One year ago, Buffalo Humane initiated its annual Cinco de Mayo Party & Adoption Event. Everyone had such a great time, and we were so successful in finding homes for our kitties, that we are doing it again! Adult, fully-vetted adult kitties can go home with just a $5 adoption fee. Some of our dogs will also on hand to meet, some with reduced adoption fees.

And, like last year, the Doghouse Willie BBQ Team will be serving up their delicious tacos as part of their taco bar:

• Smoked Carnitas Pulled Pork Tacos
• Vegan Black Bean Tacos
• Tomato-Cilantro Salsa with Chips
• Corn & Black Bean Salsa with Chips

Cinco de Mayo Party & Adoption Event
Saturday & Sunday, May 4-5, 11am-4pm
Buffalo Humane Education and Adoption Center
7007 Campbell Blvd
Pendleton, NY
   
Join us!

For cats, winter is anything BUT a time of hybernation. In fact, winter is mating season for free-roaming community cats. And as the weather begins to turn and we begin cleaning up from the winter, we may very well discover litters of kittens with no mother in sight!

Just because mama cat is nowhere to be seen doesn't mean she isn't around. She must go find food so she and her kittens can survive. And mama cat may also be moving her babies to a new, safer location. It is important that we not act too quickly to pick up baby kittens, but watch and wait to see if mama cat will return.

How long should we wait? Well, watch from a distance and see if mama returns within a few hours (2 or 3). If mama cat is moving kittens, observe and try to discover where she is taking them. Be careful, because mama cat may be protective over her kittens.

Sometimes, though, no mama cat will return. In that case, we have orphaned kittens. And these kittens need special help from us so they can survive. Gather them up, and make sure they are put in a safe, warm place. They will also need to be bottle-fed using KMR (Kitten Milk Replacement)with small bottles, available at local pet supply stores. Goat's milk can also be used until KMR can be obtained. They will need to be fed every 2-3 hours.

And young baby kittens can't eliminate on their own, so you will have to stimulate their anal and urinary areas so they can eliminate. This is a very important role that mama cat normally plays by licking and cleaning her babies.

In preparation of spring kitten season, Buffalo Humane is mobilizing foster homes for its Bottle Baby program. Bottle Baby fosters must be able to keep a kitten with them "round the clock" so they can be fed every few hours. This isn't normally a problem for many people, as employers are often happy to accommodate for a few minutes every few hours, during work breaks and over lunch. Our Bottle Baby fosters are provided with bottle-feeding kits, advice and direction, and other supplies they may need for the care of these orphaned kittens.

From Carol Tutzauer, President of Buffalo Humane:

Big year coming up for the animal welfare organization that I co-founded six years ago. Buffalo Humane is a No Kill animal rescue and advocacy organization that operates entirely on donations, adoption fees, and a completely volunteer workforce. Our efforts have hardly been limited to Buffalo. We have assisted in counties throughout our area. We also helped with Hurricane Katrina animals, some national cases of hoarding/neglect, and we have relationships with a few shelters outside our area who do great work but can use some help from us from time to time.

Not only have we grown tremendously, but we are increasingly becoming the voice for the No Kill revolution here in our region, and we are gaining recognition nationally for our efforts.

After starting as a 3-person group who just wanted to support people in our community who want to save homeless animals, we now find ourselves at the forefront of efforts to end the killing of companion animals in our local shelters. Niagara County SPCA has made that commitment, and we continue to work in support of their efforts. Other shelters remain on our radar.

In furtherance of our expansion and ongoing good work, Buffalo Humane is currently in the midst of a capital campaign to raise the money to purchase our building and make a few needed improvements ($250,000). Our campaign is called A Thousand Paws of Hope, and if we can get 1,000 people or groups to give/raise $1,000 each toward our capital effort, not only can we purchase our building, but we can start a high-volume, low-cost spay/neuter program as well. Exciting times, indeed!

Any donation is welcomed. Be sure to specify "Capital Campaign" or "Building Fund" with your contribution.