Catnip

Happy Spring! In this issue:

Spring Auction, New Mailing Address, 24th Annual Garden Fair, Kira, Vehicle Donations, Roger (aka Vader).

In this issue:

Annual General Meeting Recap; New Mini-Auction; Thanks from Mia; Ongoing Bottle & Can Drive; Sarge’s Story

In this issue:

Here’s to our volunteers and supporters! Volunteers needed! Photo album of some of the cats and kittens of 2023 (so beautiful!); Donate to 100 Feline Friends Who Care; Volunteer expenses for 2023 due by Jan 15; Minnie’s Journey

In this issue:

Get out of town and enjoy our second annual Lynn River Dinner; 100 Feline Friends update; Upcoming Fall online auction; Sister & Brother Act Pete & Lily

In this issue:

This issue is devoted to our fundraiser, 100 Feline Friends Who Care. Each year we ask 100 Friends to donate $100 each. It helps to pay for the spay/neuter surgeries, vaccinations, any additional health care that is needed, food and shelter while these little survivors await forever homes. Your financial gift will work as hard as the FFN volunteers to help cats and save lives.

In this issue:
Giving Tuesday, Online Christmas Auction, Bottle & Can donation notice, 100 Feline Friends Who Care donor prizes, Featured Fosters: Dragon & Griffin.

In this issue:
100 Feline Friends Who Care update, Puddy Product event, Bottle donation reminder, and our Featured Foster, Zoey.

Welcome to Cat Nip
You may be wondering what Cat Nip is. We've decided to retire our longstanding Cat Tales newsletter in order to provide you with more timely updates about all things Feline Friends. What can you expect? Bite-size morsels of information on a more frequent basis.

In this issue: Fosters volunteers needed; Adoption Event; Online Summer Auction; Pat’s Puddy Products at Market; Meet Nugget!

March break!
We invite you to read Kazoo's story of recovery. Time to renew your membership! Our Stratford bottle/can collection location has changed. Spring auction coming soon! Peruse Puddy Products in person. Are you handy? Our kittens have a wish list. AGM summary of 2021. Thank-yous, poetry and memories.

'Tis the Season

As Feline Friends marks fifteen years, there is an urgent need for more cat and kitten fosters. Saskatchewan is the latest province to ban the elective declawing of cats... when will Ontario catch up? Mark your calendar for our AGM! See some of the cats and kittens of 2021 as well as some very creative winter shelters. And as always, there are remembrances and thank-yous to share.

All you need is love...

Meet Peavey and Miller, a couple of kitties getting the love and care that they deserve. Love from the community, as we come within a cat's whisker of meeting our goal of finding 100 Feline Friends Who Care. A group of teens put their love of crafting to good use. And love for cats of the less fortunate through our Low-Income Spay/Neuter Assistance Program. Add to that a heap of gratitude for those who have earned our thanks, and you have an issue full of warm feelings – something we can all use as the heat of the Summer begins to fade.

Cautiously optimistic

As both the temperature and the number of Canadians who have received their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine climb, we're feeling cautiously optimistic that we may be back on the road to something that more closely resembles what most of us think of as "normal" life.

In the meantime, FFN is keeping up our pandemic-friendly fundraising efforts with not one but TWO new locations where members and friends can drop off contributions for our bottle drive. You can find that information on the final page of the June 2021 issue of cat tales.

But before that, cat tales features foster fails and adoption successes, a plethora of thank-you's to generous supporters, and a bunch more. We hope you'll take the time to read and enjoy.

Here's to a safe summer for all of us.

Hurrah – March is here! We hope you will all enjoy reading about what we've been up to in the March 2021 issue of cat tales. We have lots to share with you, including elusive mom cats, membership renewals, a recap of our first online AGM, coming events and more.

Best wishes to FFN volunteer, Garet, who usually edits and designs cat tales, but who is currently recovering from an injury. Get well soon! We really appreciate all of your hard work, and we have tried to live up to your high standards!

Tomorrow, Tuesday, 1 December 2020 is Giving Tuesday and we hope you'll consider donating to FFN on our web page at Canada Helps so that we can take advantage of a generous offer of matching dollars up to $1,500. For more information, see page 1 of the December 2020 issue of cat tales.

This issue also features a seasonal message from FFN president, Sharon Morrice, a couple of heart-warming tales, a COVID- and cat-friendly way to shop for Christmas, and a collection of some of the cats and kittens of 2020, as well as a year-end round up of heartfelt "thank yous” to our generous donors and supporters.

Wishing you and yours a healthy and safe holiday season.

Cats, kittens, and Covid

FFN hopes that all of our members, friends, and partners are continuing to stay well and safe as we negotiate the "new normal" created by Covid-19. The latest issue of cat tales introduces some of the cats and kittens FFN has helped over the past months and the dedicated volunteers who made it possible to do so. It also features updates on FFN's various fundraising efforts – including the great news that we're halfway to our goal of having 100 Feline Friends for 2020!

The challenge of a changed world

The world looks dramatically different since FFN sent its last newsletter at the beginning of March. Not many of us could have imagined the impact Covid-19 would have on our lives with school closures, self-isolation, and businesses operating under new social distancing guidelines, sending their employees home to work, or shut down completely.

Cats, however, know nothing of pandemics, and kittens keep coming despite the coronavirus. The June issue of cat tales is our biggest issue ever and explains how FFN's efforts and programs have been affected by Covid-19, what we are doing to cope, and how you can help.

