Ten Lives Cat Rescue

Raise Your PAWS for a Cause

Posted March 20, 2023March 20, 2023 tenlivescatrescueLeave a commentPosted in Events, Fundraiser

Join us April 23rd-29th for Raise Your PAWS for a Cause!

We are excited to host our second annual online auction to raise vital funds for the cats in our community. With support of local businesses and generous donors, we will have more than 100 auction items available! From handmade cat quilts to private brewery tours, we will have something for everyone. Bidding starts at 9 a.m. on April 23rd, and closes at 9 p.m. on April 29th.

Auction winners will be invited to a pickup party hosted by Ten Lives on Sunday, May 7th! The pickup party will be a wonderful opportunity for Ten Lives to meet our supporters and thank you for helping cats in our community! Ten Lives will be providing tasty bites and beverages, and auction winners will be able to socialize with fellow Cat Advocates.

How to Help

Donate

You can help make Raise Your PAWS for a Cause a big success by donating to our auction! We are still accepting donations for experiences, gift cards, handmade goods, art, trips, and gift baskets. Donors will be acknowledged on social media and at the Ten Lives pickup party on May 7th.

To donate, please complete and submit our online form. Our donation deadline is April 9th, 2023. For questions about donating, please email us at fundraising@tenlivescatrescue.org!

Sponsor Raise Your PAWS for a Cause

Sponsorships enable Ten Lives to direct 100% of the auction’s proceeds towards helping cats. The outlined benefits explain how your sponsorship will recognize your commitment to our community and to Ten Lives Cat Rescue. Whether you are a Gold, Silver, or Bronze PAW sponsor, your gift will have an impact and will allow us to provide vital services to even more cats in our community. We hope you will support the cats in our community by becoming a sponsor of Raise Your PAWS for a Cause!

To sign up as a sponsor, please complete and submit our online form. The deadline to sign up for a sponsorship is April 16th, 2023.

Don’t forget to bookmark our auction page and set a reminder for April 23rd! Funds raised from Raise Your PAWS for a Cause will go towards veterinary care, spay and neuter services, and supplies such as food and litter. Your support enables Ten Lives to help more cats in our community. We encourage you to bid high and bid often!

February 2023 Adoptions

Posted March 7, 2023March 7, 2023 tenlivescatrescueLeave a commentPosted in Adoption

Last month, 31 cats and kittens found their forever homes! Ranging from approximately eight weeks old to nine years old, two of the kittens adopted this month were born in our rescue and knew the comforts of a warm bed and delicious food and treats from the beginning. Others were strays that needed time to decompress and learn how to become beloved family members over the course of several months. There were five double adoptions this month, and three cats were adopted by their foster families.

The road to adoption isn’t always easy—this month, there were some cases where cats required extensive medical care and extremely dedicated and patient foster families. Our rescue relies heavily on donations from our amazing supporters to help us give the cats in our care the best possible chance at long, healthy lives where they are cherished by their forever families. In response to the cats in our program’s needs, we have created our Forgotten Feline program to help scared and under-socialized cats regain trust and confidence. We have also created The Lazzy Fund, which gives a second chance to those cats who have been neglected and forgotten, including cats in need of critical and lifesaving medical care. Three of our Forgotten Feline program graduates and three recipients of The Lazzy Fund were adopted this month!

Puff, one of our Forgotten Feline graduates, joined our rescue in November 2022 after her previous owner had a house fire. Originally, Puff’s previous owner found her living in the woods in a cat colony; she was spayed, microchipped, and brought indoors a few months before the fire. After the fire, Puff hid within the house and had to be humanely trapped as her house wasn’t safe while repairs were ongoing. Puff’s previous owner told us that while Puff likes other cats, she wasn’t a “cuddly cat” and was skittish around humans. When Puff was picked up by her foster mom, Erin, Puff’s previous owner was very emotional and asked Erin not to give up on Puff.

During her time with Erin, it was discovered that Puff is very food-focused, and Erin was able to bond with her during mealtimes. Puff would be so caught up in her wet food that when eating, the plate would move closer and closer to Erin, and Puff wouldn’t even notice. Erin and her husband also used toys to build Puff’s confidence. String toys seemed to be her favorite, and they kept a comfortable distance during playtime until Puff’s trust was gained. They also would use CatTV on YouTube for a familiar background noise for Puff.

Erin tried to make every interaction with Puff a positive one, usually by giving her a soft treat. At times in the moment, Erin felt the progress was slow, but even just the routine of sitting near Puff helped her progress. Erin compiled a folder of photos of Puff on her phone, and during moments of doubt, it helped her see how far Puff had really come. Erin was also able to share those photos during Puff’s meet and greets with her adopters—Puff spent the majority of the meet and greet hiding in a corner because she was scared of the new noises and people.

