Old Wethersfield Stray & Kitten Rescue

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Old Wethersfield Stray & Kitten Rescue

“OW Kitten Rescue” was formed in 2021 out of the grassroots efforts of friends & neighbors concerned about the feral cat population in Old Wethersfield.

In 2022, we organized as a 501(c)3 non-profit serving the needs of Wethersfield & bordering towns. Old Wethersfield Stray & Kitten Rescue was formed out of the grassroots efforts of friends & neighbors who were concerned about the feral cat population in Old Wethersfield, CT. We began our rescue efforts during the summer of 2021, when we noticed several kittens playing in an elderly neighbor's back yard. As a result, we quickly recruited the efforts of family & friends and began the process of trapping 18 kittens along with neutering & releasing several female cats back to their original territories. These efforts were featured in an article by The Hartford Courant, "Old Wethersfield Community Comes Together To Rescue Stray Cats", published November 17th, 2021. Through this process, we were able to recruit several local residents who helped foster & socialize kittens while they waited to be adopted. We also secured the ongoing support from Double A Veterinary Hospital in Wethersfield, CT, where kittens receive initial wellness assessments and medical treatment for any illness common to feral kittens, as well as secured the ongoing support of Pieper Veterinary Hospital, Middletown, CT, who provide emergency vet care for feral/stray cats with serious injuries, Protectors of Animals, East Hartford, CT and Dakin Humane Society, Springfield, MA, who provide spay/neuter services for feral cats, who don't meet our adoption standards. With the proceeds of two successful Facebook fundraisers, we were able to raise enough money to cover most of the cat's daily care and medical expenses. As time went on, we soon realized that our efforts would need to continue and that ongoing management of the feral cat population in Wethersfield would need to be addressed, as our local resources were overwhelmed and underfunded. As word spread of our efforts, residents throughout Wethersfield began to reach out to us for support in managing other feral cat colonies in the town of Wethersfield... how could we say "no"! Armed with a list of local volunteers, a small stash of cat carriers and a few "Havahart Traps", we expanded our support to include the entire town of Wethersfield, CT and over the past two years, our team of volunteers has rescued over 500 kittens and TNR'd close to 100 feral cats! So, with your support, Old Wethersfield Stray & Kitten Rescue, now formally registered with the IRS as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, will be able to continue its work and assist local residents with the trapping and neutering of feral cats as well as helping to coordinate the care and adoption of feral kittens. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of these animals as well as help reduce the impact feral cat colonies have on our local wildlife. Melinda Robidoux
Old Wethersfield Stray & Kitten Rescue

11/05/2026

We’ve often said rescue is hard, but it’s also lonely especially when coordinating a trap, neuter return “TNR” for a colony of feral cats.

It’s truly the other side of rescue, the side most people don’t see or care about. It’s just the rescuer and in our case, our Street Team, who coordinate the trapping of feral cats with the respective property owner.

Some owners are engaged and take part in the monitoring & trapping of the cats while others are more “hands off”… leaving the task of setting & retrieving traps to our volunteers.

Many times our volunteers are asked to come early in the morning or just before dusk… setting personal & professional obligations to the side in order to support our mission.

All of them dedicated & caring individuals, who don’t seek out fame or glory for the work they do. They just do it because they know “TNR” matters and will ultimately reduce the number homeless cats in our community.

And then there’s the feral cat…

Frightened and confused. Not fully comprehending what’s happening. They just know they’re being taken away from the place they’ve know as home.

Then comes the “gray space”. The time between “being trapped” and “being released”. When we’re lucky, the “gray space” is just 1-3 days. Sometimes it’s much longer depending upon our access to low cost spay & neuter surgeries.

In the future we hope to close the gap between trapped and released to reduce the time our volunteers are caring for feral cats, opening up resources to care for other cats.

But for now, we begin to settle in for the winter and plot our strategy for next year. Will it include a new shelter? A place to help better manage “the gray” space?

That we certainly pray! 🙏

11/03/2026

With every litter of kittens that comes our way, there is a back story. Some filled with joy, while others filled with heartbreak.

The story of our “Southwell” Kittens isn’t an unusual one. A female cat gets pregnant and with the help of mother nature, delivers five beautiful kittens.

Thankfully, the “Southwell” kittens named after the street they lived on came into the world fairly easily, but something was amiss.

Four of the five kittens were thriving, while one female struggled to gain weight like her siblings.

Despite supplement feedings and heightened care, it became clear to us our little girl was suffering from “fading kitten syndrome”.

In these situations, we do our best to provide the kitten fluids, dexterous to raise blood sugar levels & nutritional support as well as warmth to keep her body temperature up. It’s never an easy task and one that requires emotional support from others who can help guide the caregiver through an emotionally challenging time.

Sadly, our sweet girl didn’t make it and passed away last night alongside her momma.

