Beyond Nine Cat Rescue was made aware of at least 15 cats abandoned in a house in Cooper City, FL. The woman who had kept a few of them as pets had passed away a few years ago and the cats were left in her house.
Someone would stop by to leave them dry food yet they received no medical care, no proper kitty litter or cleaning of the home, and none were spayed or neutered so the number of cats multiplied.
Most of the cats are undernourished, covered in fleas and mange, some have open wounds, some have lost an eye to infection or issues from possible inbreeding in the house.
We were able to bring six of the most in-need cats to our shelter and have been working hard to rehabilitate them medically and mentally.
Some are a bit shy and scared yet we’re socializing them with love and petting and it’s working. They’re responding well and coming back to life.
With a little luck and some patience, we hope they’ll get to a point where they can be adopted into loving homes so they can continue to get the care and attention that they have missed out on all this time!
Vet visits, medications, surgeries, transportation, rehabilitation, food and shelter… it all adds up! We have been really busy (during a pandemic no less!) and our coffers have been depleted. We urgently need your help!
This week we got a frantic call about a mama cat and her kittens needing help. One of the kittens was injured and no other rescues were responding to her calls. Our volunteers went out to assess the situation and what they found made their hearts sink: a colony of cats struggling to survive in Pompano Beach, FL. Some were in dire need of medical attention, others appeared emaciated and hungry.
First up were the kittens. We found five in total, three of them are white, one calico and one black. One of the white kittens appeared to be in worse shape than the others so we couldn’t just leave them in the colony. They were taken to a vet, bathed and fed and they seem to be recovering nicely! Check out this live-action footage:
These tigers in training should be ready for adoption in about 6 more weeks so stay tuned for those announcements! Where’s the mama cat? We found two.
This white mom cat was one of two mom cats we found, she was spayed and vaccinated yet we think she may be adoptable. She’s not acting like a feral cat. We’re going to continue to work with her to see if she’s willing to hang out with people. If we do not return her to the colony, we’ll post information about how to adopt her as soon as she is ready!
We were also able to catch a big white male and a calico kitty. Each was vaccinated yet after an evaluation, we determined they were just too feral to be domesticated pets, so they were returned to the colony.
This pretty orange and white kitty turned out to have a broken pelvis. He was in a lot of pain and we were able to get him into Plantation Midtown Hospital for help. The staff there is extremely helpful and we’re hoping he’s able to recover quickly but his medical needs are going to be expensive.
There was another male limping around the area, we were able to get him vaccinated at Pet Population Control yet he required additional attention for an infection in his leg. He is now at Plantation Midtown Hospital recovering yet he is in rough shape. We’re not sure if he’s going to survive it or not. Keep your fingers crossed!
We are still working our way around and will continue to try to support this colony by getting as many of the cats there spayed and neutered. We’ll also help supply them with clean food and water so they’re not starving to death. We think we may have a local volunteer there to help us with that. If they’re amicable, we’ll see if we can get them into a proper home with loving humans!
These types of desperate calls for help come in every day. There are just too many cats here in South Florida that need our help. Although we can sometimes get discounts and perks from our vet friends, we still receive thousands of dollars in vet bills every month. A single cat’s injury (such as a broken pelvis) can cost hundreds of dollars. Add to that dozens of spay/neuter surgeries, vaccinations, tests and treatments for sickness and disease, it quickly adds up!
We first received Opie and his sister Winkie on July 22nd, 2014. Their human had passed away and his 86 year old mom couldn’t take care of them anymore. At that time they were both five years old so they were still very young! It was a traumatic experience for them both and each was impacted differently.
Opie was able to keep up a happy and outgoing disposition no matter where he went. His sister Winkie was scared and shy; not adjusting to shelter life very well at all. We knew we would need to keep them together. It’s harder to do but we had hoped to find them a home where they could both live happily ever after.
As they waited for a new home, each tried to adjust and adapt to their new situation. Opie met shelter life with an energetic, curious and advernturous spirit. With so many cats and people around, this was his chance to be in the spotlight! He was such a show off, we entered him into the 35th CFA Annual Cat Show back in 2014 at the War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale.
Most cats wouldn’t put up with such nonsense but as the judge moved him around and checked out his physique and fur, Opie was cooperative. He loved being in the posing and smiling for the audience! That day, Opie won “Best In Show” for the best household pet category. He even got a beautiful ribbon to play with! From that day forward, we had to introduce him as the “Award Winning Opie” which just added to his swagger. Opie was a rock star among felines!
Other kitties weren’t the only fans of Opie. Volunteers and visitors alike loved him too. Upon your arrival, no matter what time of day or night, Opie would come out to greet you. He loved being outside. He would even hop into your car if you took too long to say hello or weren’t paying attention to him. He loved the attention from all.
At a still young age of only eleven years old, we unexpectedly have to say farewell to Opie. Sadly our welcoming committee kitty has crossed the rainbow bridge. It came as a shock to all who knew him and he will be sorely missed. We wish we could have found you and your sister a forever home of your own but here at our shelter and in our hearts, you will always have a home.
We are very happy to announce we have a new location where we will be able to show our cats and kittens who are up for adoption! Pet Supermarket’s flagship store:
Pet Supermarket 3939 N Federal Hwy Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308
We were there for a trial run on Saturday, February 15, 2020. Check out our pictures below! They were so pleased with us that we got invited to come back. While we won’t have our kitties there throughout the week, we are able to show them off on Saturdays and Sundays from 11am to 4 pm. As you may know, we no longer have a public-facing adoption center so this is very exciting news!
All of the cats and kittens we have there are fully vetted and ready for a new furever home! Even if you’re not adopting right now, please come in to just say hello! Some of our kitties could use some light petting and words of encouragement too! Or snacks. Some of them may just want snacks. Either way, we and the kitties would love to see you there!!