Puff was with Erin for about three months and went to her forever home the night before Valentine’s Day. Though Erin says that the three months felt like a long time, it was really only a blip in Puff’s life. Her foster family did a great job setting her up for success! During Puff’s time with her foster family, they were able to understand her personality was much more than just “shy.”

When reviewing Puff’s new family’s adoption application, Erin said one of the family’s reasons they wanted to adopt Puff stuck out to her: “We really believe that with patience, love, and treats, we can help her become comfortable in our home and bring out her playful personality with us.”

Since Puff’s adoption, Erin has received updates from her new family. After Puff’s first night in her new home, they shared “Puff had a very nice evening! She dashed around at first but found a little nook to settle down. She had some treats and, as the evening went on, she let both of us pet her! She moved to another spot near us while we had dinner. She’s very observant and watched our every move! We went into the living room later on and she remained in the dining space, but we could see her (she ate her dinner). She was very quiet overnight, and when we woke up, she was curled up on the chair next to the window—it was so precious! And she still welcomed lots of pets this morning! We really love her and are happy to have her in our home.” Puff has been in her forever home for a few weeks now, and thanks to her adopters’ understanding of Puff’s situation, and following through on their promise of patience, love, and treats, Puff is thriving!

Congratulations to Andrews 6, Beanie, Bruno, Callie-Flower, Caramel Macchiato, Cheeto, Chilly, Derby Shire 2, Emma, Fig, Handsome, Isabela, Lily Pad, Lizzy, Lorena, Maggie, Midnight, Nibs, Nola, Pepa, Peppercorn, Pickles, Piper, Pookie, Prudence, Puff, Pumpkin, Queso, Tofu, Wags, and Wolfie for finding their forever homes!

Are you interested in adopting a cat from Ten Lives Cat Rescue? Take a look at our adoptable cats!

How can you help the cats currently in Ten Lives’ care? Sponsor a Forgotten Feline, become a foster, apply for one of our volunteer opportunities, donate to The Lazzy Fund, or purchase a needed item on our Wishlist.

Volunteer Spotlight: Nancy

Posted February 20, 2023February 20, 2023 tenlivescatrescueLeave a commentPosted in Volunteer

Did you know that Ten Lives Cat Rescue is run entirely by volunteers? We currently have over 100 volunteers in various roles helping us achieve our mission—to save homeless, abused, and abandoned cats by providing veterinary care, rehabilitation services, and then placing them into loving adoptive homes.

Nancy started volunteering with us in May 2022 as one of our incredible fosters. She initially fostered a pregnant cat that she had trapped named Twinkle, and then fostered Twinkle’s four kittens. Twinkle and her kittens found their forever homes last fall! Nancy’s current fosters are Lionel and Gus Gus. While Gus Gus recently joined our rescue, Lionel is currently available for adoption! Nancy has one resident cat named Coop, and sadly lost her senior cat to old age in September 2022. In addition to fostering for our rescue, Nancy also assists our records team by requesting and imputing records into our electronic system.

1. How did you originally hear about us, and what made you decide to become a volunteer?

I don’t recall exactly how I heard of Ten Lives, but I have been involved with rescues since about 2008. I took a break from beings hands-on around 2014, but I started up again in 2021.

2. What is your favorite story or memory while volunteering with us?

I love receiving updates (pictures and happy stories!) from adopters.

3. What have you learned during your time as a volunteer?

Volunteering has helped me remember a lot of information I learned previously from doing rescue work, such as vaccines, medications, and some behavior differences in cats.

4. What do you wish other people knew about us?

The adoption fee for a cat or kitten isn’t to make money. It is to cover the cost of medical care for that cat, and to help cover needed medical expenses for other cats and kittens.

5. What do you do when you aren’t volunteering?

I work full time from home, and I help my elderly father who has mobility issues. I also love to learn, so I’m currently (and slowly) learning Serbian, and I hope to learn knitting and crocheting depending on what time permits.

6. How do you think Ten Lives Cat Rescue will change over the next five years?

It is so hard to answer this question because the rescue world is constantly evolving. Hopefully, the laws will change and/or be enforced to help protect animals more than they currently are. The laws are there, but people don’t always follow them and sadly, there don’t seem to be many consequences.

7. Why should others consider volunteering with us?

There are so many cats and kittens in Rhode Island that need help. Fostering is a great way to help if someone isn’t able to adopt. While fostering isn’t an option for everyone, there are other roles within the rescue. Transport is always needed to help bring cats to and from appointments, for example. Volunteers are always needed, and help in any form is always greatly appreciated.

8. What have you gained while volunteering with us?

It feels good to be fostering and rescuing again. Helping animals is a big passion of mine.