While we recognize not every kitten can be saved, we do our best to ensure end of life care is provided and each kitten knows it was loved… even for a short time.🤍

A tremendous “thank you” goes out to Alaysia for reaching out to us for support with her momma cat and for providing tender love & care to these precious souls.🤍✨

10/29/2026

It’s hard to believe we’re already saying, “goodbye” to our newest group of kittens… fondly named after the hit TV Show, “The Golden Girls”. 👩🏼‍🦳

This lovely litter of female kittens were recently surrendered to us as part of our newly launched “Kitten Surrender Program”, where we take in unwanted kittens from local pet owners, whose female cat has accidentally become pregnant.

Our hope is to reduce the number of abandoned kittens found within our community as well as provide pet owners a safe option for adopting out their female cats kittens. In exchange, we will spay their pet cat at our cost!

It’s a win/win from where we’re standing!🙌🏼

So let’s have a little fun, before we send these cuties off to their new families!

As we mentioned, each kitten is named after one of the “Golden Girls”… Rose, Sophia, Blanche and Dottie.

Can you guess which kitten their foster-mom Megan named Blanche? ☺️✨

10/28/2026

🐈‍⬛ In honor of National Black Cat Day, we’d like to introduce you to a very special girl — FLO! 🖤🐾

Her foster mom, Maggie is excited to show off this beautiful kitty who is patiently waiting for her forever home now that she’s been spayed.

At just 8 months old, Flo has already experienced motherhood, giving birth to 6 healthy kittens outdoors. Now that her mama duties are behind her, she’s finally getting to enjoy the comforts of a warm, safe home and a life where she can just be a kitty. 🖤

Flo is what we call a “spirit cat.” She’s independent, a little mysterious, and still learning that human touch and affection can be wonderful things. While she may not be your typical cuddly lap cat (at least not yet!!), she has her own special way of bringing joy to a home.

She loves curling up for cozy naps during the day and quietly wandering and exploring at night. She’s curious, observant, and happiest when she’s allowed to experience the world on her own terms.

✨ Flo’s ideal forever home would be one filled with patience, understanding, and unconditional love. She needs someone who will appreciate her for exactly who she is, give her the freedom to explore safely, and celebrate the little milestones as she slowly builds trust.

Not every cat shows love through cuddles and purrs. Sometimes, love is simply feeling safe enough to sleep peacefully in the same room as you. 🥹🖤

Flo deserves a forever home just as much as any other kitty, and we know her special person is out there!!

Please help us find this beautiful little house panther a loving home of her own! 🐈‍⬛🖤

If interested in adopting, please complete the adoption application found in the comments section below.

10/24/2026

Community is what pushes us forward and carries us through to this day. So when Jill Gilardi mentioned she and her partner Kirsten were hosting a Halloween Party and wanted to raise funds & awareness of our rescue during the event, we were honored!✨

Not only were they able to raise monies in support our rescue, their guests were encouraged to bring food donations for our kitties.🐈‍⬛

What a fun way to celebrate the Halloween season, while supporting a local non-profit rescue!🐾

A huge thanks goes out to Jill, Kirsten and all their fab friends for their tremendous generosity.💛✨

10/22/2026

When you’ve had a “week” of weeks… it’s time to share a few stories.😔

Bella came to us from Glastonbury ACO, as a found stray. Already in her third trimester, with limited options, we accepted the fact that she was well on her way to becoming a momma.

Being such a good girl, Bella settled in with foster-mom Julie, who had fostered several cats in the past, but was new to fostering a “queen”. Despite this, we knew Julie would do great job with the proper support from foster mentors, Jill & Lucinda who were experienced with “birthing”… But nature had other plans.

Shortly following intake, Bella began to “spot”, with no active signs of labor. So, under the advice of our veterinary provider, we anxiously waited to see if her labor would progress, but it didn’t until she passed a placenta without producing a kitten.

Julie knew something was wrong, despite Bella’s relaxed demeanor she sought advice from others and quickly brought Bella to an emergency vet closest to her home in West Hartford, who determined one of Bella’s kittens had perished in utero. BUT, there were three heartbeats detected via an ultrasound.

Recognizing the urgency of the situation the vet tried to induce labor in hopes of avoiding a costly emergency C-Section… but luck was not on our side.

Despite all efforts, the birthing process was stalled. To make matters worse, the vet informed us that they didn’t have a surgeon available to perform the C-Section and that we would need to transfer Bella to another provider!

Mentally exhausted & feeling defeated, the decision was made to bring Bella to Pieper Vet in Middletown, where we had an ongoing relationship and prayed a resource would be available to support Bella!

Dr. Hulse came to our rescue! Not only did she say, “yes” to performing the C-Section, she rearranged her schedule to accommodate our emergency needs! Within an hour, Bella was delivered to Pieper Vet, where Dr. Hulse performed the surgery, not only saving Bella’s life but the lives of all three unborn kittens!

