Cacapon TNR

04/01/2025

In January when there was a fire where a colony of cats were living, Purrs shared our post and is currently working to help adopt out the tame survivors from that fire colony. Now a tragic fire has occurred at another WV location Aaron's Hope For Paws where 9 cats adopted from Purrs, 6 dogs and over 20 rescue cats perished. We encourage anyone who has the means to help in any way you can. Donation links and info are in the second photo of their post.

03/24/2025

UPDATE: We have reached the maximum number of requests for vouchers for free spay/neuter of outdoor cats! If you would still like help to alter your outdoor cats through our regular TNR program, please complete this questionnaire: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdmCd3tLS9rUlk5kHVMQkIVHhV_catk9MCQgN_32bi4_uMLuQ/viewform?usp=sharing.

FOR FOLKS WHO ONLY HAVE A FEW CATS, we keep a list of low-cost spay/neuter clinics in our area that you can take your cats to get altered. You can get them done much quicker than if we were to help you. Please message us here on Facebook, or send an email to [email protected] and we will be happy to send you the list.

ATTENTION HAMPSHIRE COUNTY AND MORGAN COUNTY RESIDENTS!!

Cacapon TNR has again received a grant through the Spay-Neuter Assistance Program of the WV Department of Agriculture to TNR outdoor cats. Augusta Animal Hospital is partnering with CTNR to provide these spay/neuter surgeries. Please be advised that this grant is less than what we received last year, so these funds will go quickly!

Here are the basic rules and guidelines of the program - PLEASE READ FULLY:
--This grant is NOT for indoor/owned pet cats. Cats must live outdoors at least part-time.
--Residents must be willing to transport their cat(s) to/from Augusta Animal Hospital on the day of surgery.
--AAH requires that cats be at least 3 months old to be spayed/neutered.
--All cats will receive an eartip.
--This grant only covers the spay/neuter, rabies vaccine, and eartip. However, Cacapon TNR will be paying for cats to also receive the FVRCP (distemper) vaccine, microchip, and a dose of flea/tick treatment. Any medical care or services beyond this will be the responsibility of the owner/caretaker.

If you are interested in getting vouchers to spay/neuter your outdoor cats through the WVSNP grant, please complete our agreement/questionnaire here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSexFf9dW4ChzZrwqiFJPHGC6pviY8yu3Q0qJqCAT9uwd4cPug/viewform?usp=sharing.

If you have MORE THAN 3 CATS that need spayed/neutered, please ALSO complete this agreement/questionnaire: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdmCd3tLS9rUlk5kHVMQkIVHhV_catk9MCQgN_32bi4_uMLuQ/viewform?usp=sharing.

We will respond in the order agreement/questionnaire responses are submitted. Please be patient as we sort through the requests.

03/17/2025

St. Gertrude of Nivelles (c. 626 – 659) was a noblewoman who lived in what is now Belgium. She founded a monastery and became its abbess. She is known as the patron saint of cats, travelers, gardeners, and those with mental illness. Her association with cats likely stems from her association with warding off mice and rats, as cats are known to catch and chase rodents. She was known for her hospitality to travelers and her kindness to the many cats and mice that lived at the monastery.

03/11/2025

CACAPON TNR is proud to announce that you can now donate to us through rounding up on Walmart’s SparkGood program!

Here is the link:

https://www.walmart.com/nonprofits/0e7936f3-dd4a-4e03-8309-bfd00b55f9fe/profile

If you use the Walmart App, click on “Account” in the bottom right and scroll down to choose “Giving & impact” then Search for “Cacapon TNR” in the search box, then you can turn on Round Up and/or “share name and email” if you choose, but it gives you the option to opt in or out at check out.
With Amazon removing their Smile program, this is an amazing opportunity to help CTNR raise funds by just rounding up your purchases to the nearest dollar. We have been super busy these past few weeks and look forward to posting some great updates and TNR stories very soon.
Love you all😻

02/09/2025

Update on January 19 clinic:

It has been a crazy few weeks for Cacapon TNR and we wanted to give you an update on the colony that experienced a fire and our Capon Bridge colony that accompanied them. The weather made it particularly difficult, and it was already the biggest TNR clinic to date, totaling 50 cats from both colonies. On a Friday and Saturday, we trapped at both the fire site and another colony in Capon Bridge.

