Hello Friend,
MRFRS is very excited to announce that our theme for 2023 is “Building Meow-Mentum Together”!
2022 was an impactful year as we continued to deliver on our mission to improve the lives of all cats. One way we accomplished this was by finding forever homes for over 630 cats and kittens through our Adoption Program. This included kitties who might be considered harder to place because they were FeLV positive, seniors or “spicy” by nature. But our counselors were able to find the right matches for each of these special cats.
We also improved the lives of feral or community cats, in partnership with the trappers and volunteer veterinary teams we work with through our Sunday Feral Cat Clinics. Over 330 cats were spayed/neutered last year through that program, preventing needless suffering from feline overpopulation.
And speaking of spay/neuter, we took delivery of our second Catmobile in 2022 and plans are now underway to begin rolling it out to provide much-needed access to low-cost spay/neuter surgery in the communities we serve.
And the Catmobile is just one of the reasons why we are excited for 2023! Our goal this year is to increase the impact of MRFRS's programs and services as we build on the meow-mentum from last year. By working together, we can harness the energy of MRFRS’s staff, volunteers, and donors to be a driving force for improving the lives of cats in 2023! Let’s get ready to build on our progress and create a compassionate world where all cats live happy and healthy lives. Together we can be Meow-Mentum Makers!
On behalf of everyone at MRFRS, thank you for your continued support for all the kitties!
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Gail A. Lynch
President, MRFRS Board of Directors
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Cat Film Festival - An A-meow-zing Success! |
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The Cat Film Festival held on January 14th and 15th was literally record-breaking! The weekend event holds the distinction of being the only showing of the Festival to sell out two shows, resulting in the largest turnout anywhere in the U.S.!
We thank the wonderful feline fans who made this event such a success - MRFRS staff enjoyed the opportunity to speak with attendees before the show. Then everyone grabbed their popcorn, the lights dimmed and we settled in to watch short films from around the world, celebrating kitties and their amazing relationships with people.
A BIG thank you also to our fur-rends who made it possible to bring the Festival to our community! First, the Newburyport Screening Room for partnering with us and welcoming everyone to the theater. And secondly, Tracie Hotchner, the Founder/Director of the NY Cat Film Festival and Radio Pet Lady Network podcast. MRFRS’s very own Karen Glass, Director of Development & Communication sat down with Tracie on her most recent podcast to talk about the Festival and MRFRS’s work. You can listen to it here!
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Staff Spotlight - Welcome Lauren Guarino! |
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Lauren has recently joined the MRFRS team as our Administrative Coordinator, and will manage our donor database and oversee the Merchant Donation Can program. She comes to MRFRS with more than five years of experience as an administrative and executive assistant in the financial services industry.
In addition to her professional experience, Lauren brings her passion for cats to the organization. She and her fiancé, Ian, share their home with their two fur babies, Lucy and Blue. Originally from Ohio, she now lives in Amesbury and loves spending time outside hiking and exploring New England, reading, and crocheting.
We think Lauren is a paw-some addition to the MRFRS team!
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MRFRS Board of Directors Update |
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Welcome Crystal C. Carvotta-Brown! |
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MRFRS would like to welcome our newest member of the Board of Directors, Crystal C. Carvotta-Brown. As an attorney and registered nurse with almost three decades of combined expertise in legal, nursing, and regulatory compliance, Crystal manages a variety of legal, regulatory, and compliance issues in the healthcare compliance arena.
Crystal has been an active member of the MassCats email group, a Massachusetts network of cat rescuers, shelters, and volunteers for over ten years, and currently serves as the alternate Moderator for the group. Ms. Carvotta-Brown has volunteered as a cat adoption coordinator and managed the FARS program prior to it being integrated into MRFRS. She is a “graduate” of the Neighborhood Cats TNR Certification Workshop and has been performing independent cat rescue for the past 15 years.
In her spare time, Crystal enjoys spending time on the beach, reading, and needlepoint. Crystal and her husband are owned by four amazing cats.
Crystal previously served on the MRFRS Board in 2010-11 and we are delighted that she has rejoined the Board!
