Success Stories
In our four short years KFCF has made a difference in the lives of feral cats in Knoxville:
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We have several stable colonies of cats that will now live out their days happy in their colony and under the care of a volunteer
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Dozens of unwanted litters of kittens have been prevented because of our Trap, Neuter, and Release efforts
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We have also successfully rescued, socialized and found loving homes for several kittens and cats
Enjoy a few of our success stories...
Stable Colonies
North Knoxville Colony
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A dedicated group of KFCF volunteers discovered a colony of more than 25 cats near a popular north Knoxville eatery in June 2003, and they worked diligently to trap the cats and spay or neuter them. The volunteers made so much progress that by August 2004, only two kittens had been born here all year! That means that all but a few cats have been trapped, neutered, and released. They were also vaccinated to ensure the health of the colony. The kitty below left is about to enjoy a meal provided by his KFCF volunteer.
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 Boodle
is one of two kittens born in the north Knoxville colony this year.
She was recently adopted! |
Oak Ridge Office Park Colony
This office park colony is a great example of a stable colony - the cats are well fed, most have been trapped, neutered, and released, and they peacefully coexist with the people and businesses around them.
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Clockwise from the top are Wilbur, Smidgen, Roscoe, Minnie, and Mitzi. Mike has watched over this colony for a few years. |
While feral cats generally shy away from people, Sherman has grown to trust Mike, and in fact he expects Mike at a certain time every day! Sherman also knows the sound of Mike's car, and he's thinking about hopping in to take a spin with his faithful caretaker. |
Adoptions
| Jessie was rescued in 2003 from an apartment complex in west Knoxville where her mother was having three litters of kittens every year. Jessie, her mother, and her sister Sophie were spayed and vaccinated. The two little sisters were socialized and placed in loving homes. Though feral cats are born wild, with some time, effort, and love, feral kittens can become gentle, precious pets. As you can see, a "formerly feral" cat is very helpful to have around at Christmas time! | |
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| Roo and RooTwo, renamed Julius (right) and Reese (left), were rescued from a shopping center parking lot . The mama kitty named Kanga was also rescued and relocated to private property in the county. Julius and Reese were adopted recently by two sisters who are also roommates. While Reese was a bit of a "runt", their new moms say that both kittens are growing like weeds and loved very much! |
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More Success Stories
Rescued Cat Learns English as a Second Language
Early in 2003, KFCF volunteers Janet and Dianne became acquainted with Russian immigrants Anna and her son. Anna requested that Knoxville Feral Cat Friends assist her in trapping and neutering a colony of cats living near her apartment complex. Anna had taken in one of the feral female kittens and successfully socialized her. Bridget, as the kitten was called, settled in with her family until some months later when the Russian family was forced to move to Florida for employment. Unfortunately their new apartment in Florida had a "no pets" policy, so poor Bridget needed to find a new home. Linda, a friend of Dianne's, came to Bridget's rescue and provided the kitten a new home. As Linda got to know Bridget, she noticed that the kitten didn't respond well to Linda's voice. She thought perhaps the cat was deaf or had some other medical problem. After a successful medical examination, Linda came to the conclusion that Bridget only understood the Russian language! Bridget was learning English as a second language! Within a few months Linda, her dog Cookie, and Bridget were all adjusting well. As of August 2004, Bridget is fully fluent in English, and she could probably still carry on in Russian if necessary!