Two Orphan Kittens Steal a New Mother's Heart at Minnesota's Feline Rescue

Hi everyone, Katie here.

Imagine two little kittens. Just 10 days old, and no mother to be found. The world must have been a very scary place for this tiny brother and sister duo. 

The wonderful people at Minnesota's Feline Rescue, Inc. opened their doors to these babies. And Momma Nadya, a brand new mother herself, opened her heart to them.

When the two orphan kittens (now Zotz & Zagnut) arrived at the shelter, neither were interested in being bottle fed. Meanwhile, a new kitty-mom named Nadya was nursing her little family of five, only two days old. She'd given birth to 6 kittens. Sadly, one didn't make it. He was just too underdeveloped to be able to nurse. 

A Mother's Love 

The two little orphan kittens were placed in the same room as Nadya and family. It didn't take long. As soon as Nadya heard the kittens, she licked them and carried them over to the rest of the family. Now all seven of the kittens live as one family.

Nadya is a wonderful mother. She’s sweet, affectionate and keeps a watchful eye over her furry babes. The first few times any of the kittens tried to dart off, she'd carry them right back into the nest. Now she sleeps in front of the nest, so nobody goes exploring without her knowing about it.

Purrs for Nadya

Despite Nadya's devotion to her little family, life has not dealt her a very good hand in return. Nadya is FIV positive. The vets aren't entirely sure if she was recently infected and therefore in stage one of FIV. According to our friends at the shelter, there's an infection in the system which causes frequent bouts with fever, anemia and other ailments. These are all things that Nadya has been struggling with as she's been doing double-mommy duty. 

Once a cat passes that stage, they enter stage two which is a recovery stage. The virus is still in the system, but the cat is otherwise healthy and doesn't show any signs of illness. Stage three is the end of life phase where FIV cats are more susceptible to disease and illness. 

We hope and pray that Miss Nadya is in stage one, not in stage three. At only four years-old, Nadya has so much more loving and living to do.

We asked about her kittens and whether or not they were at risk for developing FIV. According to the shelter, it's unlikely but not impossible. They will each be tested once they are old enough. 

Nadya and her kittens have their own blog chronicling their adventures as well as Nadya's ups and downs. Although she's had only a few visits to the vet, Nadya's racked up quite a tab. Over $3,000 in vet bills. Her foster mom, Robin, is taking very good care of her though... administering antibiotics and subcutaneous fluids. 

If you'd like to read more about Nadya and her family or if you'd like to help with a donation, you can visit them at:

Feline Rescue's Nadya & Her Kittens

Warning: Sweetness Overload Ahead

We're thrilled to introduce you to Nadya's family!

ZOTZ is a little girl that wants to wear her big girl furs. She's the ring leader and the first to do EVERYTHING. 

ZAGNUT is the biggest of the bunch. He's a tabby boy with medium hair. 

BISCOFF is the cute little grey boy.

DOUBLESTUFF is a boy but we're convince he a Katie-Doppleganger.

SHORTBREAD is the tiniest of the kittens. She's a grey & white tabby girl.

STROOPWAFFLE, or Stroopy as he prefers is a tuxie boy full of personality.

...and

FUDGESTRIPE is a little brown & white tabby girl. Don't let that innocent face fool you, she's an avid adventure-seeker. 

Zotz & Zagnut, the orphan kittens are about 9 weeks old and Nadya's "cookie-kittens" are 8 weeks old. They are all available for pre-adoption. Miss Nadya is going to need a very loving home too. She'll be available for adoption very soon.

All of today's beautiful photos were taken by Kris Kaiser of KrisKreativ Pet Photography. Based in Minneapolis, Kris works closely with the Feline Rescue foster families as a volunteer pet photographer. ...and we're certain her wonderful photos have helped many homeless cats find their forever homes.

Tickled PINK: Simple Solution 30 Day Cat Litter Giveaway for You AND Your Shelter!

WAFFLES:  Hey Boss! We got some new litter! And you're not going to believe this... but it's PINK!

Can I try it? Can I?

