SAFER

5/9/19 – Jim Griswold, a farmer in Lee, NH, contacted SAFER for TNR (trap/neuter/return) services. SAFER volunteer Kim set up a game camera to assess the situation. He had 5 cats in his barn, 4 were feral and were returned to live their lives on Jim’s farm after vetting by SAFER.

 

Upon shining a flashlight throughout the rafters, the 5th cat, a friendlier chubby tabby mama cat, was revealed along with 3 kittens (a gray tabby crawling around by itself, an orange kitten, and a black kitten cast away from the mama). Sadly, there was a 4th kitten, already deceased. The black and orange ones were ice cold and barely moving. These 3 kittens had been tangled up by their umbilical cords in a burlap feedbag handle.

 

Kim quickly cut away what she could from the rafters to free the kittens. Bringing them down and placing them on a table, she started untangling and cutting away the remaining burlap. Once freed, she held the umbilical cords and showed Jim where to cut. Kim’s friend, Karl, rushed to their truck to grab “hot-hands” hand warmers. Kim continuously and vigorously rubbed the black kitten, who was the most critical, struggling to revive it while Jim grabbed clean, cut-up shirts. Wrapping the black kitten with a hand warmer while Karl rubbed the orange kitten, they raced back to their truck and blasted the heat trying to raise the black kitten’s body temperature.  Once stabilized enough for transport, they gathered the 3rd kitten and raced them to medical help.

 

Two days later, 2 more kittens were uncovered, buried in the rafters, deceased. Despite valiant efforts, the little black kitten perished. SAFER was able to reunite the mama and 2 surviving babies. In total, there were 10 cats (4 feral, 1 mama, 2 kittens which survived, and 3 kittens that did not). The mama and kittens, once weaned, will be given to another shelter for adoption.

 

If you have ever wondered how your SAFER donations are used – now you know. PLEASE donate generously. It is very expensive to vet every cat/kitten that SAFER rescues, and SAFER does NOT get any of the adoption fees that the other shelters collect when they adopt out the cats/kittens rescued by SAFER.  Thank you!

 

Jim Griswold wrote to SAFER, “You and your colleagues were a genuine pleasure to work with, though I hope we don’t have to do so again!  You were professional, highly knowledgeable and experienced. A difficult situation was made much easier through your efforts. -Jim”

 

Thank you, Jim. We appreciate your giving a forever-home to the 4 feral cats (which will never again reproduce) and your extraordinary efforts with the mama & kittens rescue.