November 2, 2015
Alison O'Hara says: I live in just outside of Madison, Wisconsin, and in addition to working full time, I have been doing volunteer feral cat rescue for six years. Our rescue, Dane County Friends of Ferals, is entirely volunteer based, and we try to focus on helping those cats that other rescue groups cannot manage. The true ferals, the really scared ones, the sick ones.

This orange kitten is a boy named Chase. He and his sister Ruby came to DCFoF with their mom when they were about three weeks old. Even though their mom was feral and hissed at me every chance she got, I still felt so sorry for her. She weighed only four pounds and was still practically a kitten herself. She required more than a week of sub-q fluids, dewormer, and antibiotics, and she was so dehydrated from diarrhea that she was producing no milk. The kittens had diarrhea too and were covered in it. I felt bad giving them baths though because they looked so sad and pathetically tiny... :o(

The good news is that they are currently with one of our foster parents who has experience with caring for really young kittens. It will be quite a while before they are ready for adoption though. Dane County Friends of Ferals will adopt them to indoor homes, and prior to adoption they will be healthy, spayed or neutered, vaccinated for FVRCP and rabies if old enough, and tested for FeLuk (tested for FIV too if old enough). The mom will stay with our rescue too until she is healthy and spayed, and if she remains feral she will be adopted to a farm or rural home that provides shelter and care. Sometimes the feral cats do decide they like people after all, and if this is the case we will adopt her to an indoor home.

All Photos Courtesy of and ©: Ryan O'Hara
Dane County Friends of Ferals is a group of dedicated volunteers committed to creating a better future for feral cats with a mission is to establish a no-kill standard and to promote the value and well-being of Dane County's feral cats
If you live in Wisconsin, please consider helping by donating, volunteering, or adopting

Comments and LOLs:
Sandi -
They both are so adorable, that God they had you to step in and give them a chance !!!
elly -
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elly
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866 points
Happy , clean and dry again!
kittysmama -
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kittysmama
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nice, dry and safe. nothing could be better. i had a feral mother with her last 6 kittens and she hated me all the time. she was spayed and released to a sanctuary.
Natthecat -
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Natthecat
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Very impressive work! So glad you saved these very sick and of course ungrateful kitty and Mama. Chase looks so much better now. Keep up the good.
Natthecat -
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Natthecat
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Would love to know if Chase was adopted.
Martiki -
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Martiki
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46 points
Thank you for all your hard work and kindness. Chase looks like a sweetie. I hope he has a full recovery and finds a forever home.
LindaG -
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He looks so relieved. So tired, and so grateful, and so relieved. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Bethyb3 -
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Bethyb3
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73 points
Thank you for all that you do for these precious babies.
ln -
ln
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161 points
I have many ferals that now live with me. They do tame up and make great friends, to varying degrees. I hope this guy and his mom have a long, safe and happy life with a guardian that loves him.
shana0809 -
shana0809
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309 points
Baths are hard work
mouser -
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Boy - this self-cleaning is a lot of work!! Good thing I got bathed too!!
mma -
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mma
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1405 points
another successful rescue of a beautiful kitten; he's just charming.
jezebel1490 -
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jezebel1490
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477 points
You do such amazing work! If only there were more people like you in the world. Thank you!!!
kibblegirl -
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kibblegirl
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1057 points
These babies are so lucky to have an organization such as the one you volunteer for, Alison. Thank you so mcu for all you do for these ferals. I just brought one into my home after he was tested for Feline Leuk. He was TNR's 2 years ago and I fed him daily for those 2 years. He really has adjusted to indoor living and he was grown and 2/1/2 years old. I sure hope the mama cattie adjusts to indoor living, as she deserves it as much as her kittens. Thank you again for all you do. Love the ginger catties.
judymack812 -
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judymack812
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I have fostered a lot of bottle kittens but this little guy has the bluest eyes I have ever seen! God bless you for working with the ferals! I have socialized a couple of young ferals and if you are patient sooner or later their curiosity gets the better of them and they come over to you. Your story is wonderful and I think there is a special place in Heaven for people that rescue strictly feral cats and kittens.
CarolB57 -
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CarolB57
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542 points
Sweet story about these kitties that are so lucky to have your group around. If only people would be kinder to their animals!
mj -
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The eyes have it! Great work you do. Thank you.



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