9. How much of an impact do you feel your volunteer work has had with Ten Lives Cat Rescue?

I hope I have had an impact on the cats and kittens I have fostered and helped find wonderful homes. I love them all, and am glad they have found homes where they will spend the rest of their lives being safe and loved.

Are you interested in volunteering with Ten Lives Cat Rescue? Read about our open volunteer roles and fill out a Volunteer Application, become a foster, sponsor a Forgotten Feline, support The Lazzy Fund, and purchase needed supplies through our Wishlist!

January 2023 Adoptions

Posted February 10, 2023February 8, 2023 tenlivescatrescueLeave a commentPosted in Adoption

17 cats and kittens found their forever homes in the new year! The month’s group ranged from approximately 7 months to 5 years old – several of these cats and kittens arrived to our rescue due to unfortunate circumstances that were no fault of their own, while others were humanely trapped as strays thanks to our community cats efforts. Two of the kittens adopted in January were born while in our rescue and have known the comforts of indoor life and full bellies from the beginning. Four of the cats who were adopted benefited from The Lazzy Fund, which was created to give a second chance to cats who have been neglected and forgotten, including cats in need of critical and lifesaving medical care.

Our rescue relies heavily on donations from our amazing supporters to help us give the cats in our care the best possible chance at long, healthy lives where they are cherished by their forever families. In response to the cats in our program’s needs, we have created our Forgotten Feline program to help scared and under-socialized cats regain trust and confidence. The Forgotten Feline program and The Lazzy Fund help many of our cats during their time in our rescue!

At approximately three weeks old, Ibu and his five siblings were left in a box overnight at Ocean State Veterinary Specialists the day before Mother’s Day. Ocean State Veterinary Specialists contacted Ten Lives on Mother’s Day morning to ask if we could help, and one of our amazing foster moms offered to take all six siblings in. Over the course of the following weeks, she bottle-fed all of them and cared for them as they grew. Since this litter was rescued on Mother’s Day, Ibu and his siblings were all given names that mean “mother” in various languages. Ibu’s name is Indonesian.

Ibu is different from his siblings because he has unique characteristics—he has a cleft lip, and is a polydactyl—he has about 16 toes! When Ten Lives took Ibu and his siblings in, he was the sickest of the bunch. He had an upper respiratory infection and conjunctivitis, and also had mycoplasma. Thanks to The Lazzy Fund, Ibu received the care he desperately needed, and has since become an active, playful kitten! As Ibu and his siblings grew, his foster mom’s daughter returned home from college and immediately connected with Ibu. She became his primary caregiver, and she soon realized that she couldn’t say goodbye and made the decision to adopt him! Ibu’s adopter, Sydney, was kind enough to share her fostering and adoption experience with us for this blog post:

“When I came home from college in June, I met Ibu and his siblings and while I instantly fell in love with all of them, there was something special about Ibu. He had an extra playful personality and was so eager to explore. Some of his siblings were on the shy side, but Ibu was fearless. When he was big enough, we played a lot and had sleepovers, and he always hopped up on my desk as I was studying for the LSAT to keep me company. After his siblings had gotten adopted, Ibu stayed with my family and I for an extended period of time since he was not quite ready for adoption. From October until December, I took care of Ibu by feeding him, playing with him, and taking him to his vet appointments. It did not take me long to realize that I wanted to adopt him myself. When I made the decision about keeping him, there was never a second that I doubted wanting to move forward with his adoption.

This past month, I started law school at Pace University. Ibu has moved into my new apartment with me and is thriving. Some of his favorite hobbies are playing with his toy mice, running under the blankets, drinking out of the faucet, watching the cars drive by, and of course, napping. Ibu and I are together every second that I am home, and when I get back from school, he runs out of his tunnel and greets me with the biggest meows. He has been the most perfect companion and our bond has grown very strong. He is extremely well-behaved, independent but playful, and very friendly. I am lucky to have had such a great experience co-fostering and adopting such an amazing cat.”

We are grateful to Ibu’s incredible foster mom and her family for saving Ibu and his siblings from an uncertain fate, and to Sydney for adopting him! We are also grateful to Ocean State Veterinary Specialists for everything that they do to help sick/surrendered cats, and we are thankful to be one of their trusted partners so we can help cats like Ibu and his siblings.

This past month, we also had a double adoption! Gemini and Frida met while waiting for their forever homes at PetSmart in Warwick, Rhode Island, and they quickly became best friends! Gemini joined our rescue in November 2022 when his owners moved and were unable to take him with them. Gemini spent a little over a month in a foster home before being transferred to the care of our dedicated PetSmart volunteers. Frida’s story begins in Tennessee, where she was rescued by Purrfect Match Cat Rescue. Described by them as having “an amazing personality,” Frida also joined our rescue in November 2022. During her time with her original foster family, Frida was extremely timid, especially around new people. When she was transferred to PetSmart a few weeks later, it was expected that she would need a few days to decompress. However, as soon as Frida entered the room in her carrier and saw the other cats, she immediately opened up. She blossomed during her time at PetSmart, and became her happiest self while surrounded by other cats. Once she and Gemini became friends, they helped each other become more confident in their surroundings and around new people. Their cages were next to each other, and they often batted paws with each other even while in their cages. As soon as one of them was out of their cage, they were instantly in front of the other’s cage in an effort to let our volunteers know they wanted to hang out and play!

