How many volunteers do you have?
We generally have 40-45 different volunteers. Many come a specific day and time each week. Some of them “pop in” whenever they can, to do whatever is needed at that time. Some of them specialize in picture taking, grooming, or helping with bookwork. Every person has something different to offer. We become a sort of family together! To view some of the volunteers, look for their pictures on the website under Ways to Help > People Who Help
What do the volunteers do?
Here are a few of the things that volunteers may do: scooping the litter boxes, cleaning the rescue rooms, laundry, dishes, restocking supplies, holding cats for treatments/ear cleaning/nail trims, feeding the cats in Kitty City/Cat’s Cove, weigh-in of the cats, filling adoption bags, organizing the food shelves, cleaning the sunporch, preparing meals for the gang, feeding the “specialty” cats, sweeping/mopping the floors, cleaning the air purifiers, etc. There are also volunteers that are behind the scene covering such things as web design and site updates, videoing events and uploading to YouTube, Cat Stories, Facebook Admins, Chat Moderators, supporters who make items for sale at the shop and/or auction. There is never a shortage of things to do! Of course, we encourage everyone to spend time playing and petting the cats and kittens. That’s most important!
I heard that you have volunteers that are also internationals. How can this be?
FFRC also has an international team of volunteers spread around the world who tend to be unseen. We have people who provide the web work, videos and art for projects.
We have moderators and administrators who try to ensure that the chat and Facebook experiences are enjoyable and child friendly and others who monitor the camera to ensure it is working 24/7. All these people may not be in the center, but freely give their time to support FFRC and help show us to the world through our kittycam. We also have many webcam friends who are very crafty and provide our store with some of their items!
How do you become a volunteer?
Just call the Rescue Center at 419-393-2400 and ask for Megan. You can also e-mail your questions about volunteering to ffrcmegan@gmail.com. We generally have a new volunteer tag along with a seasoned volunteer for the first couple of visits.
Is the Rescue Center attached to a home?
The Rescue Center is attached to the north side of the house that was originally Jacci Moss’ home. The house is now a private residence. At one time, the Rescue Center was actually a working mechanic’s garage! It could hold 3 1/2 cars. When we started the Rescue Center, much scrubbing was needed to get the grease and oil off the floor! Maybe that’s why we like light and colorful things. Since the beginning, the front office, Kitty Kabana, bathroom, Thumper’s Rooms, Storage Room, Welcome Room, our mail room and store have all been added to the outside of the structure. Two doors from the Rescue Center go into the main house. We also have a gazebo and shelter house for our visitors to enjoy.
Where is FFRC located?
We are at 14597 Power Dam Road in Defiance, Ohio, which is in the northwest corner of Ohio.
What determines if a cat is to be an indoor, Sunporch or Cats’ Cove cat?
FFRC: ALL cats that are adopted from the Rescue Center MUST be 100% indoor-only cats. We want them to be considered part of their new family, a true house cat member. The contract that is signed implies that the family will keep them indoors only.
Sunporch: Occasionally, some of the cats that come our way are cats that obviously have never been inside a house and panic at an in-house situation. So, we may consider them as a Sunporch cat. That simply means they get to live outside, but still have a feeding station on the sunporch, along with heated beds for winter, fans for the summer, and cat furniture to sleep/lounge on. There is a cat door so they can go in or out as they please. The Sunporch is located immediately out the back door. These cats seldom leave the property and are fully vaccinated, wormed, have flea prevention applied monthly and, of course, are neutered/spayed. They also have their Porchies Haven which is a wonderful shed, with a kitty cut-out door. In the winter, there are heat lamps. On the sunporch, in the winter there are heat beds. Lots of coziness. In the summer, heaters are replaced by fans.
Cats’ Cove/The House that Jonah Built: Currently, we have a group of permanent resident cats that reside in these two structures. The Covies are large adult cats that are mostly unadoptable due to behavior problems such as unreliable litter box usages and demanding outside time. Cats’ Cove is their home for spring, summer, and fall, and The House that Jonah Built is a year-round home. Cats’ Cove is a very large building that is 17 feet tall and the sides are open slats to allow plenty of air and light in, with catwalks and ledges all the way up. In the spring of 2015, it was decided to change the idea of the Covies, for their safety. Three times a week, we were letting them out to cruise about for the whole day. Then, come evening we would call them back for supper. They knew the routine well. But, it was always a bit of a worry–because they also liked to run across the road. The parking lot is also a worry–so busy with cars in and out. An idea was born! Let’s build The House that Jonah Built–a big 16 x 20 building, complete with hot water, sink, electric, four windows, furnace, and insulation! It’s a great building for year-around use. We also enclosed a huge playground called LJ Playground that used almost 500 foot of fencing. It’s wonderful. They can go in and out of Cats’ Cove and The House that Jonah Built at will. The Playground is full of picnic tables for visitors, benches, and play furniture for the cats. It’s a great addition and all about safety. Both buildings have catwalks, big bed areas, cushie table areas, cat furniture, etc. These cats are also fully vaccinated, wormed, have monthly flea prevention applied, and are neutered/spayed. For winter, they too have heated beds and are quite comfortable. In Cats’ Cove, they have two powerful fans for their summer comfort.
