushes at the Glenn Museum. And their mom brought them to eat with the feral cats in my back lot. All of them had gunky eyes (infections) and a bad cold. I decided to rescue them and brought them inside my basement. They are living in a large cage furnished with everything they need. The kittens are very young so I have been bottle-feeding them three times a day. I began treating them with antibiotics and prescription eye drops last Monday afternoon. And I took them for an examination and treatment by Dr. Elliott at the Animal Clinic At Cambridge last Thursday.

After I rescued the kittens I decided to try to rescue the mom. She is very friendly and easy to handle. So I picked her up and took her to the Animal Clinic At Cambridge. Her surgery went well and I was able to bring her home yesterday afternoon. Dr. Elliott thinks she was born on June 14, 2016 and she weighs 6.9 pounds. The lab test shows she does not have feline leukemia. Now she will spend the next 7 days with her kittens recovering at my house. I named her Margie after Annie Glenn's mother (Margaret Castor).

Margie's surgery and related medical expenses were made possible by generous donations from Mike Ward, Kristine Turner Miller, Cassi Ragsdale, Loni Hunt, Gail Hinshaw, Rick Elkins, Paige Deuscher, Alice Montgomery, Teresa Gum, Susan Fracker, Andrea Zamensky, Carol Goff, John D. Caffaratti, Lori Marshall, Kathy Frakes, Doug and Judith Waller, Marcia and Bob Murphy, April Reed, Shari Stewart, Cathryn Kissinger, Roger Bates, Belinda Sowers, AVC Communications, Zamensky Family, Shelly Boyd Tyo, Tera Landry, Mary McGee, Shawna Parks, Mary Jane Rhodes, Cynthia Carroll, Daniel and Diane Troendly, Kathleen Mitchell, Jerry and Sheila Blagg, Tom German, Beth and Mark Wharton, Carol Bravatto, Marsha Hatfield, Alistair Hattingh, Sandy Christman, The Davidson Family, Breaking Free TRC, Jeremy Morrow, Jennifer Lyle, Lois Zook-Gerdau, Karen Logan, Jean Morris, Leah Simpson, Michael Funk, Erin Wilson Beane, Lacy Gress, Tonya White Abel and triplets, Anna Parry, Morgan Holsky, John Wycoff, Clay Curtis and several anonymous donors.

As of June 1, 2018 there were 6 adult feral cats and 1 homeless house cat on the south side of Main Street from the IGA to Orme Hardware. And 1 needs to be neutered (Alex). There are also 2 juveniles and 1 of them (Hope) needs to be spayed. Please consider making a donation. I have trapped and neutered/spayed and vaccinated 15 feral cats this year. And I hope to fix more. Here is a link you can use to make donations with a credit card:
https://fundly.com/new-concord-feral-cats-neuter-and-spay-program
Thanks for your support! And thanks for being part of the solution!

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Mike Ward posted a new update:
almost 6 years ago

Update #32

NEUTER AND SPAY PROGRAM - UPDATE - WHITE AND GRAY FEMALE

This is a young female that I trapped for Miriam Sturtz in her backyard at 57 East Maple Avenue. The cat doesn't have a name. Jacque Lowry at the Animal Clinic At Cambridge gave her an identification "Southeast 101F" since she is the first cat I trapped from the southeast side of Main Street east of Orme Hardware. This is an important extension of my original territory. I have nearly completed trapping and neutering/spaying and vaccinating all of the New Concord feral colony. 28 are fixed and there are only 3 more to go (Alex, Hope and Fuzzy). And so I agreed to help Miriam and expanded my territory to the eastern end of Maple Avenue where it joins Main Street .

This cat is a young homeless housecat. Miriam told me we caught her between midnight and 5:00 a.m. She was nervous but fairly calm. Most of the 28 feral cats that I have trapped were afraid and angry. Almost all of them thrashed back and forth in the trap even to the point where they knocked the trap over and injured themselves. This cat was different. You can see in the picture Miriam stroking her back trying to calm her. She responded very well to her kindness. Although I did notice she had rubbed the hair from her forehead trying to get out of the cage.

I took the cat to Shannon Matthews at the Animal Clinic At Cambridge and made arrangements for her to be tested for leukemia, spayed, vaccinated and treated for worms and fleas. Miriam and I also wondered if she might be pregnant since her belly was larger than normal. The surgery was done later that afternoon. Jacque Lowry claimed she weighs 7 pounds and Dr. Elliott estimated she is 3 years old.

