Interview! Keith Williams, C5 (Community Cat Coalition of Clark County)
April 27, 2019
Interview! Dave Hanley, CEO of Tomorrow
May 4, 2019
Here’s the next installment in our ongoing series on Feline Leukemia (FeLV) adoption programs around the country. The series shares different groups’ answers to our questions about their FeLV+ adoption programs.
We hope you enjoy and are inspired by this series, and if you have a suggestion for an organization we should consider profiling, please shoot me an email.
For the second part of this two-part profile, we’re talking with Brit Fox Hover, Shelter Manager at the Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society (MRFRS) in Salisbury, Massachusetts. She answers the rest of our usual questions for this series.
How many cats do you adopt out annually (total and FeLV+)?
In 2018, we adopted out 760 cats, 19 of which were FeLV+.
Do you provide or cover vet care for the cats after adoption?
Yes, all of our FeLV+ cats are eligible for our “Care For Life” program (CFL). This program is designed for cats with chronic health issues that require more than average medical care. MRFRS provides financial coverage for the cat’s specific issues at approved veterinary providers. For FeLV+ kitties specifically, we have some cats that experience ongoing issues related to their compromised immune system, and oftentimes, we see FeLV+ cats that are experiencing dental/gum disease as well as other chronic infections. The CFL program also assists owners with the care of their cats when they become acutely ill, typically at the end of a FeLV+ kitty’s life. At this point in their care, these cats require blood tests and other diagnostics to determine if anything more can be done to help the kitty.
What are the benefits to running such a program?
A cat’s quality of life is the most important factor in any decision we make here at MRFRS. When we have a new FeLV+ cat enter our shelter, very often we see that they are not experiencing any medical issues at all, or if they are, they are often very manageable. If you walk into our FeLV+ room here at the shelter, you would not be able to tell that any of these cats are sick with FeLV. We never know how long any cat has to live, so we strongly believe that these animals deserve a home and a family of their own for whatever time they have left. We have seen some FeLV+ kitties live many happy years with adoptive families that love them very much. The FeLV+ cats in our shelter also hold a very special place in our staff and volunteers’ hearts. Since we know they will not live a normal cat lifespan, we have dedicated people who spend time with these cats, feed them special snacks, play with them, and provide them with love while they are with us at the shelter. These kitties are very special and bring people and cats closer together.
What are the challenges?
Due to our limited resources, we have to run our Care For Life program in a structured and systematic way. That can be challenging for new adopters to understand at first, but we work diligently with them to make sure everyone is informed and comfortable with the process. Also, it can be emotionally challenging for adopters to take home a new family member and lose them a few months or a year later. Our staff works very hard to be there for the cats as well as the people who are providing them with wonderful care. We are continually in awe of the families who “specialize” in adopting these cats and their ability to open their hearts and homes to so many FeLV+ cats and kittens who need a home.
How can people contact your organization for more information?
You can visit our website or email us info@mrfrs.org for more information about our FeLV+ cats and how to adopt them, as well as about our Care for Life program.