KATIE:  Go ahead Waffles. As long as you're ok with doing your stuff in PINK. Doesn't strike me as very "mancatly" though.

WAFFLES:  Ok! Here I go!

KATIE:  Waffles! Have you NO manners?

WAFFLES:  What do you mean? I'm going inside the box just like you told me.

KATIE:  Yeah, in front of the WHOLE WORLD!

WAFFLES:  COOL!

KATIE:  *rolls eyes* I bet the pink litter people would have never contacted us about trying out their litter had they known that you-know-who would be doing you-know-what right here for everyone to see.

Simple Solution 30-Day Test Run
For the past few weeks, Waffles and I have been trying out the new Simple Solution 30 Day Super Absorbent Cat Litter.  Not only does it make things more colorful, this litter has some unique and impressive characteristics that we're tickled PINK to share.


What Makes PINK So Unique?

1.  No Liquid Scooping

Yes you read that right. The most unique characteristic of this litter is the fact that it doesn't clump liquids but rather it absorbs them. You just pour one box of litter into your box, and for a whole 30 days all you need to scoop is the poop. I know, it sounds crazy...but it really works!

2.  Super Absorbent
It's about 300% more absorbent than many traditional litters, which is one of the reasons it works so well at eliminating the need for scooping your #1 business.



3.  Lightweight & Easy to Pour
One of Glogirly's pet peeves is super heavy, gigantic tubs of litter that are impossible to pour without making a mess. Simple Solution is about 1/2 the weight of traditional clay litters. But the REALLY big win is the way in which they've designed the box. There are two handles, one on the top, one on the side and a very handy "easy-pour" spout. Opening, lifting, and pouring were a breeze and no HBO words were involved whatsoever.

4.  Low Dust & Paw Gentle
Although not completely dust-free, there was much less dust than many of the clay and biodegradable litters we've used before. The texture of the litter is paw-friendly and both Waffles and I took to the litter right away. ...though not at the same time. *wink*

5.  Light Fragrance
Although the litter does have a mild fragrance, it does not come off as overly perfume-y. But it is a stronger scent than some of the unscented clay litters and biodegradable formulas we've tried. When liquid comes into contact with the litter and it starts it's magic, the mild fragrance is somewhat noticeable, so like all of our litter boxes, Glogirly likes to keep them separated from the main living area of the Townhouse.

6.  It's PINK!
Ok, try as we might...we've not been able to uncover the secret to the PINK. I guess if they told us they'd have to –









So What's it Made Out Of?
Simple Solution is a clay litter, but unlike other clay litters, which are made from bentonite, Simple Solution is made from pure attapulgite clay, a unique lightweight mineral that quickly attaches to, absorbs and traps moisture and odor.  The combination of this particular clay and an exclusive odor-eliminating technology permanently neutralizes orders, as opposed to just masking or encapsulating them. We've put it to the test and can tell you that's absolutely true. Our litter room is fresh as a daisy.

Choice
While we're no experts here, we've used just about every variety of litter we can think of. It seems there are pros and cons to every kind out there. We also realize that like food, treats...well really anything, it's a personal choice and we'd never tell you what kind of food to eat or what kind of litter to, well... you know.

When given a choice of litters to use, both Waffles and I used the Simple Solution litter more frequently than one of the biodegradable formulas we have in the same litter room. And we used it about the the same amount as another clay version we have.

A PINK Giveaway for You AND Your Favorite Shelter!
The generous people at Simple Solution are so excited to have you try out their litter too, they're giving SIX GLOGIRLY readers each a 15 pound box of litter!  AND they're doubling the prize so each winner can select a US 501(c)(3) shelter to receive a 15 pound box of litter too! That's 180 pounds of PINK... WIN-WIN!

The giveaway is open to US and Canada residents, though everyone worldwide is invited to enter. Overseas winners may gift their prize to a friend or additional shelter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

FTC Disclosure: We received a box of Simple Solution 30-Day Cat Litter no charge to try out and review. We also received a small fee to cover the time it takes to take photos and write the review post. Receiving the free litter and the fee did not influence our article or anything we say.  All sponsored posts on GLOGIRLY will always reflect our honest and unbiased opinions.

