Feral kittens learning to settle down

Contributed photo
    Recent weather spikes have left Halfway Home Pet Rescue volunteers rather confused — they thought that the 2013 kitten season was finally over, but three feral kittens suggest otherwise. They were brought to HHPR as the youngest members of a Cross Lake feral cat colony, and volunteers say that the kittens are still slowly learning that there is a safe warm place to live, plenty of food and fresh water and friendly people who won’t hurt them. The three siblings were recently reunited with a fourth, who was just captured last week. “Unfortunately, our rescuers also found very young babies frozen to death,” President of HHPR Norma Milton said. Volunteers figure that because the rescued kittens are 3 1/2 to 4 months old, it will take about two weeks for the volunteers to tame them into house pets. “They are more scared than feral because of a kind couple, Roland and Karin Dionne from Cross Lake, found the colony and started feeding them, then trapped and brought them to HHPR,” Milton said, referring to the couple as “HHPR Angels.” Another “angel” for the shelter this week was Janis Coalter, who rescued a cat named Freddy Sincock from a Sincock St. location; the cat was very ill and has lost both ears to frostbite. Freddy Sincock has completed his thorough veterinary care, and is resting comfortably at a HHPR foster home. The shelter that has handled cats exclusively for years has recently started caring for four rabbits — two of which are siblings. “The rescue is again trying their $1 fundraiser,” Milton said. “If you can spare $1 to help with our current budget obligations, we would sure appreciate it.” This marks the fourth year of the $1 fundraiser, and some participants have expressed that they like to send a dollar in honor of each of their pets or in memory of pets from former years. The fundraiser generated almost $3,000 its first year, but the last few years have leveled out around $500. Folks can send a dollar, along with a photo of their pet, and shelter officials will post the photo it at the Adoption Center. HHPR, PO Box 488, Caribou, ME 04736 call 999-1075 for more information.