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MRFRS would also like to recognize the contributions made by Jim Lagoulis, as he steps down from the Board of Directors after serving from 2001-2015 and again from 2020-2023.
As an attorney living and practicing in Newburyport Jim specialized in real estate, municipal and business law. His contacts, practical advice, dry sense of humor and invaluable direction helped shape and strengthen MRFRS for the future. Jim's contributions included serving on both the Governance Committee, where he helped strengthen MRFRS' policies and practices and the Finance Committee, where his personal investment experience helped shape MRFRS' investment policy.
Jim will be joining MRFRS' Honorary Board. Thank you, Jim!
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New Year, New Role? MRFRS is Hiring! |
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Would you like to become part of one of New England’s
most respected and effective animal welfare organizations?
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To support and expand our current and future programs, MRFRS has immediate openings on both our Program and Development teams. Visit www.mrfrs.org/careers to learn more about working at MRFRS and the positions that are open.
Feel free to share this link with candidates you may know who are looking for a new career opportunity and share a passion for our mission!
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One Simple Way to Help Cats This Month |
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Don't Skip Your Cat's Annual Vet Visit |
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Research showed that in 2021, 82% of the dog population visited a vet, versus only 40% of cats. Why the huge disparity? There are a few reasons why cat owners are less likely to bring their cat for their annual vet visit.
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Cats tend to hide their pain. Cats have evolved to be better at hiding their pain than dogs which means an owner can often miss subtle changes in their cat’s behavior. This tendency for felines to hide distress makes an annual vet visit even more important to catch pain and illness early.
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Owner’s may have a false perception of a cat’s health needs. Even though cats can be “low-maintenance”, that doesn’t mean they don’t need regular vet care. You might not be able to see anything abnormal, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t underlying issues.
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Transporting kitty to the vet can be “challenging”. True, most cats are not as excited as their canine friends to “go for a ride” and their stress can make their owner feel stressed too. Choose a carrier that is easy to work with (consider one that opens at the top, not side) and introduce the carrier to your cat ahead of time to acclimate them.
Annual wellness visits for your kitty provide the opportunity to detect even minor changes in weight or vitals, which means correcting many treatable medical issues like dental disease, obesity or even allergies. These visits can also detect and intervene in disorders like kidney disease or osteoarthritis, where early intervention is critical. Annual vet visits are as important to your cat’s well-being as food, a clean litterbox and affection, so be sure to make it part of your routine!
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It has often been said that cats rescue us as much as we rescue them, coming into our lives when we need them most. That’s exactly what happened when Estie (formerly Rosie) was adopted by her new family. Here is their story:
“When we adopted Estie, my sister and I were in a very dark place mourning the sudden passing of our 18-month-old beloved cat, Sookie. When we brought Estie home, she immediately pulled us out of our deep depression. She is an absolute delight to behold; she loves to play with anything and everything (including trash and dust bunnies), and she also loves to snuggle and get pets and scritchies. She is also the only cat I have ever known who plays fetch like a dog. We have several cat toys that Estie will bring to us to throw for her, and she brings it right back and can play it for hours!
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She also enchanted our older cat, Eevee, who immediately adopted Estie, and loves to lick and play with her. Eevee and Estie became fast friends, and watching them play together makes me so happy, because Eevee and Sookie were also very close, and Eevee was noticeably grief-stricken after Sookie passed away. I was so happy that Eevee and Estie got along, because there is nothing Eevee likes to play with more than another cat.
We truly love Estie with all our hearts. As soon as she joined our family it felt like she was always meant to be with us, and her adorable companionship with Eevee only further proves that she was a perfect fit. Thank you so much for bringing us together with our little Estie!”
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Our Mission • To improve the lives of all cats and provide support and education for the people who care about them.
Our Vision • A compassionate world where all cats live happy and healthy lives.
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MRFRS HEADQUARTERS
63 Elm St. (Rt. 110), Salisbury, MA 01952
Closed Sunday & Monday • Tuesday - Saturday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
CATMOBILE
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