Normally I would pick-up the cat after they wake-up from the anesthesia but this situation was different. Miriam's neighbor found a litter of 6 kittens under her foundation and wondered if they might belong to the female at the Animal Clinic At Cambridge. The kittens spent the night with the female and were happy to be reunited with their mother.

Dr. Elliott sent me a message and claims she told Miriam's neighbor that she is keeping the kittens until they are weaned. Then I will pick-up the female and see if I can find her a good home. Dr. Elliott has agreed to vaccinate, spay/neuter and adopt out all of the kittens. No one is going to be charged for their care. She is taking care of the kittens at her expense. What a nice gift to the people that live and work in the Village of New Concord! Thanks for being part of the solution!

The White and Gray female's surgery and related medical expenses were made possible by generous donations from Mike Ward, Kristine Turner Miller, Loni Hunt, Gail Hinshaw, Rick Elkins, Paige Deuscher, Alice Montgomery, Teresa Gum, Susan Fracker, Cassi Ragsdale, Andrea Zamensky, Carol Goff, John D. Caffaratti, Lori Marshall, Kathy Frakes, Doug and Judith Waller, Marcia and Bob Murphy, Shari Stewart, Cathryn Kissinger, Roger Bates, April Reed, Belinda Sowers, AVC Communications, Zamensky Family, Shelly Boyd Tyo, Tera Landry, Mary McGee, Shawna Parks, Mary Jane Rhodes, Cynthia Carroll, Daniel and Diane Troendly, Kathleen Mitchell, Jerry and Sheila Blagg, Tom German, Beth and Mark Wharton, Carol Bravatto, Marsha Hatfield, Alistair Hattingh, Sandy Christman, The Davidson Family, Breaking Free TRC, Jeremy Morrow, Jennifer Lyle, Lois Zook-Gerdau, Karen Logan, Jean Morris, Leah Simpson, Michael Funk, Erin Wilson Beane, Lacy Gress, Tonya White Abel and triplets, Anna Parry, John Wycoff, Clay Curtis and several anonymous donors.

As of May 1, 2018 there were 7 adult feral cats on the south side of Main Street from the IGA to Orme Hardware. And 2 need surgeries. There are also 2 juveniles and 1 of them (Hope) needs to be spayed. Please consider making a donation. I have trapped and neutered/spayed and vaccinated 14 feral cats this year. And I hope to fix at least 1 more. Here is a link you can use to make donations with a credit card:
https://fundly.com/new-concord-feral-cats-neuter-and-spay-program
Thanks for your support! And thanks for being part of the solution!

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Mike Ward posted a new update:
almost 6 years ago

Update #31

Michael Jay Henderson
Cambridge, Ohio
Aug 3, 1990 - Apr 9, 2018 (Age 27)

Michael Jay Henderson, 27, of Cambridge, Ohio was called to be home with his Lord and Savior on the morning of April 9th, 2018.

Mike was born on August 3, 1990 in Zanesville, Ohio. He was the beloved son of Jon Franks Henderson Sr and Audrey Zamensky Henderson of Cambridge, Ohio. He is survived by his parents and siblings: Ali Henderson, Jon (Danielle) Henderson Jr., Steven (Nicole) Henderson, and Brittani Henderson. He is also survived by his grandma Gloria Melvin Zamensky and Grandma Iris Franks Henderson, and many aunts, uncles and cousins. He is preceded in death by his Grandpa James Eugene Henderson and Grandpa Gerald Anthony Zamensky, and best friend Yousef H. Moradi. He was a graduate from Mid-East Vocational Center. He was employed at Wal-Mart.

Mike was a hard, dedicated worker, had a big heart, was very giving and always wanted to help others. Mike had a passion for many things. He loved animals, was an avid reader and roller coaster enthusiast. He leaves behind his beloved cat, Callie. He will be deeply loved, cherished, and missed.

Friends and family may attend calling hours for Mike at the Friendship Baptist Church of New Concord on Saturday, April 14 at 10 am. A memorial service will begin at 11 am with pastors Ken Blood and Brian Moffatt officiating. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the New Concord Feral Cats at https://fundly.com/new-concord-feral-cats-neuter-and-spay-program. Farus Funeral Home of New Concord is caring for the family.

