Friends of Felines

Mission

Friends of Felines KS (FOFKS), in the interest of feral and stray cats everywhere, will support cat caregivers, gain recognition of the beneficial role that caregivers perform, implement the TNR (trap, neuter and return) method of population control, and promote the adoption of long-term, caregiver-based solutions regarding feral and stray cats.

Specifically, our purpose and commitment are to:

1. Facilitate the work of caregivers in caring for feral and stray cats and controlling their population growth by trap, neuter and return

2. Provide a communication network and support resources for caregivers

3. Project a strong unifying voice for feral/stray cat caregivers and their colonies

4. Work with and educate property decision makers and governmental agencies in appropriate and humane solutions for feral and stray cats

Friends of Felines, KS was formed as a 501-c3 organization in 2005. There were limited places available that offered low cost spay/neuter back then. Every year since, we have been doing more and more surgeries. With the addition of the Kansas State University shelter medicine program and their mobile clinic in 2016 we increased the spay/neuter numbers by fifty percent. Since 2017 we have been doing over 1,000 a year. In 2019, we started leasing a building to hold the cats and allow the Kansas State University mobile clinic to pull right up to. The building has allowed us to continue trapping throughout the really cold and hot weather months. It’s also allowed us to keep an injured feral for a period of time as required to heal and send it back out. 

The TNR goal for 2020 was 1,200 cats. We were on fire at the start of the year. Then after March 15th, 2020, all spay/neuter services were shut down. The Kansas Humane Society (KHS) was not doing any surgeries and K-State was not traveling with the mobile clinic. We reached out to the clinic that takes care of our ferals with special issues that need more than just spay/neuter and asked about a reduced rate and being able to do multiple cats in one day. They did their best to make it work for us. Surgeries still cost more than what we were used to paying. Another clinic agreed to help out but their cost was even greater. COVID didn’t stop the applications for assistance from coming in. At one point in time, we had a six month back log of applications to get to. There’s room for comments on our applications and we started seeing the comments, “I lost my job,” “I’m currently not working,” “Funds are tight and I can’t afford to take my cat in.” We even had some that still had their job but by the time we were able to get to their application they had lost their job. FOF funded about forty percent of the spay/neuter costs in 2020 to help people get their colonies under control.

In the Fall of 2020, we gained the use of Dr. Jessica Braun out of Hays, Kansas. She also works at KHS during the week. Dr. Braun has helped us catch up on our applications, we are currently only 3 months behind. She still charges us a flat fee per cat that is under what KHS charges us.

Dr. Crauer with the Shelter Medicine program at K-State informed us that since FOF has spay/neuter services readily available now that they are turning their services to new places that do not have available spay/neuter services. I understand his reasoning, we just do not have any resources now for those caregivers that cannot pay. We are still helping them, but we’re not getting any payments in return. 

2020 also meant no usual fundraising events and people could not donate because they needed every dime they had. Between no fundraising events, losing K-State and the extra costs from 2020 our funds have taken a big hit. There is so much need for our services in the community, we hate to turn people away. 

After the May Wichita Animal Control Advisory Board meeting FOF has high hopes that there will be a TNR ordinance passed in Wichita to help push other caregivers to get their cats fixed. Should TNR finally get the approval of the City we want to be ready for the increase in spay/neuter applications. 

Thank you for your time,

Sincerely, Cheryl Taskinen, TNR Coordinator for Friends of Felines, KS