Abby, pictured here, is thriving and is as beautiful inside as she is outside. She is a joy and one of the most loving creatures on God’s earth. She loves to be brushed and held like a baby. When held, she slams her nose into your nose for a big rub.
Ten years ago, who would have thought that the work you are doing would bring so much love into our home? My husband and I feel so blessed to have Abby.
Meet Fritz and Frodo! These tuxedo brothers are under a year old and are looking for a home of their own at Beyond Nine Cat Rescue.
On October 25th, 2019 they took a field trip to City College in Hollywood, FL to participate in the Vet Tech program. The program covers “How to Restrain a Cat” which is first done with stuffed animals. Techniques are demonstrated and practiced so that the future vet techs don’t stress feline patients. Enter Fritz and Frodo!
The students soon learned that live patients are much wigglier than the stuffies (stuffed animals) they had been practicing on! Fritz and Frodo were gentle and being silky smooth and slippery soft, they had a lot of fun twisting and contorting circles around the students! We even got some photos of everyone working together:
Well done to everyone at City College! These kitties weren’t stressed at all! We hope you continue to do well in your studies and help a lot of kitties become healthy and happy!
As for Fritz and Frodo, they had a lot of fun and would like to remind everyone, if you would be interested in adopting a couple of amazingly soft and stress-free tuxedo kitties, email us at meow@BeyondNineCatRescue.org or give us a call at (833) BEYOND-9!!!
12/14/2019 – Joe Orange and Sparrow heard about how much fun Frodo and Fritz had so they decided to go to City College too! They got their blood drawn, nails trimmed and then some vaccinations… this is what you call fun?!? It wasn’t quite what they were promised yet they did get to meet some fantastic new people who were very nice! Well done!
Meet Connor! Connor came to Beyond Nine Cat Rescue with his brother Cameron back around October of 2017. Recently, Connor was diagnosed with a condition that makes his hips prone to fractures. All cats have a growth plate at the base of the femur head (ball) which is made of cartilage. When kittens, these growth plates normally fuse or close down before the cat reaches a year old. In rare circumstances, this does not occur and the cartilage remains, leaving a weak link in the hip joint and making it prone to fracture. Connor has this condition in both hips and unfortunately, his left hip has fractured.
Connor being a sweetie pie
Conner was in an extreme amount of pain and unable to use his left rear leg. Surgery was needed as soon as possible. Dr. Kenneth Moore of Broward Veterinary Specialists performed FHO surgery (Femoral Head Ostectomy) today, October 1st, 2019. This is a procedure where the head of the femur is removed. Initially the muscles around the hip hold the joint in place, but eventually, a “false head” forms from the scar tissue and that will be Connor’s new hip joint.
A very regal Connor cat!
He’s a wonderful cat, loving and trusting, and couldn’t stand to see him in such pain. Everything went perfectly with the surgery and Connor is resting comfortably for the first time in weeks, yet major expenses like these really take a toll on our resources. Please consider helping us cover the cost of Connor’s surgery and make a donation today! Beyond Nine Cat Rescue is a 501(c)(3) so for most, donations are tax-deductible!
10/01/2019 – Post-op update! Connor came home today. He’s doing great….moving around, eating, using the litter box and, of course, snoozing. He’ll be wearing his “cone of shame” for another 10 days at which time his sutures will be removed. Dr. Moore says his surgery went great and he’s rehabbing like a champ!!
If you are, then you know how challenging it has been to get all of our team members together for a meeting. It’s a lot like herding cats! As suggested by one of our volunteers, we’ve created a new Facebook group on the Beyond Nine Cat Rescue page. It’s a closed group called B9 Volunteers. We’ve been sending out invitations yet if we’ve accidentally missed you, please request to join the group here:
We’re going to test this to see how it works out as a communication hub. It’s a place for our volunteers to make suggestions, report issues, help coordinate or schedule activities and pitch in for a variety of events and needs around the shelter. Best of all, it’s online so it fits everyone’s schedule! We think it could be a good way to keep everyone current within our organization. If you haven’t done so yet, please join and if you’re having any challenges, you can reach out to Sharon, Nicole or Debbie for help. We hope to see you online soon!
Oh, and if you’re not a volunteer with us, we would love to have you join us! Click here for more info!
It’s time for another fabulous Beyond Nine Cat Rescue party! We’re calling it “Masquerade Madness” and it’s going to be fantastic! All the proceeds raised will help hundreds of cats and kittens in need by providing food, shelter and medical care while they wait for a new forever home.
Your $20 donation at the door includes complimentary valet parking, a complimentary cocktail, dinner, and dessert. We will have a lot of great stuff in raffles and a silent auction. Oh, and did we mention it’s a masquerade? Bring your best mask! Prizes will be awarded, it’s your turn to shine! This is going to be lots of fun for everyone! me-OW!
Friday, November 15, 2019, from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm Marriott Pompano Beach Resort & Spa
1200 N Ocean Boulevard
Pompano Beach, FL 33062
We hope to see you there! Need more info? Send your questions to meow@BeyondNineCatRescue.org and we’ll help you figure it all out!
Weston Road Animal Hospital, friends of Beyond Nine Cat Rescue, are promoting feline wellness with a comprehensive wellness package for felines in the local area at a cost of $220. This package includes:
Complete Physical Exam
Comprehensive wellness bloodwork (CBC, Full Chemistry, T4)
Urinalysis
Fecal Analysis
Purevax Rabies Vaccine
Purevax FVRCP Vaccine
This package is only available until September 30th, 2019. Call the Weston Road Animal Hospital at (954) 389-5656 for questions or to make an appointment!
