Forgotten Felines Rescue’s mission is to improve the lives of homeless cats and kittens in the Denver metro area. The organization received its 501(c)3 non-profit status at the end of 2009, but Forgotten Feline founders have been individually helping Denver’s forgotten felines for many years. In 2010, we began to build our organization by seeking funding, recruiting volunteers, and establishing relationships with area spay/neuter veterinary clinics. Forgotten Felines Rescue has been a member of Metro Denver Animal Welfare Alliance (MDAWA) for about 10 years. MDAWA is a coalition of animal welfare organizations that promote humane care for companion animals in our community.
With the help of volunteers, our goals are to:
- Provide services to help control the feral cat population. This includes lending humane traps, educating the public on the TNR guidelines, and providing avenues for neutering.
- Work to socialize kittens and re-socialize and rehabilitate tame cats who are found living in feral colonies.
- Adopt rescued cats and kittens.
- Develop fundraising activities to support our ongoing cat rescue activities.
- Educate the public to raise their awareness of the problem and enlist their support in carrying out our mission.
What is a Feral?
A cat born and raised without human contact, or who has been abandoned and reverted to wild ways in order to survive, is considered a feral cat. Ferals often live in groups, called colonies, and take refuge wherever they can find a food source. They also try to seek out abandoned buildings or deserted cars to escape the elements. Unmanaged feral cat colonies are the most underserved segment of companion animals, resulting in extreme overpopulation with dreadful consequences.
Why do you trap and return?
Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is the most humane and effective way of controlling feral cat populations. It has been used successfully in the U.S., England, Denmark, and other forward-thinking countries. At a minimum, feral cats who are TNRed are spayed/neutered so they can no longer reproduce. They are also vaccinated and surgically ear-tipped on one ear (the universally-recognized sign of a cat who has been TNRed). Dedicated caretakers feed and provide shelter for TNRed cats, monitor the cats for illness, and remove new cats for TNR. Volunteers also remove tame cats to be socialized for adoption. TNR eliminates objectionable behaviors of unsterilized animals, such as fighting and wandering (looking for mates). It not only controls the unchecked growth of unsterilized cats, but also improves the health, behavior and quality of life of these homeless animals.
Board of Directors
President: Rose Barr, DVM
Vice-President: Kim Norton
Secretary/Treasurer: Nancy Kall