Google Earth reveals that you are located between a river and another waterway, called a backwater. Is flooding ever an issue?
The Auglaize River is directly across the road from the Rescue Center. The riverbank is very steep and high. It would take a catastrophic flood for the rising river to get to the Rescue Center. We live on 5 acres of land, and at the rear of the property is what we call the backwater. It has the potential to flood, but the highest it has ever been is to cover the island that is at the back of the property. So….the cats are safe! Now, where we do have trouble with flooding is the roads. We live in a rural area where the roads dip and curve along the river. The roads occasionally flood over, making a visit here impossible until the waters recede. This has only happened twice in the history of FFRC and then only for a day!
What is this that is called the Backwater?
At the far back of the property, is what we call an island. It’s about 3/4 surrounded by water. We have recently turned this into a great family and friend fun place. Fishing is great. There’s a big fireplace where marshmallows can be roasted and pudgy pies made over the fire. It’s very peaceful and sometimes just simply sitting and watching the river and listening to all the sounds is very relaxing. There’s also lots of bird watching there! Visitors are always welcome. Often the Barnies (barn cats) will follow us to the Backwater.
Are there places to have a picnic if our family should come?
Oh, yes! We have a gazebo that has lots of benches to sit and enjoy the outside, with a great view of the farmyard. We also have a large Memorial Shelter House with many tables. It’s right behind the Mail Room/Store. It’s a good place to watch what’s happening outside, visit with the Porchies and enjoy a picnic! We also use this for meetings, Catathon, Catstock, and just fun sitting while visiting with our friends and volunteers.
Is this the Memorial Shelter House where the plaques are?
It is indeed. People can purchase a plaque with a couple lines of wording. They can be “In Memory Of” or “In Honor Of” or say anything you’d like. The plaques are made with outside material and will always look nice. It’s great to walk around and read them! The cost is $25 per plaque. Check it out in our online PawMart Store.
How can I send a donation?
It’s easy and so appreciated! We receive no local or federal government funding. We operate solely on the kindness of private donations. On the website is a list of items that we always need. If you’d like to help with these and are local, you can easily drop these items off. If you are not a local person, you can order from different places (Amazon, Walmart, etc) and they will send them to us. Or you may want to help us financially with a donation. You could send a check (made out to FFRC) or you could make a donation to us though PayPal. There are links periodically on the website to click on. Anyone who donates $250 or more will get their name on a plaque (with their permission). Gift cards from Meijer, Walmart, Pet Supply, Amazon, Lowe’s, and Menards are also appreciated. You may also spot a “Donate $5 through PayPal” button on our sites. This lets you easily donate $5 (or more) through PayPal to FFRC. We are an extremely money-conscious organization and use every penny wisely.
Why do some cats wear collars?
We put collars on some of the cats to show visitors that these particular cats are not up for adoption. Some may be oldsters (geriatric cats that are here for retirement), some may be on a medical hold, or some may simply be one of our permanent residents. All collars that we use are safety collars, of course.
What are all those dings and bells we hear at times?
There are many sources for those sounds. The washer and dryer have a reminder bell. When either office door is opened, there will be a bell sound. If anyone walks into the sunporch, we can hear a bell here in the Rescue Center. We also have a driveway alarm that sounds for each car coming and going. And to add to all of that, even the microwave has a sharp beep sound. You may also hear one of the cell phones. One of the ring tones is a loud “meow, meow” sound. And don’t forget some of the toys chirp and squeak!
Why is the sound off at times?
Generally, the sound is on 24/7. But should there be a conversation that is private, we have the ability to turn the sound off for a bit. Don’t worry! It won’t take long to get it back on! There are times that we need some privacy. Sometimes if the noise volume gets too loud here in the Rescue Center, we will also mute the sound for the cam.
Why are some names high-lighted on the chat?
These are our moderators and their names are always high-lighted. They are a carefully selected group of people who watch out for the Rescue Center–our web angel guardians! There is a Chatters Code of Conduct that is posted below the webcam video. This is designed to keep the chat G-rated, fun, and safe for all ages. If someone violates this Code, that person is subject to being banned from the webcam by the moderators.
What is this Box Time I hear about?
On Tuesdays at 1:00 PM (Eastern Standard Time/FFRC time), we open boxes if any have arrived. These are boxes that may come by UPS, USPS, or FedEx, from the webcam viewers and supporters. We sometimes also have envelopes or packages that we open at the same time. We enjoy sharing the opening of these gifts with our viewers. We always try to do cat updates at this time too!
Do you have fundraisers?
We have various ongoing fundraisers throughout the year, such as Flash Sales, FunRaisers, AdSense, Amazon, etc. We also recycle aluminum, collect Chief tapes from our Defiance grocery store and collect Paw Points from Scoop Away litter.
But don’t you have outside cats?
