Contact us at feralaffairsnetwork@gmail.com
Volunteering with FAN means you're part of a community, an amazing group of people who are compassionate and pro-active! Our dedicated Foster parents provide temporary homes, love and care to the many kittens/cats who come our way. We consistently need volunteers to simply transport cats to and from clinics for spay/neuter or other veterinary care.
Many of our members do the important work of trapping community/feral cats, the "T" in TNR. This work is incredibly rewarding as we know that we are helping to improve the lives of community cats and alleviate the cycle of suffering so may kitties endure. Volunteering can take as little or as much of your time as you can give. The rewards are innumerable!
Want to be certified in trap-neuter-return? Click HERE for more information. You will be redirected to the Community Cats Podcast website.
Please e-mail us at feralaffairsnetwork@gmail.com, to inquire about volunteering with FAN.
Volunteering with FAN means you're part of a community, an amazing group of people who are compassionate and pro-active! Our dedicated Foster parents provide temporary homes, love and care to the many kittens/cats who come our way. We consistently need volunteers to simply transport cats to and from clinics for spay/neuter or other veterinary care.
Many of our members do the important work of trapping community/feral cats, the "T" in TNR. This work is incredibly rewarding as we know that we are helping to improve the lives of community cats and alleviate the cycle of suffering so may kitties endure. Volunteering can take as little or as much of your time as you can give. The rewards are innumerable!
Want to be certified in trap-neuter-return? Click HERE for more information. You will be redirected to the Community Cats Podcast website.
Please e-mail us at feralaffairsnetwork@gmail.com, to inquire about volunteering with FAN.
Kassandra (Miller) Prasanna
Kassandra Prasanna with her cat, Mia
Kassandra Prasanna recently adopted her husband’s name as her own. Prasanna means “Sunshine” and “Happiness” in Hindi, and we think that suits Kassandra well. Her deep compassion is obvious, and her enthusiasm and bright spirit are contagious. She has been a dedicated and greatly appreciated member of FAN since joining our team in October 2020.
Kassandra noticed an unkempt colony of feral and stray cats living in her neighborhood near Old Dominion University in Norfolk, and decided she had to do something to help them. The cats were scavenging through garbage bins for food and many of the females were pregnant or in heat, causing unwanted, late night yowling. She noticed a nextdoor.com post by FAN Community Outreach Director, Cleriece Whitehill, and reached out to us for help. Cleriece set her up to trap, and Kassandra dove into the work of giving these cats a better life. So far she has trapped, neutered and returned (TNR’d) eleven feral cats who no longer howl, fight and dumpster dive for scraps, financing most of the work herself.
One of the feral cats Kassandra trapped. Trap-neuter-return (TNR) saves thousands of cats from euthanasia.
Kassandra has also rescued several friendly cats who were doing their best to survive outside. These cats, likely abandoned, would show up on her porch searching for food and affection, and they came to the right place! One such friendly cat was a beautiful, affectionate, gray boy she called Maximillian, who had been coming around for months. Not wanting to “rescue” someone’s pet, Kassandra had the clever idea of attaching a paper collar with a note to Max’s neck in hopes that someone in the neighborhood would see the note and respond with information on the cat. A neighbor did call and confirmed that he was a stray. It’s important in cat rescue to follow best practice protocols, so Max was surrendered to the Norfolk Animal Care Center (NACC) for a ten day stray hold before FAN would fully vet and find him a new home. No-one came to claim this precious kitty, so he was ours to adopt out. Sweet, loving Max was only at his temporary home at Catnip Cat Cafe for 48 hours before his new parents picked him to come home with them. Now he lives the pampered life he deserves with his loving, forever family and a sister kitty too.
Maximillian
Kassandra says the story of Maximillian with it’s happy ending is her favorite part of cat rescue. It seems the abandoned “friendlies” of her neighborhood know this and come to her for help. Several cats have also been surrendered to her when the owners no longer wanted them or couldn’t keep them for various reasons. Even though it breaks her heart that owners give up their pets, she stresses that she doesn’t ask many questions and receives the cats gladly. “It’s so much better than dumping them on the street!!!” And that happens far too often.
