Whimsical Whiskers Rescue

12/22/2025

On the ninth day of Cat-Mas, TNVR gave to me …

🏘️ Nine neighbors learning!

Education spreads awareness and builds neighborhood support.

📚 Did you know? Educating family, friends, & neighbors about TNVR and responsible colony care helps protect cats and reduces conflicts in the community.

💌 Share: Educational materials, flyers, or workshops with your community.

How to TNVR from our website: https://www.friendsofferalfelines.org/what-is-tnvr

12/19/2025

We are so grateful, thank you Sips 🥹 If you’re in their area, please give them all of the business! 🤍

12/16/2025

From outdoors in freezing temps suffering from illness, to snuggly blankets and an abundance of food and supportive care.

Fingers crossed for these kids.

Scrooge (black boy)
Dasher (left blue)
Dancer (left tabby)
Comet (right tabby)
Prancer (right blue)

Lone teenage blue boy is Cupid 🤍

If you’d like to contribute to their medical care and other expenses (monetary donations are scarce during the holidays) we would greatly appreciate it. We were really not expecting 6 emergency medical intakes, but when you’re the only rescue managing the colony, you give it all you’ve got.

Donations: whimsicalwhiskersrescue.org

So many hands have been working on saving these guys, we have the best team. 🥹

12/15/2025

Hailey has successfully caught one and contained 2 more, the first being started on sick protocol.

Vaccines save lives.

The FVRCP is a core vaccine, and immunity is so important. This is why we emphasis the V in tnVr. Colony management should always include core vaccinations.

Hang in there, Prancer. Dasher and Dancer, we’re coming for you ☃️

12/15/2025

We need transport from Greenup IL to Assumption IL asap, anyone that can help? It’s for a little kitten that needs to make it to foster!

12/13/2025

We love our rescue team. Faythe is out trying to catch the sick colony babies for the second time today. We’ve had several others out there trying also, thank you ALL for trying to save them!

12/13/2025

Biscuit (formerly Opossum) is cozy in his warm home and wants to remind everyone to stay safe and warm this weekend!

As you can see, he got to keep his leg 🥹

12/09/2025

A Grinch update, and some unfortunate news. Our Katie went back to the colony this morning to search for more siblings. She found a dilute calico baby who was just barely alive. She snuggled her and rushed her to be triaged and start fading kitten protocol, but unfortunately, she was DOA. This sweet girl, who we’ve named Maxine, died in the loving arms of her rescuer. She has been sent off for cremation.

Other members of our feral colony team, Pat and Kristi, are currently out catching more of these sick babies. We need fosters. Please apply if you’re able! Fostering can take many, many months. We require little babies to be kenneled so they can be properly monitored. If you want to know more, please apply and add in the comments that you’d like to meet with Hailey & learn more. We want our fosters set up for success!

Sick babies stay with advanced medical fosters before moving onto other places.

Pictured is Grinch after his first bath 🤍

12/09/2025

This is so important. Boundaries are the MOST important in rescue. None of us would survive this work if we did not learn to create boundaries.

Can rescuers save animals without sacrificing themselves? I think about that sometimes.

Last year, I auctioned off some personal items that I loved (and needed) to pay for animal care. Someone said, "Well, when you run a rescue, sometimes you just have to go without. That is just how it is."

Weeks later, someone said, "When you become a rescuer, you need to learn to live in poverty. That is just how it is."

Another time, someone said, "If you cannot afford to care for the animals. Get a second job or third job. That is what I do."

Before the cat building existed, I made a hard boundary and said, "I do not want to have 30 cats in my actual home".... Another rescuer said, "We ALL sacrifice space in our homes. That is how it is."

I feel that it is important to remind others that, normalizing and encouraging rescuers to push their own boundaries is not OK. As a rescuer, you should not have to "go without" or "live in poverty" or work multiple jobs to care for society's unwanted animals (you are a VOLUNTEER). You must be your own advocate. Gently remind others, "No. That is not how it is." Just because they are choosing a difficult path, does not mean that that you must too.

And this goes for SO many jobs. Just because your coworker says it is normal to work unpaid weekends, that doesn't mean that you have to. Just because someone is working themselves to near-death and encourages you to do the same, it doesn't mean that you need to follow in their footsteps.

Kyle wanted me to add that there is a reason that su***de rates for rescuers are high. It is, largely, because so many rescuers ARE suffering. Society continues to encourage/normalize their suffering. Encouraging rescuers to work harder, take on more animals, work longer hours, fill every space in their home. To the point where those same rescuers experience mental health breaks. Or they burn out. Or they quit. Or they may even take their own lives.

If you see a rescuer struggling (and there sure are a lot of them these days), please do not say things like "That is just how it is" - Do not try to normalize it. Offer solutions. Help them create better boundaries. Have empathy. Find ways to be supportive 🙌❤️