Finding a Forever Home through the Power of a Feather

Hi everyone, Katie here.

It wasn't until after we clicked *publish* on our blog post announcing all of the winners in our giveaway gala last week that something really amazing and wonderful struck us. 

All the shelter names and logos, all the addresses we had compiled, prizes big and small... a wash of emotion overcame us as we thought about the significance of single toy. 

Glogirly was reminded of a Sunday afternoon in November, just a year and a half ago, when she drove out to the Animal Humane Society of Buffalo, Minnesota to meet the orange kitten she'd found on Petfinder.com just hours before.

L-R: Jackson (now Waffles) & Herbie

The shelter volunteers introduced to her to "Jackson" and "Herbie." They brought her to a quiet room with the tiny orange boys and handed her a wand toy. 

L-R: Herbie & Jackson (now Waffles)

She sat on the floor, playing with them for the longest time. They jumped and flipped and twirled...everything new and exciting, they each had wonder in their eyes. 

And yes, the thought of bringing them BOTH home was a serious consideration. There was another family visiting though ... a mom, dad, a little boy and girl, that really wanted to adopt one of the kittens.

After an hour or so, "Jackson" decided he'd had enough feather chasing. He hopped onto Glogirly's lap, curled into a little ball and stretched his neck up high, gazing right into her eyes. He purred with the sweetest of smiles. That was it. Glogirly had found Waffles and Waffles had found us.

That play session at the shelter with the wand toy...it was a bonding experience that Glogirly will never forget. 

It warms out hearts to think of all the shelter cats who will have an opportunity to play with one of the toys that was donated on behalf of our readers. It's one step closer to a human connection for those cats. And one step closer to a forever home. 

Thank you so much to our generous sponsors and to our loving readers for helping making a difference in the lives of shelter cats. One feather at a time.

Buy a Book. Save a Cat.

Hi everyone, Katie here.

I am honored to share a beautiful book project with you today. It's a book with a purpose and a mission to help homeless cats who need medical care and families in financial need who are facing medical-care funding challenges for their pets.

The Story
The Bad Guy on the Block is a clever caper about three cats who through teamwork, help to catch a neighborhood thief. Dewey, Thumper and Lily, three beautiful and goofy Norwegian forest cats, are the unlikely heroes, along with their human, Anna. The book is written by Cincinnati author and devoted cat-mom, Kristin Heimerl.

Magical Whimsy
The whimsical illustrations, created by Irene Bofill Garcia, are sure to turn this tale into a classic bedtime story for children and their cat-loving parents.

The Cast Kitties
The three cats are real and belong to Kristin. The story is (mostly) true. And the cause and mission is close to her heart and to ours.

Give Them Health and a Home™ 
25% of the profits will fund acute medical care for homeless shelter cats so that they have a change at living healthy and happy lives in loving forever homes. Struggling families in financial need will also be eligible for acute medical-care funding so that their pet can remain part of their family and out of the shelter system.

Why is This So Very Important?
As much as no one likes to think about their pets becoming ill or needing medical care, things happen. Cats become ill, sometimes suffering from a disease, sometimes as the result of an accident.

Homeless shelter cats with treatable illnesses or who need expensive care to bring them back to health often suffer the worst fate of all. These are savable lives. Many were once someone's special companion. With a little help, faith and attention, they can be once again.


What Can You Do NOW? 
This is so easy! Help us spread the word about the 3 Norwegians and their book, The Bad Guy On the Block to people just like YOU, with love and compassion their hearts for cats and families in crisis.

Their book is an Indiegogo project. They've launched a campaign to raise funds to bring their project and book to fruition. Regardless of the outcome of the campaign, as Kristin writes on her home page, "Like the steely resolve of the rescuers who inspire this initiative, I'll bootstrap together the remaining funds needed to bring this book to market."

