Felines Fight for Survival

Eight cats, an opossum and a raccoon are found in a garage….

While this might sound like the start of a funny story, it unfortunately was real life for eight young kittens before they were rescued by Charles River Alleycats (CRA).

Eager to assist our local community partners, we welcomed five of the adorable kittens into our care, including older kitten siblings Root Beer and Zevia. Younger kittens Raja, Genie and Jasmine, known as the Aladdin litter, likewise joined the Baypath ranks. Upon arrival, all five tiny felines required immediate medical attention for a multitude of concerns, including upper respiratory infections (URI’s).

Our most skilled and dedicated staff, volunteers and fosters stepped up to care for these fragile young kitties. Cat Programs Coordinator Katie Farrell, amazing longtime volunteer Sue Caron and rockstar foster Gina Diune worked tirelessly to provide comprehensive and compassionate medical care. From home care including medications, fluids and syringe feedings to emergency veterinary care consisting of breathing treatments and X-rays, Katie, Sue and Gina worked tirelessly to improve the health and wellbeing of these five purring kittens.

Despite around-the-clock, tender loving care, Jasmine and Raja both passed away, leaving our team heartbroken. According to foster mom Gina, Raja was playful, affectionate and curious, as evidenced by frequently cuddling with her dog. “He was an absolute sweetheart and overcame so much,” she shares.

Jacquline Betty, Director of Operations at Charles River Alleycats, explains that “unvaccinated feral cats are often exposed to different parasites and diseases carried by wildlife, therefore, elevating the problems that we see when we are trapping them.” Working since 2002 to humanely control over 18,000 cats in Eastern Massachusetts, CRA collaborates with local shelters such as Baypath to find homes for the felines they serve. Feral cats unable to be socialized are spayed/neutered and vaccinated before being returned to community caretakers.

Jacquline has many wonderful tips for concerned citizens looking to assist feral colonies. The first is acclimating community cats to a particular feeding schedule by setting out fresh water and food at the same ½ to one hour each day. She also advises feeding community cats during daylight hours, in order to avoid unwanted wildlife and ensure accurate colony headcounts. Jacquline recommends working with a reputable organization to humanely trap cats before having them spayed/neutered and vaccinated. CRA has a webpage with additional tips on how to help feral colonies.

Thanks to an extensive caring village, Root Beer, Zevia and Genie now spend their days in loving forever homes. The passionate and highly skilled staff, volunteers and fosters at both Charles River AlleyCats and Baypath seamlessly collaborated to ensure positive endings for these three special kittens. 

Root Beer’s adopter, Jess, renamed him Cosmo – and wasted no time spoiling this little cutie. Not only was he thrown a birthday party last month, she says that nary a paycheck goes by without her buying a new treat or toy. Despite his initial shyness, Jess says that Cosmo is completely comfortable demanding attention. “He will knock things over, climb all over you, and sometimes even turn off our electronics if we are not paying enough attention to him!” she explains. By providing her pampered prince with a high-quality diet and daily supplements, Jess has managed to keep Root Beer’s upper respiratory issues at bay.

What about stunning Genie’s happily ever after? Adopter Amber renamed this one-eyed beauty I-B (short for Ibex), sharing that she has become quite the love bug!

Like her feline friends, Zevia’s story went from down on garage level all the way up to the penthouse! This sweet tuxedo found his confidence and zest for life since being adopted by Colleen, who refers to him as her little superstar. Despite initial worries about ongoing socialization and medical treatment, Colleen says Zevia is energetic, affectionate and mischievous – and that she was able to help him resolve his one brief bout of URI quickly. She shares that Zevia’s favorite pastimes include “chasing his big sister around, bird watching and playing with ice cubes. He amazes us every day with how smart he is. He’s much loved!”

Baypath’s Lilly & Orchid Extraordinary Medical Fund made these remarkable happy tales possible. Thanks to the phenomenal donors who support this lifesaving veterinary program, our team will continue saying ‘yes’ to dogs and cats with the most challenging medical needs. Our team will always remember Raja and Jasmine, two beautiful kittens who left this world under the soft touch of Baypath’s network of unconditional love.