There is good news – an unexpected uptick in the number of people volunteering to foster cats and kittens for FFN and some heart-warming success stories - and no-so-good news - delayed spay/neuter surgeries, cancelled fundraisers and, unfortunately, a hold on accepting any additional cats into FFN's care. We hope you'll click here to read the full newsletter for all the details.

And we hope all of you – members, partners, friends, and associates – are keeping healthy and staying safe.

Coming to you quarterly

The March issue of cat tales marks the start of our quarterly publication schedule. From here on, the FFN newsletter will arrive in your inbox in March, June, September, and December.

Our first quarterly issue is positively overflowing with gratitude for the generosity of FFN members and volunteers, local businesses, and the Stratford community. Meet Zeke, a fine feline gentleman who will soon be seeking that special person to give him a fur-ever home and read a recap of FFN's annual general meeting from FFN president Sharon Morrice. If you missed the AGM and wish to review FFN's 2019 financial statements, please click here.

Merry merry!

Season's greetings from FFN president Sharon Morrice, a letter to Santa from our foster cats and kittens, a chance to stuff some stockings with Puddy Products, and the new look of the FFN website – it's all in the December 2019 issue of cat tales. And to make your holiday season even more merry and bright, we're also featuring the photos of more than 40 adorable cats and kittens helped by FFN in 2019.

Winter is coming...

and this just might be the biggest issue of cat tales yet! Meet cute kitties Georgie, Orion, Murray, and Scooter, aka the cat of many names, as well as the 15 adorable FFN kittens who found their forever homes thanks to the Alley Cat Café. As well, we've got an update on the 2019 Wine Raffle winners, a reminder to get your insulated cat shelters ready for the cold months ahead, and a whole lotta gratitude to some amazing donors.

Happy Thanksgiving!

FFN has so much to be thankful for, including each and every one of YOU. The October issue of cat tales has an update on our quest to find 100 Feline Friends to donate $100 a year to FFN, the stories of Bruce—whose medical treatment so many of you supported so generously—and the adorable Georgie, and a visit with animal communicator Nancy Roney. Not to mention a look at the benefits of adopting an adult cat, a sneak preview of FFN's upcoming online Christmas auction and, of course, many thanks to some generous supporters of FFN.

We're back in your inbox ...

And overflowing with gratitude for the generosity of a whole slew of very special people. Find out more about their fundraising efforts in the September issue of cat tales, along with an update on the FFN bottle drive, all the details for the 2019 Wine Raffle, and the amazing story of Ira, a handsome gentleman soon to be available for adoption through FFN.

Summer Cat Tales

The Summer 2019 issue of cat tales features two special cats and three adorable kittens, an update on the enforcement of animal cruelty laws in Ontario, good news about a grant, and heartfelt thanks times three. Perfect for perusing in a shady hammock on a hot summer's day. See you in September!

Farewells, fundraising, and full hearts

It's an extra long issue of cat tales this month with an article on the vacuum created by the OSPCA's recent decision to stop enforcing animal cruelty by-laws – and how you can take action to urge the government to set up an alternative system – and farewells to the husband of one of FFN's first volunteers and a beloved colony cat.

You can also discover four fab ways to raise funds for FFN – our annual bottle drive, a bake sale, clothing for a cause, and Crush Fitness's 30th birthday celebration! And, finally, a heart-felt thank you to some special folks whose recent fundraising efforts raised a combined total of over $500 for FFN!

Two Sisters, One Cat

In the May 2019 issue of cat tales, the story of two sisters and one very lucky cat, some tips on how to tell whether a cat needs your help, FFN felines on film, and good news about a New Brunswick ban on declawing.

Spring is in the air!

Now that winter has (we hope!) had its last hurrah, FFN is gearing up for another spring and summer crop of kittens. To help as many of these wee ones as possible, FFN is seeking more volunteer foster caregivers. The April 2019 issue of cat talesfeatures a myth-busting article to dispel some common misconceptions about fostering, as well as the inspiring story of animal reiki teacher Michelle Kyle and her family of 19 cats.

Worth waiting for ...

The March 2019 issue of cat tales just might be our biggest yet. Suss out the stories of Syd and Spotty, read the report of FFN's annual general meeting, renew your membership, and put on your party hats!

Baby, it's been cold outside!

But now that temperatures are back above zero, our fingers have unfrozen enough to bring you the February 2019 issue of cat tales.

This month's newsletter features information on events both traditional (such as FFN's upcoming AGM, World Spay Day, and Global Pet Foods' annual "Show Us Your Heart" campaign) and brand-spanking new or, at least, new to FFN – a "Sip and Shop Night Market" and "Community Hours" fundraising at the Keystone Alley restaurant. You'll also find a breakdown of FFN's 2018 spay/neuter totals, meet a kitty named Calico, and discover a new colony of community cats.

Tis the season ...

to have your heart melted by Tyler Jouwsma and his feline friend Dupont. Click here for their story, as well as the adorable furry faces of some of the cats and kittens that FFN helped in 2018.

Funny, fascinating, and fetching felines on film ...

There are only FOUR more sleeps until FFN's 6th annual Feline Film Festival! You'll find all the details – along with the winners of the Wine Raffle – in the November issue of cat tales.

There's a chill in the air ...

but the story of the adoption of Alba in the October issue of cat tales will warm your heart. Also in this first fall issue, fostering, fundraising auctions, expanded FFN membership benefits, and the upcoming FFN Feline Film Fest.