With the emotional storm settled, we are now able to sit back and enjoy the fruits of our efforts and the skill and dedication of Dr. Hulse… we are truly grateful!🙏

10/21/2026

Another day… another rescue request. This sweet girl named “Arya” was rescued yesterday thanks to the kindness of Pamela, who noticed two tiny kittens along the road on her way to work.

Sadly, Arya’s sibling didn’t survive the relentless flow of traffic, but our little Arya did!

Just three weeks old and showing signs of an upper respiratory infection, this tender soul will be placed with our newest volunteer and “bottle baby” expert Dana, who will oversee Arya’s care and bottle feeding.

It’s a big ask, but tremendously rewarding to know you’ve helped save one of the most vulnerable animals in need. To think this sweet innocent creature was outside over the past three weeks struggling to survive amongst the chaos of the city.

For now, we give our thanks to Pamela for stopping to save an animal in need and to Dana for making personal sacrifices to care for such a fragile soul.

While we are blessed, we know there are many more cats and kittens outside who aren’t so fortunate. So, if you have the time and resources we’d like to encourage everyone to give of themselves for the sake of an animal in need. Whether you donate your time, talent or treasure it doesn’t matter. And if you don’t know where to begin, check with your local Animal Shelter and/or Rescue as they’ll all have suggestions and opportunities for you to help!

If interested in learning more about our rescue and related programs, please visit: OWKittenRescue.org.

Together, we can make a difference in the life of an animal in need.💛✨

10/14/2026

UPDATE: ADOPTED!😃
“Hodor”… for those of you who know the character from Game of Thrones, is an abandoned pet that found his way to the backyard of Arialda’s in Wethersfield.

Over the past few months, “Hodor” made it to Ari’s house on a regular basis to eat food she put out for him, and to nap on the soft cushions of her patio furniture.

With a sweet and gentle disposition, our male grey tabby made friends with another stray cat, Cali and was seen with her on several occasions walking through Ari’s backyard in search of food and shelter during summer storms.

Homeowner Ari, recognized his sweet nature and reached out to us for support and within a few short days, both Hodor and Cali were rescued. Now enjoying the comforts of his foster mom Kathy’s home, Hodor has a second chance at life… one filled with soft pillows to nap on and big windows to look out and watch the birds & squirrels scamper by from a dry & safe space.

We think our “big boy” is approx 2-3 years old and would do great on his own or with another cat (preferably a female) to match his gentle sweet nature. Hodor is scheduled to be vaccinated & neutered on 10/22 and will be available for adoption immediately following his surgery.

We’d like to thank Ari for caring for this sweet boy and his companion. Because of her kindness both cats have an opportunity to live their lives out as beloved pets vs. homeless cats.

Thank you Arialda!

With love from Hodor & Cali 🐾

10/12/2026

UPDATE: ADOPTED!
“Cali” came to us as a tagalong after a local woman named Ari reached out seeking help with the rescue of a large grey male cat, who had been napping on patio furniture.

While setting traps for the grey cat, “Cali” was also trapped.🪤

It would appear that the grey male had taken “Cali” under his wing and brought her to Ari’s house for food & shelter. Ari had seen the two of them together walking through her backyard in Wethersfield as well as sharing a bowl of food on her deck. Both friendly strays, we took them in and began the process of looking for their families. After checking for microchips, posting photos and information on local “lost pet” sites… there have been no responses.

Now fully vetted and spayed, we are positioned to promote “Cali” for adoption.

Tremendously sweet and a bit of a “chatter bug” Cali approximately 1 year old is the perfect mix of playful, sweet, and easygoing, making her a wonderful addition to any loving home.🏡

If interested in adopting Cali, please reach out to our adoption team (if you’re an approved applicant) or complete the adoption form found in the comments section below. 📝

10/10/2026

UPDATE: ALL ADOPTED!🐾
It’s Halloween time and we’ve got a sweet litter of eight week old kittens to celebrate the season! 👻

“Elvira”, “Spider” and “Dracula” were recently rescued in Newington thanks to the help of Weina & Zhongwei, who’ve been caring for them along with their & mom and reached out for support with their rescue.

Amazingly enough, these sweeties didn’t require trapping, they simply walked into a cat carrier tempted by tube treats!

Now fostered by Jill, this gang of “Halloween Monsters” will be seen by Pieper Vet next week and available for adoption shortly thereafter.

“Elvira” female tuxedo is the social bug, who enjoys playing with wand toys and getting pets while purring up a storm! “Dracula” male tuxedo & “Spider” black male are a little more reserved but nonetheless playful! The two brothers love their tube treats, laser pointers and cuddling together as well as seek each other out for comfort, so we’d love to see them either adopted together or to a home with a current cat, who can teach them to brave! 🐈‍⬛

If interested in adopting one or two, please contact our adoption team or complete the application form below in the comments section.🐾

Address

Wethersfield, CT

Website

http://owkittenrescue.org/, http://paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/4695128

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