The answer is yes, we do. We would prefer that they be inside cats, of course, and we have tried with each one to make them be inside cats. Sometimes, it doesn’t happen. Too often, people drive up and dump cats here that have never been anything but outside cats. So, we get them neutered/spayed, tested, vaccinated, wormed, and flea free and let them live as a barn cat, or a Sunporch cat. They are well cared for, no matter the season. We would prefer people did not dump them off here. If we were to miss even one drop-off, that could lead to a problem of kitties being born that we could not catch.
Where do your FFRC cats come from?
From everywhere! Some are found on the roads, some are found in parking lots, some are born in a house where they are living and then are unwanted (mamas must be spayed before we take kittens, as it doesn’t do us any good to keep taking those kittens from that mama if she doesn’t get spayed–she’ll just keep on reproducing), some come from homes where they no longer can be cared for due to finances, some families have health issues that prevent them from keeping their cats any longer. So many reasons why cats are unwanted and not enough homes.
Does your Rescue Center have any cat odor?
In one word–NO!! This Rescue Center is kept clean and litter boxes are scooped frequently. People can walk in here and NOT tell there are many dozens of cats here!
Why do we clean so much?
We like being clean! By cleaning, it also reduces the number of disease particles; reduces the dust, dander, and odors; presents a good image to the public; and protects the health of animals, volunteers, and the public.
Who is watching the kitties at night?
The webcammers and the chat Moderators! We do not “kittysit” over night, but Megan is only five minutes away should a moderator call and say there’s a need to check on a problem. If we have a cat that is sick, injured, etc., she will check on them during the night and if there are little kitties that need a nighttime feeding, they will be taken care of.
Where does your cat furniture and wheel come from?
We now have gotten away from carpeted furniture which is hard to clean. Some items are donated! The Cat-Go-Round Wheel came from catwheelcompany.com. Our cats absolutely love this wheel! Fun to watch and good exercise for the cats. The resin/vinyl cat towers are Kuranda beds, from kuranda.com We also have a couple pieces of Feline Snoozers that the cats love and are very easy to keep clean. Some of the items are made from creative people.
The cats are always going into the cabinets. Why?
As with the ways of cats, they like to explore! The towel cabinet is below the working countertop. It’s full of towels and the cats take full advantage of the softness. Many of them go inside to nap. The doors are such that they do not latch. The cats can always go in and out without the worry of being trapped. There is another cabinet located under the sink area. We’ve been asked if that’s dangerous for them. There is nothing stored in there that a cat can physically get into, as all lids are screwed tightly on all bottles. Sometimes we’ll open the door to the sink cabinet and find a cat sleeping on a towel in the corner. All is safe! If there’s a thunderstorm brewing, you’ll see Kiara go in the cabinets–that’s her safe area.
Why do you leave the lights on at night? Don’t the cats need darkness during the nighttime?
If we did not leave the set of lights on in the room where the cam is, the webcam viewers would not be able to see anything! The lights in the front office and the large area on the other side of the Rescue Center are turned off at night to keep these areas dark. Besides, cats are experts at sleeping, even with the lights on!
What is written on the white cabinet doors under the countertop?
The right two door state: “Tonio’s Den” (In memory of Tonio, an oldster) The cats know there are more towels in this cabinet for them to lay on.
What type of baby food meats do you use?
The two most common ones we receive are Beech Nut and Gerber. The flavors that we use are: beef, chicken, and turkey.
I have heard of a Feliz Medical Fund–what is that?
This fund was named in honor of one of Jacci Moss’ cats, Feliz, whose real name is Feliz Navidad Grace Rhoda Moss. Feliz Navidad because she arrived at Christmas time, Grace because by the grace of God she survived, Rhoda because she was frozen to a road. It was set up to provide for the medical needs of all the kitties at FFRC. Feliz was one of Jacci’s house cats and passed on May 13, 2013 as a result of her ordeal, but her memory will live on. She will not be forgotten.
How many litter boxes are at the Rescue Center?
It always depends on how many rooms we are currently using, but generally, we have 15 litter boxes. Keep in mind that the majority of these boxes are huge, and that we scoop approximately 7-8 times a day. In a normal house scenario, it is wise to have 1 litter box per cat, plus 1 additional box. The best thing to prevent a litter box problem is to have enough litter boxes and to keep them clean. Most of our litter boxes are large Rubbermaid totes. They work great as litter boxes.
I keep hearing about a cat with CH–what does that mean?
We actually have quite a few cats that have CH (cerebellar hypoplasia). This simply means a condition of a cat. CH is from a mama cat that probably had distemper while she was pregnant. This can cause the cerebellum to not develop fully. The cerebellum is the “balance system” for a cat. This disorder causes a cat to be off-balance. You may notice that these cats spread their legs and high step when they walk, which helps them to keep their balance better. Another characteristic of CH may be a “wobbly head.” There are various levels, it does not progress, and is not life threatening. Not all kittens born in the litter are affected. Some can walk fairly well, some may have only a head bobble, while some may flip flop to get to where he’s going. Our CH cats are Derecho, Walter, Jersey, Jackson, Alma, Spiker, Lucie, and Ramsay. You can read more about CH cats here.