Fire colony: We were able to trap all the remaining cats at the fire colony. Many suffered burns but made amazing recoveries. Medical holds from this colony included: Cinder, Phoenix, and Smokey, all who suffered greater burn injuries, but have recovered well! We are so happy to report that everyone has been Trapped and Neutered (or Spayed) and Phoenix & Smokey have been returned to their home. Cinder is scheduled to go to Give Purrs a Chance very soon. Another medical hold was Booker, who recovered well from his URI & loose stools. We are so pleased to report he was adopted last week, the very first day he went to Purrs. Sophie, a sweet black & white kitty from the fire colony, also went to the car cafe recently. Please check out Give Purrs A Chance’s page to see the wonderful work they do in our community😻

Capon Bridge colony: At the Capon Bridge colony, we trapped 16 cats that were taken to Metro Ferals on Jan 19th. There are still about 12 left to be trapped in this colony. Every cat had severe respiratory infections, which is what lead to two having nasal polyps removed (check out Daphne’s collage to see a photo of the polyps!) & one cat, Regina, needing her left eye enucleated. There will likely be at least a couple more cats with polyps before we are done. One cat from this colony, Maxwell, had fluid around his heart and in his abdomen. After he crossed the rainbow bridge, Metro Ferals extracted some of the fluid, and discovered it was actually pus. Maxwell is suffering no longer, and he was safe and comfortable in his final moments. RIP Maxwell 💛🌈. We hope to trap the remaining cats for our next clinic on Feb 16.
Update: Little Mary from the fire colony was adopted by one of the caregivers there that experienced the fire. This opened up a spot for a Capon Bridge cat we were holding, Daphne, to go to Give Purrs a Chance. We expect Daphne and Ginger both to get their combo tests and go to Purrs in just a couple days!

We want to thank the community for coming together to donate much needed supplies and food for the cats at the fire colony. Their heated houses and bowls were delivered and assembled, and we continue to deliver food as needed. We are working with Give Purrs A Chance in Berkeley Springs to find homes for the tame cats there, of which there are quite a few. It truly takes the whole community to even begin to address the suffering caused by uncontrolled breeding of outdoor cats and we are so grateful to our caretakers and volunteers who all work so hard towards the great goal of Trap Neuter Return and healthy, happy futures for all cats, everywhere. Please take some time to read and observe the progress of individual cats from the colonies, as well as a glimpse into the trapping, transporting, and documenting of cats.

01/15/2025

Just in case this information was missed in our earlier post, a GoFundMe was created for Elwood, William, and Mikey. They lost everything in the fire and need to rebuild. You have so generously donated to make sure their cats will be taken care of, and now the guys need help. Any little bit makes a huge difference!

We are processing the donations today and tomorrow (my driveway is blocked!!!) and will be setting up all the shelters and heated water bowls this weekend after trapping is done. We could not do this work without you all, and we are eternally grateful 🙏

Early Friday morning, January 10, a fire in Great Cacapon destroyed the… Sarah Harmison needs your support for Support Elwood, William, and Michael After Fire