Word of mouth is KEY for a successful crowd funding campaign like this. Please consider visiting their book campaign site to learn more. If you are able, you can become part of the movement with a donation of as little as $5. There's some pretty amazing perks for donations at many levels too.

Just click the link in the widget at the bottom of the page and the behind-the-scenes tech wizards will be able to tell that you've come from our blog and they'll keep track of all the people that visit and donate from our link. Why? Because there's cool stuff in store!



Help GLOGIRLY Win the BIG CAT Blogger Award
Part of the fun for us as bloggers and obvious cat-lovers, is a very cool contest that only YOU can help us win. The blogger with the most referrals and donations originating from their blog's website will earn an opportunity to share a very cool giveaway with their readers.

Reader Giveaway Prizes Include:
♥︎ Three Books
♥︎ Three "3 Norwegians" Messenger Bags
♥︎ And one lucky reader will have their cat's name in the book! (It's the perk on the campaign site called Purrfect Pet Print.)

Just CLICK "Buy a Book. Save a Cat." in PINK below:

If you're reading this in an email or reader, you may need to come to our blog (click GLOGIRLY) first.

Thank you so very much. 

Santa Paws Drive: Making a Difference in the Lives of Shelter Pets

Hi everyone, Katie here.

As much as I complain about Waffles and how he's always stealing my food, stealing my toys, and stealing my thunder ... I'm reminded everyday of how fortunate we are. We have more toys than we can possibly play with, healthy food and yummy treats.

Waffles and I may not share the same pillow at night, but we share something much more important. We share the best and most loving forever home we could ever dream of.

But there are SO many kitties that don't have what we have. Shelter kitties waiting for forever families will wake up on Christmas morning without a new toy or a special treat.

Our friend Dorian Wagner of Your Daily Cute founded Santa Paws Drive to bring holiday cheer to shelter animals around the world.

Now in it's fifth year, Santa Paws Drive is the first-ever online Chrisrmas toy drive dedicated to pets. Dorian was inspired by "Toys 4 Tots" and other similar programs and wanted to do the same for animals. She wanted to make it as simple as possible for everyone to be able to make a difference for shelter animals around the world.

In the past three years, Santa Paws Drive has raised approximately $45,000 in toys, treats and donations for 24 shelters worldwide. Focusing on smaller groups who don't otherwise have much opportunity for funding, Santa Paws Drive carefully choose only non-profit, no-kill shelters who rely solely on donations to survive.

You can donate cash or bundles of cat toys. Cash donations start at $1, toy bundle donations start at $10. Please visit Santa Paws Drive for more information. You can donate there or just click the widget below. Toy donations will be accepted through December 13, cash donations through December 20.

10,000 Meals For Minnesota's Feline Rescue, Inc!!!

Hi everyone, Katie here.

We're about to make your Monday SO much better than you ever expected it would be.  If you're a regular reader here, you know we sometimes get down on our hands and paws to ask for your votes. There's photo contests, blog contests, video contests and more. We received some amazing news this weekend.

Our video, *Waffles & The Red Dot* won the grand prize in Pet360's Tricks for Treats Contest. Halo Pets is the sponsor and... ok Waffles, I think you've earned this one. Take it away–

WAFFLES:  Thanx, Boss! Um, the Freekibble.com and Halo people are donating 10,000 meals to Minnesota's Feline Rescue, Inc. I'm not sure how many that is on account of I've never seen that many zeros before. 

The Boss says that we owe it all to YOU, our supercalafragalisticexpialodoshus friends! I don't know what THAT means either, but the Boss says it's pretty awesome.

KATIE:  Glogirly is hoping to be at the shelter when the food arrives to take some photos and pet some kitties. We'll be sure to share all the excitement with you.

This is the third time we've been personally involved with a donation like this from Halo. The shelter is SO excited to receive this food, we decided to find out a little bit more about Halo and their behind-the-scenes giving and philanthropy.

So Waffles, do you think you can handle this?

WAFFLES:  Um, let's see. Fill-Land-Trophy. Ok, I think I got it.

KATIE:  I don't know, Waffles. I better do the talking. 