In a terrible twist of fate, Kassandra’s own former pets were actually abandoned to live outside after being indoor cats for the first twelve years of their lives! On a random call with her ex in South Carolina, Kassandra discovered that he had given their two cats, Olive and Mia, to another family who had moved to another state and left the kitties outside at the house with some food. Furious and desperate to save her own babies, Kassandra and her husband left on their rescue mission the next morning. And rescue them she did! Thankfully, a kind neighbor had been looking after the cats, but couldn’t take them in. The couple scooped up Olive and Mia and brought them home. And so, another happy ending ensued for abandoned kitties who were especially close to Kassandra’s heart.
Kassandra has also helped FAN with lots of transporting, and she is currently fostering a litter of kittens born to one of the feral females from a nearby colony, who was spayed and retuned after the kittens were weaned. She watches over and feeds her colony and says there are about 5 more feral cats to TNR. We have no doubt she’ll get them!
FAN is so grateful to Kassandra and her supportive husband, Prasanna, for their giant hearts and dedicated work to give community cats a better life.
If you’d like to support FAN’s mission to care for community cats like Kassandra’s colony, you can donate at http://paypal.me/feralaffairs and select “sending to a friend”, or email FAN at feralaffairsnetwork@gmail.com and inquire how you can help! The rewards are immeasurable!
In a terrible twist of fate, Kassandra’s own former pets were actually abandoned to live outside after being indoor cats for the first twelve years of their lives! On a random call with her ex in South Carolina, Kassandra discovered that he had given their two cats, Olive and Mia, to another family who had moved to another state and left the kitties outside at the house with some food. Furious and desperate to save her own babies, Kassandra and her husband left on their rescue mission the next morning. And rescue them she did! Thankfully, a kind neighbor had been looking after the cats, but couldn’t take them in. The couple scooped up Olive and Mia and brought them home. And so, another happy ending ensued for abandoned kitties who were especially close to Kassandra’s heart.
Kassandra has also helped FAN with lots of transporting, and she is currently fostering a litter of kittens born to one of the feral females from a nearby colony, who was spayed and retuned after the kittens were weaned. She watches over and feeds her colony and says there are about 5 more feral cats to TNR. We have no doubt she’ll get them!
FAN is so grateful to Kassandra and her supportive husband, Prasanna, for their giant hearts and dedicated work to give community cats a better life.
If you’d like to support FAN’s mission to care for community cats like Kassandra’s colony, you can donate at http://paypal.me/feralaffairs and select “sending to a friend”, or email FAN at feralaffairsnetwork@gmail.com and inquire how you can help! The rewards are immeasurable!
Volunteer Spotlight - December, 2020
Dennis and the Garage Sanctuary Remodel -
Finally Complete!
Friend of FAN, Dennis, helps install an insulated ceiling in our "Garage Sanctuary"
FAN's main space for after-surgery recovery and holding cats, fondly referred to as "The Garage," has been at the center of our rescue operations for years, but without insulation it was impossible to air condition properly. We put out requests for help, and our generous fans responded with monetary donations, materials and skills. We especially want to thank friend of FAN, Dennis, who donated his time every Saturday for about two months assisting contractor Jay Scott installing insulation, paneling and electrical outlets. Dennis is actively engaged in cat rescue and had reached out to FAN for assistance with a feral colony he was caring for. FAN worked with Dennis and his wife to arrange spay/neuters for his much loved colony and to re-home the cats to safer locations. Thank you, Dennis, for your big heart and willing spirit!
Volunteer Spotlight - November, 2020
by Missy Schmidt - "Mother of Cats"
THE BEGINNING
I’ve been involved in cat rescue (and fostering) since I was a child. My first cat was rescued before I entered preschool, a tiny tiger kitten I called “Seeheart” —since I had no front teeth. Cat rescuing continued through to my adult years, especially since we had only a dingy, inadequate dog pound in my Shenandoah Valley hometown (no cats allowed -they were immediately euthanized!). And, finding cat adopters in rural, small-town America —pre-internet days— was quite a challenge!