01/14/2025

Fire Cats Update 1/13 10:25pm

We know everyone has been anxious for an update about the fire colony cats, and after what may have been the longest day in TNR history (for this volunteer, anyway) here is the update and some new photos:
Volunteers have been to the site every morning & evening since Friday trying to get a handle on the situation and trap any injured or sick kitties. We identified 4 that needed our immediate attention. Sunday we were able to trap 2 with burned fur, and a very thin tabby kitten with a severe upper respiratory infection and matted, excoriated backside due to diarrhea (probably from a parasite infection). Trapping those 3 was hard due to the amount of cats, but we were successful. All 3 are safe & warm with full bellies and have been started on antibiotics prescribed by Dr. Shaffer at Augusta Animal Hospital, who assessed them today.
The grey cat in the photo that looks to be the most severely affected by fire and smoke remained elusive, and when volunteers returned to the site this morning he was nowhere to be found. This evening we went back once again to try for him (and also delivered donated bags and cans of cat food to the residents.)
We’re so happy to report that tonight we were victorious! Grey kitty (who still needs a good name) is safe and setup in a kennel with a sherpa blanket and as much food as he will eat. Dr. Shaffer’s staff will continue to help us through this situation as long as necessary and we will continue to provide updates, but all 4 kitties are expected to make a complete recovery!
We want to thank you all, again, for coming together as a community of animal lovers for this colony that had already faced a number of challenges from abandonment to severe food insecurity, and now a fire and near total loss of shelter. Over the next few days we will continue to make deliveries to the colony and volunteers will work with the remaining residents to set up their heated houses, mats and water bowls.
Regarding the residents at the site of the fire:
We have been made aware of a GoFundMe created by a family member. We don’t know a lot about the residents but we do know they are animal lovers who shared everything they had with the cats and their pet dogs, and have struggled for a long time to keep up with their needs even as more showed up and breeding became uncontrollable. We were contacted about a large colony with as many as 100 cats, and have been working with them to coordinate Trap, Neuter, Return, which is still a “Go” and scheduled for this coming weekend. We hope this helps to alleviate further stress on the humans and animals at the colony, and are looking forward to the whole group regaining their health and happiness.
If you would like to donate to the GoFundMe set up for the people that lived in the home that burned down, here is the link:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-elwood-william-and-michael-after-fire?utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link&attribution_id=sl%3A2f09650a-7a7d-4056-8620-747db3d94420

01/11/2025

EMERGENCY HELP NEEDED:
Update 1/13 post can be found here-

https://www.facebook.com/share/1EbJHSJZ6a/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Update 1/12 11:30am

Cacapon TNR understands the residents are also in need of immediate resources. We were made aware that all humans and a dog that was inside made it out, but they lost everything. At present, CTNR does not have information regarding the needs of the family or if/how they are collecting donations. If we receive information regarding how donations can be sent to the family, we will share that here. I do believe they have been in contact with the Red Cross, and because this is such a chaotic situation for all involved, it may take some time for all the details to be worked out and come down the line. We are so grateful for the concern and support for the kitties.
We are doing everything we can to handle the feline side of this tragedy. Here is a list of resources that may be of assistance regarding the humans:

Starting Points
starting.points.org
(304) 258-5600

Good Will store
70 Morgan Square
Berkeley Springs
(304) 258-6685

Morgan Co Sheriff's Dept
(304) 258-1067

Update 1/12 10:20am
Regarding the injured cat in the photo- I took that photo Friday evening and immediately tried to contain him, when I went to place food near him he ran up the stairs and disappeared onto their deck, and the caretakers were there and immediately tried to get him as well but he ran into the woods. That evening our founder authorized us to take him to emergency vet as soon as we had him in custody and we have stayed in contact with the residents and volunteers have been out there multiple times. We have a drop trap set up in preparation for the weekend TNR clinic, so today we are going to try to use that to trap him. We are all very concerned about him and any other cats that show back up out of the woods with injuries and will post another update as soon as there is one. We thank you all for your support and concern for this colony that had already been struggling with little food and shelter and now one of their main shelters is totally gone.
We would like to keep the location of the colony private in consideration for the residents that still live there. This is an ongoing crisis and we are a very small TNR nonprofit with just a few volunteers so updates will be provided as possible. ~Susie W. , Cacapon TNR volunteer
_________________________
Something awful has happened at an active cat colony in Great Cacapon. They are scheduled for TNR on 1/19, Cacapon TNR is still going to do that. Volunteers had been taking cat food to the colony to help them survive last Monday’s winter storm. Yesterday we learned one of the homes feeding and housing this big colony burned to the ground. Some cats had been let inside out of the cold, and we don’t yet know how many ran from the chaos, or how many perished. They lost most of the cat food. CTNR volunteer Susie visited with more food from Loree’s house and saw a few cats with singed fur. At least one cat is in really bad shape and needs medical attention, and we are working right now with residents at the colony to contain him and get him to the emergency vet.
This colony needs the community’s help. They need food and safe shelter. If there are any rescues with open spaces/availability to take some of the tamer cats (most of them are VERY tame and accustomed to strangers) please DM us.
We have created an Amazon Wish List, and any $ amount donated on this post will go directly to the care of these cats that are facing devastating loss and trauma. Our mailing address is under the About section if you want to donate but don’t want to use Facebook (or see below 👇 for our physical address)
Anything anyone can do to help is so greatly appreciated. More updates will be provided when possible.

Here is the link to the Wish List- if anyone has issues with shipping the address to get it to volunteers who will get it to the colony is:

9 Trofton Hollow Court, Great Cacapon, WV 25422

https://a.co/0cQbvcB

Added 9:50pm EST:

We are feeling so grateful and humble to our community of supporters, our neighbors, friends, fellow rescuers and selfless volunteers, our caregivers we have helped get their cats TNR’d…
We seriously cannot thank you all enough for the outpouring of support, and we will be sure to continue to post updates and photos of how the food, supplies and donations provide lifesaving support to these babies who have had such rough lives as it is (as well as the small group of folks who have been trying their hardest to keep the cats alive and loved on and fed).
You are all truly the best, we are so proud to be part of such a wonderful community.

12/26/2024

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Cacapon TNR to all of our families and friends, caregivers, helpers, feeders, and amazing volunteers 🥰
Love to all of your fur babies both indoors and outdoors, tame, feral and everything in between.
Hug your loved ones tonight and remember that we are all in this together-one day at a time, working hard to make tomorrow easier for those we love AND those we have yet to meet.
💖🎄🐈🐱🐈‍⬛🎄💖

12/19/2024

It’s almost officially winter and we have already had some blustery freezing days. If you’re like us, you probably stress out worrying about all the animals outside that don’t have adequate shelter. Maybe you wonder how you can make one at home with low cost materials.
We want to remind everyone that though it might seem like old blankets and towels might seem like a good addition to a cat shelter for the winter, those things actually absorb moisture from the cats fur after he has been walking around in the elements and then those wet blankets can freeze solid, causing the cat to be even colder and the shelter is actually less warm than before. The best thing to use is STRAW, which repels moisture away and is cheaper than hay. Hay becomes a wet mess and is prone to mold-it’s best for feed. So remember: Hay for horses, STRAW FOR STRAYS.
Those plastic storage bins/totes can make great shelters. Use a hairdryer to soften the plastic before cutting the opening for the door. You can fill it with straw, and tape that reflective mylar (like they use in sun shades) to the sides. Styrofoam sheets can be great insulation as well (but probably best covered as cats like to scratch it apart). Some families enjoy a “cat shelter making day”! Also, please remember to keep fresh water available at all times. If electricity is available, there are warming water bowls you can buy online. If no electricity, styrofoam or straw can insulate the bowl-just google “How to insulate a water bowl”. There are lots of great ideas out there! What do you do to keep your outside kitties warm in the winter?

Alley Cat Allies has great instructions for cat houses.

https://www.alleycat.org/resources/how-to-build-an-outdoor-shelter/

Happy Winter Solstice! Love and warmth to you and all your fur babies for this coming winter!