After Gemini was adopted, his adopters expressed interest in eventually adopting a second cat. Knowing Gemini and Frida’s bond, one of our Adoption Coordinators asked his adopters if they’d be interested in adopting Frida. Gemini’s family met and also fell in love with Frida, and they adopted her, as well! Gemini and Frida are now continuing to thrive and play together in their loving, forever home!

Congratulations to Bubblegum, Chickadee, Frida, Gemini, Gigi, Gloria, Ibu, Jenny, Lakeview 1, Laurel Hill 5, Liza, Mango, Meella, Moonlight, Noel, Sunny Day, and Sybil for finding their forever homes in January!

Are you interested in adopting a cat from Ten Lives Cat Rescue? Take a look at our adoptable cats!

Volunteer Spotlight: Amy

Posted February 1, 2023February 9, 2023 tenlivescatrescueLeave a commentPosted in Volunteer

Amy has been volunteering with us for almost four years, and has filled the crucial roles of Supply Coordinator and foster during her time with us. Amy and her family have three resident cats: Hopper and Shiva from another local rescue, and Waffle from a local animal shelter. They also have the loveliest feral kitty, Elsa, who lives in their shed. Amy is currently fostering her first blind cat, Pookie, and her kitty friend, Callie-Flower. Pookie and Callie-Flower are currently available for adoption! We are truly grateful for everything Amy does as a volunteer!

1. How did you originally hear about us, and what made you decide to become a volunteer?

I grew up with cats, and when I moved out on my own, I adopted a cat I named Lucky. He was one of those cats who change your life. He was the sweetest, and was there for me through thick and thin. When he passed away in 2018, I was devastated. I started looking into adopting another cat. If nothing else, it was a good distraction. I heard about Ten Lives Cat Rescue and other foster-based rescues through social media. Before that, I really didn’t know much about them. While I ended up adopting through another rescue, I really fell in love with Ten Lives and the work they do, so I reached out about fostering. I decided the only way to honor my amazing cat’s memory was to help save as many other cats as I can.

2. What is your favorite story or memory while volunteering with us?

I have so many great memories and stories. In 2020, I took on my first truly under socialized cat. Vanya came to me absolutely terrified—she was visibly trembling. My favorite memory with Vanya is probably the first time she let me pet her. I was moved to tears. Seeing her transformation was amazing!

3. What have you learned during your time as a volunteer?

I’ve learned about community cats and their struggles. I’ve also learned a lot about patience and gratitude. Ten Lives gives every single cat a chance, and you can tell that these cats are so grateful.

4. What do you wish other people knew about us?

I wish people knew how easy it is to be a foster. It doesn’t matter if you have kids, cats, dogs, etc. You truly just need a spare room and some love to give. There are also so many other volunteer roles with Ten Lives that just require small commitments of time, but have a huge impact. I hear a lot of people say “I could never foster; I’d adopt them all!” While it’s true that you do get attached, the joy of seeing these cats placed in their perfect homes always outweighs the sadness of saying goodbye.

5. What do you do when you aren’t volunteering?

I’m a stay at home mom to boy/girl twins and a caregiver to my elderly mom.

6. How do you think Ten Lives Cat Rescue will change over the next five years?

I’ve seen so much growth in the rescue over the past few years! I can only see us getting bigger and better. I see a physical facility in our future, likely with veterinary services.

7. Why should others consider volunteering with us?

This group is amazing! Everyone works together, and there are people assigned to every imaginable role. You never feel alone or overburdened, and the amount of love you are able to give to these cats comes back to you tenfold.

8. What have you gained while volunteering with us?

I’ve gained a ton of new knowledge about cats. I’ve gained self-confidence, new friends, and so much more. This has also been an amazing experience for my kids. They are so involved and have learned so much about patience and giving. It has been so rewarding to see them grow in their junior volunteer roles.

9. How much of an impact do you feel your volunteer work has had with Ten Lives Cat Rescue?

I keep in touch with my former foster cats’ adopters, and that reminds me of how much of an impact I have had on those cats and their forever families. I think that every role within the rescue is important and has a positive impact. The opportunity is always there to learn a new skill. You can coordinate adoptions, work with sick or undersocialized cats, trap community cats for spay/neuter services, fundraise, etc. I look forward to diving into those roles more as my kids grow up.