IN HAMPTON ROADS, VA
When we moved here for my husband’s work as CEO of WHRO Public Media for Southeastern Virginia (https://whro.org/), we’d been cat-less for way too many years. To address my pent-up cat urges, I began fostering for Norfolk Animal Care Center (NACC) (https://www.norfolk.gov/260/Norfolk-Animal-Care-Center) ...then came the unplanned adoptions of now permanent residents Marcus & Annie, then chocolate siblings Rocher & Godiva. Norfolk has a limit of 4 owned cats per household, so we’re still fostering! Sometimes upwards of 10 fosters at a time, when counting kittens just delivered by a feral queen in our master bathroom aka “the birthing suite.”
I’ve been involved in cat rescue (and fostering) since I was a child. My first cat was rescued before I entered preschool, a tiny tiger kitten I called “Seeheart” —since I had no front teeth. Cat rescuing continued through to my adult years, especially since we had only a dingy, inadequate dog pound in my Shenandoah Valley hometown (no cats allowed -they were immediately euthanized!). And, finding cat adopters in rural, small-town America —pre-internet days— was quite a challenge!
IN HAMPTON ROADS, VA
When we moved here for my husband’s work as CEO of WHRO Public Media for Southeastern Virginia (https://whro.org/), we’d been cat-less for way too many years. To address my pent-up cat urges, I began fostering for Norfolk Animal Care Center (NACC) (https://www.norfolk.gov/260/Norfolk-Animal-Care-Center) ...then came the unplanned adoptions of now permanent residents Marcus & Annie, then chocolate siblings Rocher & Godiva. Norfolk has a limit of 4 owned cats per household, so we’re still fostering! Sometimes upwards of 10 fosters at a time, when counting kittens just delivered by a feral queen in our master bathroom aka “the birthing suite.”
Mama Ella (Fitzgerald) and babies Miley (Cyrus), Dr. Dre and Bae (Beyoncé)
THE CAT-ACTIVIST
Then, on the invitation of friend Debra Griggs, founder of Animal Resources of Tidewater (ART) (https://artanimals.org/), I attended the annual meeting of the Virginia Federation of Humane Societies (VFHS) (https://www.vfhs.org/) to learn more about Virginia’s animal welfare needs. My eyes were opened to the many statewide public and private shelters and home-based rescues; the lack of enough low-cost spay/neuter services in our region; the positive ramifications of TNR (Trap Neuter Return); and the huge need for more foster homes. And fundraising! Retirement allowed me to devote time to more foster programs, at Norfolk SPCA, CatTeam7, and Feral Affairs Network. My career skills in marketing also lend themselves to help impact organizations in many ways, especially with greater exposure on social media.
THE CAT-LOVE
I applaud the many rescuers around our region who humanely trap, provide medical care, and house community cats, whether friendly and/or feral.
My specialty is taking care of neonatal kittens requiring round-the-clock bottle feeding and pregnant cats who need a safe space to give birth to (and raise) their kittens to an adoptable age. And, yes, we’ve devoted much of our home to our fosters. A guest bedroom is now a “kitten room” —complete with a foster photo gallery— and we refer to the main part of the house as “Genpop,” à la the popular series “Orange is the New Black.” Coincidentally, our Fall 2019 Queen Piper litter was named for OITNB characters.
Most of our cat/kitten adopters stay in touch and regularly share milestone photos of their furry family member(s); some even have their own Instagram! https://instagram.com/gingerbeignet
THE CAT-STORY CONTINUES
Every day is entertaining at the Schmidt Cattery... every mama cat, singleton and litter has its own story, all of which I post —with photos and videos— on my public Facebook profile. My hope is that friends (and friends of friends) become potential adopters (and donors!!!) and to watch their new furbaby grow. Follow me: https://www.facebook.com/missy.schmidt
WHAT’S NEXT?
Before COVID-19, I was in the early discussion stages with ART to develop a Coastal Virginia Community Cat Summit. The goal? To see how all of us together —working smarter, not harder— can collectively improve cat welfare. On my mission-critical “to-do” list...
Volunteer Spotlight - September, 2020
Michelle Keith
Trapper extraordinaire, FAN-tastic fan!