12/11/2024

We had our first ever public fundraiser event on October 26th, and are so proud to report that it was a great success!

Cacapon TNR’s First Annual Spaghetti Dinner raised over $2,000; those funds will be put to immediate use improving the lives of outdoor community cats of Hampshire and Morgan Counties through Trap-Neuter-Return.

We want to express our sincere thanks to everyone who contributed to the success of our event. Thank you to the American Legion Post 137 in Capon Bridge for allowing us the perfect space. Major thanks to our amazing Sponsors who helped in a variety of ways including selling our tickets, donations of everything from cash to supplies and even their skills, and announcing our event to the public.

Biggest thanks to everyone who donated items to our Silent Auction, making it a grand success with nearly as many items as guests!

Finally, we want to thank everyone who volunteered their precious time & effort to make this event a success. Stephanie Banik, our Fundraising Volunteer, was at the helm of organizing this event from its conception nearly a year ago. Stephanie is the only reason CTNR was able to hold our first spaghetti dinner, and we are just so grateful for her incredible efforts and dedication to our mission of TNR! Huge thanks to Brenda, Jim, Jo, Julie, Leslie, Loree, Lydia, Michael, Stacey & Susie for working so hard to make our spaghetti dinner a success!

12/03/2024

Giving Tuesday: Support Your Local TNR Efforts! 🌟 This Giving Tuesday, consider making a difference in the lives of community cats by donating to Cacapon TNR. 🐾🌈 Join us in making a meaningful impact: Together, we can create positive change for our community and its beloved cats. 🐱💕

11/29/2024

We are so thankful for all of you! Thank you to our Board Members & Volunteers: Brenda, Hannah, Janice, Karen, Leslie, Loree, Shari, Stacey, Stephanie & Susie.
Thank you to our caregivers and feeders-without you, the cats we TNR wouldn’t continue to thrive and enjoy a healthy future.
Thank you to our supporters, donors and friends! This kind of work can be stressful and challenging, but your generosity reminds us to keep striving every day to make our world a better place for all. 🙏🐈❤️🐈‍⬛🙏
THANK YOU! Happy Thanksgiving!

11/05/2024

We had our largest clinic to date yesterday, when we took 35 cats to be spayed & neutered. We’ve already broken 2023’s record for surgeries done and it’s just now November! This has been an inspiring effort by Cacapon TNR volunteers and caregivers; we couldn’t have done it without you-our community of supporters, dedicated feeders, compassionate donors and animal lovers!

An increase in TNR’d kitties means an increase in additional treatments. Many of the cats trapped this weekend were battling severe Upper Respiratory Infections requiring antibiotics, like Macy and Clyde who came to us from a large, older colony in Slanesville.
We have a number of kitties with painful mouths who will finally feel better and eat without agony once they’ve had their dental procedures, which will happen over the next few days. This includes Abby & Eden who came from the same colony as Macy and Clyde, and the lovable Orange Chicken from Capon Bridge. Orange Chicken had quite a few wounds and cauliflowered ears due to torturous ear mites and infections. Bringing an end to their suffering and allowing them the quality of life they deserve - this is why we put our time and efforts into TNR.

Which brings us to young Tanner and Duke, both from Slanesville. Tanner is a sweet orange tabby whose eyes never recovered from the intense respiratory infection he suffered from as a kitten and we are so happy to report he received his enucleation yesterday. Duke is a gentle all black boy whose left eye was so badly ulcerated we were surprised it hadn’t yet ruptured, likely also from a nasty URI. Duke was in such obvious distress and pain that he received his enucleation while he was under anesthesia for neutering. In addition to having his eye removed, Duke also had many painful teeth and is scheduled for a dental procedure. Both cats can look forward to a long happy life, finally knowing what it feels like to be a cat that’s not in constant pain.

As most of you know, spay and neuter appointments alone can be quite expensive, and CTNR ensures the cats all get needed vaccinations, microchips and that beautiful ear tip😻. So many extra cats and extra treatments/procedures mean we find ourselves in need of your help.

