FRIENDS OF FELINES- MARYLAND

Welcome to Friends of Felines- Maryland, a Maryland registered non-profit organization dedicated to controlling the domestic cat population by helping cat loving people to have their feline colonies spayed and neutered.
Our Mission:  To help control the outdoor and feral populations of cats and kittens. We provide low cost spay/neuter services to those who are feeding large colonies of cats and kittens. We provide trapping services, along with boarding the cats who are waiting for surgery. Adult cats are then returned to their original homes to live out their lives in a familiar environment, hopefully living safe, happy lives. Our vision:  To obtain a large piece of land, where we can build a domestic cat sanctuary to house those who have no where else to live. Fortunately, most of the cats that we provide services for have a home to return to. They are fed regularly by loving, generous cat lovers who will look after them throughout their lives. Unfortunately, sometimes we come across cats who cannot be returned to their original homes, or who had no home to begin with. We want to provide a safe home for them, where they can live out their lives socializing with other cats and people, with plenty of food and water, and medical attention when needed. Our ultimate vision: A United States of America, where cats, and all other animals will no longer be considered "disposable"; to be given up or put outside to live on their own when no longer wanted. A country where pets will be sacred, and humane societies across the nation will no longer have to euthanize animals waiting for a home, because they do not have any more space. Our goals:   A brick and mortar, low cost clinic where anyone can bring their cats to be spayed and neutered and given vaccinations at a minimal cost.	Low cost Spay/Neuter  We provide the transportation to low cost clinics in Maryland.  The clinics in which we participate are wonderful, and have great staff. We would not take any cat to a place that wasn't the best!! Our volunteers are also present during the procedures, the entire day. New clinic dates to be posted soon!!  Currently, we will be atending PET cat clinics. These clinics are held on Mondays. Cats will need to be in carriers. In April, we will add dates for stray/feral cat clinics. For the feral or stray cats clinics: Cats will need to be in a humane trap, (No carriers allowed) and will have to be dropped off at 6AM the morning of the transport. All cats will be ear tipped during surgery, to mark them as spayed/neutered. The feral clinics are held on Saturdays. **Please note that Friends of Felines- Maryland only provides the transportation to the clinic as a service and is not responsible for the medical aspect** Just send an email, or letter to us, and we will get started!!	ARE YOU REALLY ALLERGIC? The next time you visit a shelter, look at the reasons for the cat being there. Most will say, "Owner surrender", or "Family member allergic". If you, or a family member develops an allergy, don't automatically assume that it is the cat. Unfortunately, many doctors will tell you to get rid of the cat, and most times, the allergy symptoms stay. Would you also rip up all of the carpet in your house? Probably not. But unfortunately, people will think nothing of getting rid of a beloved pet, but would not dream of tearing up all of their carpet. But, carpet is the absolute WORST thing for allergy sufferers!! Recently, a friend told me about a family member who developed allergies. She thought it was her dog and cat, but kept her beloved pets, and continued to suffer with allergy symptoms. When she moved into a new house, with no carpet, and all hardwood floors, her allergy symptoms diminished tremendously, and she still had her dog and cat!! Here are some tips: Have professional allergy testing by an allergy specialist.  Take physician recommended medications. Compassionate doctors will treat the symptoms instead of telling you to get rid of your cat. Use HEPA filtered vacuums, and air cleaners in the house where the cats frequent the most. Don't let your cat in the bedroom!! I know they love the bed the most, but you have to think of yourself. And DON"T SMOKE!! This has nothing to do with cats, but we don't think anyone should smoke around family and friends.....or pets!!
SO YOU NEED TO FIND A HOME FOR YOUR CAT? We do, too! About thirty of them!! Unfortunately, there are too many cats and too few homes. We have heard that every household in the United States would need to adopt 68 cats in order to diminish the homeless cat population. People need to be responsible and spay or neuter their pets in order to help control the population. Do not let them have kittens!! That is more homes to find, or more hungry mouths to feed. For every kitten born, another shelter cat will not find a home. Here are some tips: Call the local Humane Society of Washington County. If it is a pet cat, they will not put it to sleep right away, as many people think. They have two adoption centers, one is at Petco in Hagerstown, and one is at the Humane Society. Please don't try to give a cat with litter box problems away. No one wants a cat that will not use the litter box .  Have the cat checked for illness by a veterinarian. Try different litters, and different boxes in different locations in the house. Cats don't normally like enclosed boxes, but they do like privacy and a quiet place to use the bathroom. If the problem continues, it is more humane to put them to sleep, instead of throwing them out of the house, or giving them away. If you are moving, make every effort to take them with you. A pet is not a disposable product, it is a family member. Post fliers in local veterinarians offices. More than likely, if someone is in a veterinarian's office, they are a responsible pet owner. Of course, get permission before posting. Put an ad in  the local newspaper. But, please check out possible adoptive families to make sure the cat is not going to be put into an abusive situation. Make sure you see where the cat is going to live, and don't be afraid to check with neighbors!!	Sponsor a kitty!! For all of those who cannot have a cat, but would love to, this is the place for you!! We are offering sponsorships of the kitties on the website. For $10.00 a month, you can sponsor a kitty that you like on the website. The sponsorship provides food, shelter and medical care for your special adoptee!! Just send an email, or letter to us, and we will get started!!     SHOULD FERALS / STRAYS BE FED? There are many different views on managing stray and feral colonies. We at Friends of Felines- Maryland believe that colonies should be properly managed, first of all by trapping, spaying and neutering, ear tipping and then of course, making sure the colony has an adequate supply of food and water.  Homeless cats are very resourceful, and will find food. Most of the time it is by tearing open the trash in a neighborhood looking for scraps. This leads to frustration of those people living in the neighborhood. Contrary to some beliefs, homeless cats will not go away if they are not fed. They will wander in a small vicinity, constantly looking for food. They rarely venture out of their territory.   If a homeless cat or colony of cats, is properly managed, and fed, they will no longer be a nuisance. Yes, they will still go to the bathroom, but remember, cats bury their waste, and once a male cat is neutered, the odor of the territory marking will not usually be noticed by the human sense of smell. Also, the territory is usually not marked by spraying, it is marked by rubbing the salivary glands on both sides of the mouth on objects for which they want to mark as "theirs".	"Free to good home ads" Animals given away for free can, and unfortunately often do, meet gruesome fates. *They can end up in the hands of animal abusers who torture and kill animals obtained through "free to good home" ads. Some take their children with them when responding to the ads so people will be comfortable turning animals over to them. *People obtain animals to sell to research facilities for profit, often acquire animals by answering "free to good home" ads. *Small animals advertised as "free to good home" are sometimes acquired by individuals who intend to use them as bait in training dogs to fight. *Young kittens are often acquired to be used as snake food. Please, please thoroughly check out the home in which you are placing animals. Go there, and see where they will live. You MUST be a voice for the pets!! They are quite vulnerable to people.