Save the kittens

Fostering furry friends is nothing new for three area women who have a fantastic fondness of felines.

Now, Samantha Williams of Port Washington, Karen Weigle of the Town of Fredonia and Daly Thewis of Sheboygan have combined efforts to form a nonprofit organization in hopes of upscaling their effort to save feral kittens.

Purring Hearts Kitten Rescue Meliorism was formed several months ago. Its mission matches the definition of “meliorism”—the belief that the world can be made better by human effort

The organization houses orphan kittens from birth to 8 weeks old and feral mothers with kittens, as well as short-term family care adult cats whose families need a place for them for a little while.

Fostering the kittens allows for specialized care for a host of health issues. Immune systems are still being developed and they are susceptible to disease. About a third come in sick and half get sick, Williams said.

But the foster parents provide constant help.

“It’s round-the-clock care,” Thewis said, adding that sometimes feeding is every two to four hours.

The founders act as a supplement to humane societies.

“What I was discovering is they are  very good in handling quantity,” Williams said, adding the recent 70-plus cats removed from a Town of Grafton home as an example.

It’s the specialized care that is difficult when staff isn’t there 24/7.

“When something happens, we’re there immediately. These babies are in our home and there’s not tons of them and they’re getting personalized care,” Weigle said. “If someone is sick in the middle of the night, the foster stays up with them.”

Williams has a room filled with toys and blankets for kittens, usually housing four to 10. Last summer, she had 14 and went through one $30 case of wet food every two days.

“We pour our hearts and souls into every single kitten,” Williams said.

She fosters kittens, socializes them with her dog Oakley and cat Bellemy, then offers them for adoption or, if they’re still feral, returns them to where they were found after they are spayed or neutered and with shots.

Another room is for adult cats. Williams fosters for families who have to give up their beloved pets before getting them back due to several reasons, such as evictions or surgeries followed by stints at rehab centers.

“I just saw the need for more specialized care and the need for family preservation,” Williams said. “It’s tragic to see families come to the humane society and ask them to foster until they get home. They don’t.”

Each of the trio grew up with a love for animals.

Williams has been fostering for 25 years.

“When I was 19 I wanted a cat so bad, but I was very young and a struggling student,” she said.

The vet and food bills would have been too much. Then someone suggested fostering.

“I foster-failed my very first cat and adopted him,” she said with a laugh.

Williams, from Upstate New York, moved to Wisconsin a couple of decades ago as a single mother with 1-year-old twin boys.

She grew up with dogs. Her mother bred Brittany spaniels and Doberman pinschers.

She fostered dogs before taking a break when her boys were toddlers. They are grown and both have cats.

Williams’ compassion for animals carried over to humans. She was a social worker for years. Now retired, she has more time to devote to kittens and cats.

“Can you imagine having kittens around all the time? It’s wonderful therapy,” she said.

Weigle grew up in a 900-square-foot home. Both her parents worked and were the kind of people who helped neighbors in need without taking credit. Weigle remembers her mother going grocery shopping, dropping off the bags on the front porch, ringing the doorbell and running away.

Weigle went on to found Blue Sky School of Massage. Its administrative office was in her home, where she formed an organization that fostered more than 1,000 feral cats.

“I ended up keeping all of the rejects,” she said of the special needs cats. “They live very long lives, well into their teens and 20s, and get the health care they need.”

She still fosters kittens and expects to get a litter in the coming months. Her husband is a retired large animal veterinarian who still has his license.

Thewis has been fostering since 2018 and recently moved to Sheboygan from Ashland.

She saw a Facebook plea asking for help with 100 cats and kittens when she lived in Ashland and had an extra bedroom.

“It just hooked me with my very first litter,” she said.

Without foster care, “they would have no chance,” Williams said.

“I may be sad when they leave, but it’s even sadder to see a cat get euthanized.”

For Thewis, “I know that if I want more kittens I have to say goodbye. It is hard but you know they’re going to a loving home.”

The three founders found each other via the internet and decided to form a nonprofit organization. The organization has foster homes in Manitowoc, Waukesha and Sheboygan and is looking for others.

Two of its biggest supporters help find homes for kittens and provide supplies.

Amy Clark of Port Washington donated three incubators in honor of her beloved Petey, a kitten that had a fatal disease, but didn’t let it affect his personality.

“He was a very popular kitten. He was here for so long. People really bonded to him,” Williams said.

Clark heard about Williams’ efforts at work.“I came over and started playing with kittens, and I just really appreciated everything Sam was doing,” Clark said.    Cinde Loehrer of Cedarburg feeds, traps, neuters and returns kittens she finds near her rental place. The landlord supports her activity.

She has adopted kittens from Williams, including one with three legs, and has sent Williams kittens she has found. Two were seal point Siamese. Williams had interested adopters within 24 hours.

Purring Hearts operates solely on donations. Williams said the biggest need is milk replacement and wet food, and she is looking for foster homes.

She also allows people to come see kittens by appointment. Cats usually reproduce from spring through fall, so she expects kittens to arrive within a couple of months.

“They are so independent and they pick who and when they trust, what they want to do and where they want to be,” Williams said.

“There’s nothing more rewarding than having a cat accept you into their world.”