Halo is the official sponsor of Freekibble which donates 1.5 MILLION meals per year to shelter pets. And did you know that Freekibble was founded by an 11-year-old girl? Her name is Mimi Ausland. Freekibble.com is a pet-related trivia site where more than 125,000 daily visitors come to answer questions. For every question answered, Freekibble donates 10 pieces of kibble to shelter pets. All of this adds up to more than 1.5 million meals.

The Halo Pet Foundation is committed to giving at least 5 times the national corporate average, and in fact has exceeded the national average by a factor of more than 10!

WAFFLES:  Halo is getting ready for a big road trip too! It's their 3rd Annual Kibble Drop. In early December, they'll be visiting 8 cities across the US and delivering 600,000 meals to shelter pets. 

I wonder if they'd like to borrow the Waffle Wagon???

VERY special thanks to Pet360 and Halo Pets for sponsoring this wonderful contest. And BIG thanks to YOU, our generous friends and readers. Your votes made all the difference. We have 10,000 more reasons to love you. So that brings the love total up to about 1,000,000,000,000...or so. 

©2013 Feline Rescue, Inc.

XOXO,

the kitties of Feline Rescue

This is not a sponsored post. We are thrilled to write about our friends at 

Freekibble.com, Halo Pets and Pet360 and thank them for their generosity.♥

Watch our winning video, Waffles & The Red Dot HERE on YouTube or just click below:

A Special Thanksgiving Giveaway For You & Your Favorite Shelter

Hi everyone, Katie here.

Waffles and I have a very special kind of giveaway for you today. To celebrate Thanksgiving, our friends at Peach Industries want to help a lucky GLOGIRLY reader to give back to their favorite shelter... and win a little something extra for themselves.

The winner of our giveaway will have an opportunity to pick out their favorite kitty lounger and donate it to a US 501(c)(3) rescue shelter of their choice. The winner can choose any frame and any cover. Peach Industries will even make a custom cover with the name and logo of your shelter printed on it!

WAFFLES:  Ok, now Boss?

KATIE:  Yes, Waffles. Now.

WAFFLES:  But WAIT! There's MORE!

KATIE:  That's right – the lucky winner will also receive a Peach Industries Organic T-Shirt of their choice!  (Pilgrim hat and Indian headdress not included.) So your favorite shelter wins AND you win!

WAFFLES:  I think THIS lounger is cool for Thanksgiving. It's called the Harlequin Kitty Lounger. I don't know what a Hairyquin is, but it matches my hat. Right, Boss?

WAFFLES:  Boss? 

The Prize

One lucky GLOGIRLY reader will win a Peach Industries kitty lounger of their choice for a US 501(c)(3) rescue shelter AND a t-shirt of their choice for themselves. Although the shelter must be located in the US, the giveaway is open to readers worldwide and the t-shirt will also ship worldwide. 

How To Enter

1.  Leave a comment and tell us the name of your shelter and what you are most thankful for this Thanksgiving.

2.  Make super-sure we have your email.

Earn Six Sweet Extra Entries

Leave a separate comment for each extra entry. (No need to provide links...we trust you.)

1. Like GLOGIRLY on Facebook. (if you already like us, just tell us.)

2. Like Peach Industries on Facebook.

3. Follow GLOGIRLY on Twitter & tweet the giveaway.

4. Follow Peach Industries on Twitter.

5. Follow GLOGIRLY on Pinterest and pin the giveaway.

6. Follow Peach Industries on Instragram.

Deadline to enter is 11:59pm EST, Wednesday, November 20.

The Fine Print:

Giveaway open to readers 18 years of age and older, worldwide. (Void where prohibited.) Winner will be drawn randomly using Random.org. Winner will be notified via email and must respond within 48 hours with name and mailing address for their shelter and themselves. 

FTC Disclosure: We received our kitty lounger at no charge from Peach Industries. We also received a small fee to cover the time it takes to test, take photos, and write the blog post. Receiving the free product and the fee did not influence our review or article. All reviews on GLOGIRLY will always reflect our honest and unbiased opinions.