Michelle has been one of FAN’s busiest volunteers for nearly two years. When asked what she’s been up to, Michelle replies, “Crawling through bushes, sweating, and using every trick up my sleeve to outsmart savvy cats & kittens!” She’s a trapper extraordinaire and will go the extra mile, or shrub, to capture feral cats, get them to our spay/neuter clinics and return them to their colonies. Recently she’s been working a trap-neuter-return (TNR) project in Norfolk with three litters of kittens, four breeding females and a few males. All resident cats have been trapped, neutered and returned, and 14 kittens have been removed for vetting and adoption. Michelle has been an amazing foster parent, often caring for multiple cats and litters. She holds ferals while they recover from surgery and transports cats to and from vet appointments.
Michelle has also kept track of our Cat Stats each month, a valuable report for rescue groups such as ours. It’s because of volunteers like Michelle that FAN can do the work of our mission to save community cats, and we thank her from the bottom of our hearts!
Michelle has also kept track of our Cat Stats each month, a valuable report for rescue groups such as ours. It’s because of volunteers like Michelle that FAN can do the work of our mission to save community cats, and we thank her from the bottom of our hearts!
Volunteer Spotlight - August 2020
Beth Kelly
Foster Mom, Fundraiser, FAN-tastic fan!
Beth Kelley cradles one of her foster kittens, Azalea.
One of Beth Kelley’s favorite (albeit heart wrenching) cat tales is the story of a bloodied and battered stray she trapped and affectionately called Shaggy. Shaggy was in bad shape. He was an older cat who was obviously abandoned years prior. His eyelids had even been ripped off, most likely in a fight with a more aggressive feral cat. Beth soon discovered that Shaggy was friendly, and she decided to shower him with love and good nutrition for as long as he survived. She set up cat hospice in her home for this ailing old guy. He was pampered and loved for 6 weeks, eating 4 cans of soft cat food a day and lapping up the attention and care. And then he passed.
Beth says, “This is why we do what we do, so that other cats don’t end up like Shaggy.”
Beth is one of our most dedicated and versatile volunteers. She likes fostering the “hissy pissy kittens who think they don’t like humans, but who turn into snuggle bugs after a month of socialization.” She transports, traps, feeds a group of backyard community cats, sews beautiful, functional crafts for FAN sales, volunteers at our adoption center, and keeps us laughing with her hilarious, quick wit! She has chaired FAN’s fundraising committee, creating and implementing many lucrative fundraising events. With a heart as big as her beautiful blue eyes, Beth is one of FAN’s most cherished volunteers.
Beth lives with her son, Connor, four cats and two dogs of her own, and her husband, Stephen, who is also a FAN volunteer. “I think he loves cats more than I do!” She says. Connor helps out too, scooping cat litter and loving on the kittens in their care. Beth’s cats Tank, Earl, Todd and Hope are punctual alarm cats who wake her every morning. “I don’t know what I’d do if they weren’t there,” she says lovingly.
With a full time job plus a home and family to care for, Beth MAKES time to volunteer for FAN. Asked why she does it, Beth replies without a beat, “We do it for the cats. They need us, and we need them.”
Beth says, “This is why we do what we do, so that other cats don’t end up like Shaggy.”
Beth is one of our most dedicated and versatile volunteers. She likes fostering the “hissy pissy kittens who think they don’t like humans, but who turn into snuggle bugs after a month of socialization.” She transports, traps, feeds a group of backyard community cats, sews beautiful, functional crafts for FAN sales, volunteers at our adoption center, and keeps us laughing with her hilarious, quick wit! She has chaired FAN’s fundraising committee, creating and implementing many lucrative fundraising events. With a heart as big as her beautiful blue eyes, Beth is one of FAN’s most cherished volunteers.
Beth lives with her son, Connor, four cats and two dogs of her own, and her husband, Stephen, who is also a FAN volunteer. “I think he loves cats more than I do!” She says. Connor helps out too, scooping cat litter and loving on the kittens in their care. Beth’s cats Tank, Earl, Todd and Hope are punctual alarm cats who wake her every morning. “I don’t know what I’d do if they weren’t there,” she says lovingly.
With a full time job plus a home and family to care for, Beth MAKES time to volunteer for FAN. Asked why she does it, Beth replies without a beat, “We do it for the cats. They need us, and we need them.”
Shaggy, hanging out near Beth's home, just waiting to be loved. He was.