Port Colborne Feline Initiative
PO Box 132 L3K 5V8 Port Colborne, ON, Canada

If you are providing shelter and food for outdoor cats, please shovel the snow to provide access to food and shelter. If you aren't providing food and shelter to outdoor cats, today is the perfect day to start! BTW, these snowy shelters are far too open to provide any protection. The second picture is a simple, effective and quick shelter. Be sure to use STRAW, not HAY or BLANKETS, for bedding.

Happy Valentine's Day. Wishing you lots of kitty love, today and every day!

PCFI membership has privilege the privilege of helping to select the members of the Board of Directors who will manage the organization. Positions up for election this year are Secretary, Treasurer, Operations Manager and Member at Large. Incumbents in these offices are eligible for nomination. If you are a member in good standing of Port Colborne Feline Initiative, you may nominate an individual for election to one of these positions. BY FEBRUARY 26, 2021, email your nomination, including name of nominator, nominee, and position for which they are being nominated, to [email protected]. Both nominee and nominator must be members in good standing as of February 26, 2021.

It is with heavy hearts that we have to report that Big Boy crossed the Rainbow Bridge today. Over a year ago, Big Boy was brought in from a cottage area of Port Colborne, where he was panhandling for food and affection. He was a senior, with many health problems. He won the hearts of all of us at PCFI, and many of our friends who contributed to his medical care. Big Boy got all the love he craved, and lived out his days in a warm home with no need to worry about where his next meal was coming from. His health took a very sudden and severe turn for the worst, and we had to let him go. Hugs to his foster mom, who cared for him so well. You left paw prints on our hearts, Big Boy, and we won’t forget you.

BABY IT'S COLD OUTSIDE! If you have the means, please consider bringing in a stray cat. Just a little space in you basement, garage or shed would make all the difference. If they resist human contact, provide them with appropriate shelter outside. Be careful, but please be kind.

Their foster mom reports that Pandora and her babies are doing great. She moved them to change their blanket. Mom had no problem with the kittens being handled, but she stayed close and kept a watchful eye. Such a good mom!

The giving just doesn't stop! Harmony on West added 63 cases of cat treats to their already incredible donation. Our kitties say "thanks" from the tips of their whiskers to the tips of their tails.

UPDATE ON STORM DAMAGE: Thanks to our dedicated volunteers, order has been restored to our storm-damaged colony. All cats belonging to that colony are reported to be safe and well, and have settled into their homes again.

Our community cats were hit hard by that devastating wind storm. Our colony caretakers are out in full force, cleaning up and repairing damage to feeding stations and shelters. Thanks to these dedicated

Trapping is at the heart of our programs. We use trap/neuter/vaccinate/return of feral cats to monitored colonies, as a humane means of population control. Trapping also brings kittens and abandoned cats into our KitKat program, where they are prepared for adoption. This year, for GIVING TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1st 2020, trapping is at the centre of our ask. We have set a goal of $2,000 to purchase trapping equipment, including game cameras and microchip scanners. Giving Tuesday is a global day of generosity set to take place on Dec 1, 2020. If you are able to help, you can donate online through Canada Helps, or by e-transfer to [email protected]. Please indicate that it is a Giving Tuesday donation.

Tess and Tammy are ready to find their furrever homes and always people. They are off to the WDHS Cat Adoption Centre at the Seaway Mall tomorrow (Tuesday) morning. We wish them good fortune and much happiness in their quest.

We are thankful today and every day for our operations manager and our trappers. They do the hard work, suffer the emotional roller coaster first hand, and are on call through weekends and holidays. They endure the anger and the irrational demands that face them from time to time. They are volunteers extraordinaire. We want them to know that we appreciate them and the important work they do.

Tony and Taylor have gone to boot camp for their final training before adoption. Patti does a wonderful job putting the finishing touches on their training. Tony is proud of his all-black fur, while Taylor sports a little white on her tummy. This 8-week-old duo will be off to the Cat Adoption Centre soon.

MEOWZERS!! Harmony on West provided us with a HUGE amount of Friskies dry cat food. Thank you so much for seeing that our kitties have full tummies this winter. If they could talk, they would tell you how much it is appreciated, so let us say it on their behalf.

WOW!! Big shout out to PetValu in Port Colborne. They ran an event for us during the month of October, with outstanding results that exceeded $550. Feast your eyes on this amazing donation. Our kitties will be well fed and cared for. Thanks to Carol and all of her staff for their hard work on our behalf, and for everyone who donated. It is especially appreciated in this difficult year.

ORANGE UPDATE: Our 6 boys (yes, they are all boys) are a month old, and have names now: Riley, Darius, Simon, Spencer, Zachary and Cameron. We avoided the obvious orange names and gave them names they can grow into. Of course, their new families may disagree, and renaming is always possible. Here are some pictures of the cute young gentlemen (and even one of momma)

Our orange kittens are growing - now 2 weeks old. It's difficult to get a good picture, as mom is being very protective. A sneak peek has indicated that of the two lighter kitties, one is female. We'll keep you posted.