We broke a few records for our November 3rd clinic. With 5 cats needing dental surgeries (that are now averaging over $400 each), that means we are spending over $2000 just on the dentals! Please consider a donation of any amount and help us continue this vital and necessary work of TNR. We want to make certain we can continue to help the vulnerable population of cats just like Duke, Abby and Orange Chicken to live their best healthiest lives🙏🐈🐱🐈‍⬛🙏
(Watch our slideshow from early Sunday morning when we loaded Loree’s van with all 35 cats. We had more cats than traps on hand, so a pair of sisters went in a carrier and we borrowed traps from Metro Ferals for their spays. Check it out, we’re pretty proud of it 😹)

11/01/2024

There are SO many benefits of getting male cats neutered-it reduces the risk of spraying/marking, it reduces the potency of the smell of their urine, they have less desire to roam which means they’ll have less instances of injury from fights, animal attacks or being hit by a car, they’re healthier and live longer with a reduced risk of many diseases (and eliminates testicular cancer) and finally-it greatly helps reduce suffering and euthanasia rates caused by the overpopulation of cats. For the love of all cats, get the males neutered this November at Augusta Animal Hospital’s No Nut November
💞🐈💞

NO NUT NOVEMBER
We will not be doing them on Monday November 4th

Starts November 1st - November 27th
You must bring them at 8:00 AM Mon-Fri
No food after midnight
MALE CATS ONLY!
Fee due at drop off
60.00 Neuter
10.00 Rabies

10/24/2024

Our fundraising dinner is just TWO DAYS away!!! If you haven't gotten your tickets yet, now is the time! We hope to see all of you there 😻

In-Person Ticket Sales:
Roy's (Berkeley Springs)
FNB Bank (Romney)
Bank of Romney (Capon Bridge)

Online:
https://www.zeffy.com/ticketing/f253a49d-2a51-4aaa-96d4-d00abee7745e

EDITED TO ADD: Zeffy, the platform we are using to sell online tickets, does not charge non-profits transaction or service fees. But they do ask purchasers to contribute a small percentage to cover their costs. The default is set to 17%, but you can choose any amount to give Zeffy.

10/18/2024

Are any of our supporters dog lovers? If so, we need your help! One of our dedicated caretakers, “LB”, reached out in a panic last night as one of her beloved dogs, Chiquita, became really sick. She suspected pyometra, a painful uterine infection that turns deadly if left untreated. Like so many folks right now, LB is struggling in many ways and did not have the money or transportation to get Chiquita emergency care. Although we aren’t an emergency care organization, and our mission is to reduce the cat overpopulation crisis, we felt confident that with the help of our supporters, we could help Chiquita live. LB has done so much to care for the cats in her trailer park, always alerting us when a neighbor leaves behind an unaltered cat, and making sure they have enough to eat. We’ve been working with LB for 2 years and she ensures the cats roaming the park are not left to reproduce. These cats aren’t her responsibility, but she cares so deeply for them, and we need more people like LB.

With the help of our amazing volunteers, Chiquita made it to Augusta Animal Hospital today and had an emergency spay. It eliminated the pyometra and saved her life. Unfortunately, it depleted much of the funds we had earmarked to spay/neuter 25 cats this Sunday. If you can, please help us replenish the nearly $700 it cost for this emergency surgery. Without all of you, we can’t keep helping the cats (and dog!) of Morgan and Hampshire Counties.

P.S. Chiquita‘s story highlights the incredible importance of spay and neuter. Had she been spayed when she was a young dog, she would not have faced this painful emergency. Any cat or dog left intact faces dangerous infections and cancers of their reproductive organs. There are so many good reasons to spay/neuter, and this is just one of them. If you have pets that need to be spayed or neutered, please contact us and we will provide a list of low-cost spay/neuter clinics!