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Mike Ward posted a new update:
about 6 years ago

Update #30

NEUTER AND SPAY PROGRAM - UPDATE - MARCUS

Named after the toughest Roman centurion in recorded history, Marcus Cassius Scaeva, this is an old feral male that showed up in this territory early last summer. Normally Spot would have run him out. But Marcus is serious business and an extreme threat to Spot for the top position in the feral colony. Kristy Kozar Hoyt claims he used to live in her neighborhood and would stop by for a meal from time to time. He began eating on my front porch last summer and then challenged Spot for the right to eat behind my house this past fall. I have broken-up fights between them and with the other large feral males (Simon and Midnight) many times. Marcus injured all of them. And there were some serious wounds. But none that required an appointment with Dr. Elliott at the Animal Clinic At Cambridge. Marcus began sheltering here with Spot's permission this winter and now they have called a truce.

I'm pretty sure Marcus is hard of hearing. Or maybe he just ignores me. But most of the time he doesn't react to loud sounds the same way the other feral cats do. For example the garbage truck pulls-up on Wednesday morning and all of them run and hide. But Marcus doesn't even look up to see what's going on. He is a very highly skilled and experienced feral cat. And a well respected and feared member of the feral colony. I tried to trap him all winter without success. But just exactly like Izzy, on Tuesday evening he was waiting for supper at my front door and walked inside my entranceway. I closed my front door and managed to get him into a transporter. The next morning I delivered him to Dr. Rachel Elliott at the Animal Clinic At Cambridge. His surgery went well and I was able to bring him home yesterday afternoon. She thinks he was born on 1/1/10 and weighs 10 pounds. The lab test shows he does not have feline leukemia. Now he will spend the next 7 days recovering at my house.

Marcus' neuter surgery and related medical expenses (blood tests, vaccinations, worms and flea meds) were made possible by generous donations from Mike Ward, Kristine Turner Miller, Rick Elkins, Gail Hinshaw, Paige Deuscher, Teresa Gum, Susan Fracker, Cassi Ragsdale, Lori Marshall, Kathy Frakes, Belinda Sowers, Doug and Judith Waller, Marcia and Bob Murphy, Alice Montgomery, Cathryn Kissinger, April Reed, Shelly Boyd Tyo, Tera Landry, Mary McGee, Shawna Parks, Mary Jane Rhodes, Cynthia Carroll, Daniel and Diane Troendly, Tom German, Beth and Mark Wharton, Alistair Hattingh, Jeremy Morrow, Jennifer Lyle, Lois Zook-Gerdau, Karen Logan, Jean Morris, Linda Beavers, Erin Wilson Beane, Lacy Gress, Tonya White Abel and triplets, Anna Parry, Roger Bates, John Wycoff, Clay Curtis and several anonymous donors. Curtis and several anonymous donors.

As of March 1, 2018 there were 7 adult feral cats on the south side of Main Street from the IGA to Orme Hardware. 5 have been neutered/spayed so there are 2 more to go. There are also 2 juveniles and 1 of them needs to be spayed. I am hoping to trap all 3 of them this winter. (The census data changes from month to month - over the past two years 19 feral adults and 13 feral kittens have been adopted, 6 adults are missing and 6 are deceased, approximately 12 kittens have been eaten by raccoons and possums plus new faces show up from time to time). Please consider making a donation. Any excess funds above the campaign goal will allow me to continue trapping and scheduling additional surgeries over the coming weeks. I am hoping to neuter/spay and vaccinate at least 15 feral cats again this year. Here is a link you can use to make donations with a credit card:
https://fundly.com/new-concord-feral-cats-neuter-and-spay-program
And here is a link to my facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/NewConcordFeralCats/
Thanks for your support! And thanks for being part of the solution!

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Mike Ward posted a new update:
about 6 years ago

Update #29

NEUTER AND SPAY PROGRAM - UPDATE - IZZY

This is a young feral female that was born and raised with her sister Amber and her brother Jason under the bushes at the Glenn Museum. Her name is Izzy. She was born on July 4, 2016 and has spent the winter months with her two surviving juveniles, Hope and Willie, in the heated shelters behind my house. They are all extremely wary of people and can seldom be seen during the day. Izzy is a very highly skilled and experienced feral cat. And a well respected member of the feral colony. I tried to trap her all winter without success. But yesterday morning she was waiting for breakfast at my front door and walked inside my entranceway. I closed my front door and managed to get her into a transporter. Later that morning I delivered her to Dr. Rachel Elliott at the Animal Clinic At Cambridge. Izzy's surgery went well and I was able to bring her home today. She weighs 8.8 pounds and the lab test shows she does not have feline leukemia. Now she will spend the next 7 days recovering at my house.