Thanksgiving weekend will always be special to these three little darlings. Our trappers were busy, despite the holiday. First, the little gray kitty was brought in. He will have to have special handling until he is old enough to begin taking care of himself. Then the other two sweeties were rounded up. They are old enough to eat on their own, and are being fostered until they can have their preliminary veterinary care. They may not know the significance of the holiday weekend, but we are indeed thankful that we were able to rescue them.

Our friend and super foster mom posted this today: When I bought my home in Fonthill, my Realtor from Royal LePage, JoAnn Gilbert was a great help. JoAnn took me to view many different homes, a real professional, a class act. Every time she picked me up, JoAnn was dressed to impress. I remember thinking how nice it would be to Dress Up for work...then I slapped myself and remembered the ease of wearing a uniform...I had enough issues dressing in civilian attire for the Unit...ed Way Bluejean, Fridays. Anyway.....today I received in the mail, a lovely Cat Card with $50 and very kind words of appreciation for all the Feline Fostering that I’ve been doing. So...PCFI has a $50 donation from JoAnn Gilbert. I love being on the receiving end of good Karma. If any of my peeps in the Niagara area is looking for a exemplary Realtor...please consider JoAnn Gilbert, Royal LePage. Many thanks chick for your kindness and generosity to the Felines....and many thanks for finding me my beautiful home....that has more then doubled in value...BTW, will be Mtg free in March....YEA for me. Thanks again...xo See more

Today, October 16, 2020, is Global Cat Day. We know, for our spoiled babies, every day is cat day. But Global Cat Day was declared by Alley Cat Allies to spotlight the lives of outdoor cats. Since truly feral cats don’t adapt well to indoor homes, TNVR was instituted. Feral cats are first spayed or neutered, they are immunized against rabies, ear-tipped so they can be distinguished, and afterward, they are sent back to their outside home. Our TNVR program also ensures that a caretaker will feed, shelter and monitor the cats to ensure their welfare after they are returned. On Global Cat Day and every day, we ask you to be an advocate for feral cats, and to come to their aid in whatever way possible.

Charlie's recent retail adventure left him a little traumatized. With the necessary vet care and a super loving foster home, we know it won't be long before he is ready for his next adventure into the world of furrever homes.

IS YOUR CAT’S MICROCHIP PROPERLY REGISTERED? A microchip is a wonderful tool in returning lost cats to their homes but is virtually useless if it isn’t registered and up-to-date with your current information. A microchip is about the same size as a grain of rice, implanted through a syringe that injects it underneath the skin. It is not a GPS device providing real time tracking capabilities. It is activated by an animal shelter or veterinarian waving an RFID scanner across a ...cat's body where the microchip is embedded. The scanner activates an identification number, which is linked in a database to your ownership information. Once the veterinarian or shelter get the chip's number, as well as the information about the company that made the chip, they'll contact that company to find the cat's owner The data on the chip provides the only clue to your address and the chip is worthless without it. Your vet or local animal shelter will help you check your cat’s registration See more

We're getting our Halloween orange on early this year. A pregnant orange cat was brought in to be warm and safe for the arrival of her kittens. Yesterday morning she presented us with SIX little orange nuggets. Mom and babies are doing well. We'll keep you posted.

The wonderful management and staff at the 7-Eleven Store, 111 Clarence St, Port Colborne, have done it again! These kind people have often helped us out with fundraisers and donations. Yesterday we received a huge bag of dry food and 48 cans of wet food for our cats. We thank them profusely, and the kitties would thank them too, but we don’t let them speak with their mouths full.

These guys were 4 weeks old when we took them into care. They are thriving now at 8 weeks old. Tomorrow morning, Hannah, Nicole, Mia, Becky and Randy will make the big move to the WDHS Cat Adoption Centre at the Seaway Mall. We wish them great happiness and all life has to offer in loving furrever homes.

This little kitty had an adventure or should we say misadventure. It must have seemed like a good idea at the time, sneaking into that store out of the cold. But then it got scary: where was the way out? And did those people mean harm? Fortunately, our trapper-in-chief was able to assist, using food and a live trap, to bring the situation to a peaceful conclusion. Thanks to the very kind store owners, who forgave kitty for rearranging some of the displays.

It's geItting colder. Time to think about winter sheltering. t can’t be said often enough: use straw NOT hay for bedding in outdoor cat shelters. It’s important for us city slickers to know the difference. Straw is the dried stalks of cereals while hay is the dried grasses and legumes. Hay is moist, retains moisture, and molds in time. Straw is hollow stalks that wick moisture away from the resident cat. Usually Straw is yellow or golden colored while quality Hay is green in color. Hay is for livestock feed; straw is for bedding. In an added note, while a soft blanket may seem like a kindness, blankets get damp and draw body heat away from the kitty. Straw can be purchased at your local garden centre, or at a feed store.

Cats impregnated now will give birth in the winter. Kittens born outdoors in the cold weather often don't survive the elements. If you are feeding outdoor cats, please make sure they are spayed or neutered to avoid this outcome.