Izzy's spay surgery and related medical expenses (blood tests, vaccinations, worms and flea meds) were made possible by generous donations from Mike Ward, Kristine Turner Miller, Rick Elkins, Gail Hinshaw, Paige Deuscher, Teresa Gum, Susan Fracker, Cassi Ragsdale, Lori Marshall, Kathy Frakes, Doug and Judith Waller, Marcia and Bob Murphy, Alice Montgomery, Cathryn Kissinger, April Reed, Shelly Boyd Tyo, Tera Landry, Mary McGee, Shawna Parks, Mary Jane Rhodes, Cynthia Carroll, Daniel and Diane Troendly, Belinda Sowers, Tom German, Beth and Mark Wharton, Alistair Hattingh, Jeremy Morrow, Jennifer Lyle, Lois Zook-Gerdau, Karen Logan, Jean Morris, Erin Wilson Beane, Lacy Gress, Tonya White Abel and triplets, Anna Parry, Roger Bates, John Wycoff, Clay Curtis and several anonymous donors. Curtis and several anonymous donors.

As of March 1, 2018 there were 7 adult feral cats on the south side of Main Street from the IGA to Orme Hardware. 5 have been neutered/spayed so there are 2 more to go. There are also 2 juveniles and 1 of them needs to be spayed. I am hoping to trap all 3 of them this winter. (The census data changes from month to month - 6 cats are missing and 6 are deceased plus new faces show up from time to time). Please consider making a donation. Any excess funds above the campaign goal will allow me to continue trapping and scheduling additional surgeries over the coming weeks. I am hoping to neuter/spay and vaccinate at least 15 feral cats again this year. Here is a link you can use to make donations with a credit card:
https://fundly.com/new-concord-feral-cats-neuter-and-spay-program
And here is a link to my facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/NewConcordFeralCats/
Thanks for your support! And thanks for being part of the solution!

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Mike Ward posted a new update:
about 6 years ago

Update #28

NEUTER AND SPAY PROGRAM - UPDATE - JACOB

This is a young male feral cat that is new to this territory. His name is Jacob.

He came for supper Tuesday night behind my house and wound up in my trap. At first I thought he was a feral cat because most of them in this territory are black and white. In fact he looks a lot like Shadow. They are about the same age and same size and have similar markings. But after he calmed down it was clear he is a housecat and not Shadow. So I delivered him to Dr. Rachel Elliott at the Animal Clinic At Cambridge. Jacob had his surgery yesterday and I brought him home today. He is approximately 2 years old and he weighs 9 pounds. The lab test shows he does not have feline leukemia. Now he will spend the next 7 days recovering at my house.

Jacob's neuter surgery and related medical expenses (blood tests, vaccinations, worms and flea meds) were made possible by generous donations from Mike Ward, Kristine Turner Miller, Rick Elkins, Gail Hinshaw, Paige Deuscher, Teresa Gum, Susan Fracker, Lori Marshall, Kathy Frakes, Doug and Judith Waller, Marcia and Bob Murphy, Alice Montgomery, Cathryn Kissinger, Cassi Ragsdale, April Reed, Tera Landry, Mary McGee, Shawna Parks, Mary Jane Rhodes, Cynthia Carroll, Daniel and Diane Troendly, Belinda Sowers, Tom German, Beth and Mark Wharton, Jeremy Morrow, Jennifer Lyle, Lois Zook-Gerdau, Karen Logan, Alistair Hattingh, Jean Morris, Erin Wilson Beane, Lacy Gress, Tonya White Abel and triplets, Anna Parry, Roger Bates, John Wycoff, Clay Curtis and several anonymous donors.

As of February 1, 2018 there were 9 adult feral cats on the south side of Main Street from the IGA to Orme Hardware. And 5 need surgeries. There is also 1 female juvenile that needs to be spayed. Please consider making a donation. I have another appointment scheduled next week. Any excess funds above the campaign goal will allow me to continue trapping and scheduling additional surgeries over the coming weeks. I am hoping to neuter/spay and vaccinate at least 15 feral cats again this year. Here is a link you can use to make donations with a credit card:
https://fundly.com/new-concord-feral-cats-neuter-and-spay-program
And here is a link to my facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/NewConcordFeralCats/
Thanks for your support! And thanks for being part of the solution!

Join the Conversation

Sign in with your Facebook account or