Borrego Animal Rescue

01/28/2025

Frankie went to his forever home yesterday. From San Diego to Denver. Thank you Southwest Airlines and their SWATT program that made this possible!

01/18/2025

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01/18/2025

01/18/2025

Feline Fact Friday courtesy of Stray Cat Project.
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What is a FERAL cat, and why should one be careful when using this word? 🤔

A feral cat is AN OUTDOOR CAT THAT HAS NOT BEEN SOCIALIZED WITH HUMANS; they have not had human interaction by being spoken to, played with, or held. These cats fear humans and prefer to live outdoors, away from people.

📢PLEASE NOTE: "feral" does NOT refer to any cat living outdoors. "Feral" refers to DISPOSITION only.

Feral cats typically live in colonies with other feral cats and are not suitable as indoor pets. They tend to be nocturnal, coming out overnight to avoid interacting with and being detected by humans. You will not be able to catch a feral cat without a trap; they will never allow you to get close. They will not make eye contact with you, will not meow, and will usually appear well-groomed and healthy. Feral cats want nothing to do with you!

There are varying degrees of "feral." A cat that has never had human interaction and refuses human interaction might be labeled "totally feral." Another cat that has had some interaction--perhaps with a feeder--and will allow a human to come close might be described as "semi-feral." Sometimes, semi-feral cats are taken into foster care for socialization. Success depends on the cat and the person doing the socializing. Socializing a semi-feral cat is a long-term proposition requiring tremendous patience.

👉Are all outdoor cats feral? NO.
👉Can the terms "stray" and "feral" be used interchangeably? NO.
👉Should we use the word "feral" for ANY cat that lives outdoors? NO!

BE CAREFUL of using the term "feral" when describing a cat, as the word has negative connotations. Describing a cat as feral could lead to its immediate demise. Feral cats should never be taken to a shelter; they will be immediately euthanized there as feral cats are considered unadoptable.

What can we do for feral cats? TNR them and let them be AND provide food and shelter to make their lives easier. 🐈💙

Original content provided by Stray Cat Project.

01/18/2025

📚 Our BACK TO BASICS SERIES: spay & neuter myths and misconceptions

🤔Myth: Female cats should have one litter before spaying.
👉Truth: There are no medical benefits to justify allowing a cat to have a litter before spaying. In fact, spaying eliminates the possibility of developing uterine or ovarian cancer and greatly reduces the chance of developing mammary cancer. Spaying also prevents pyometra!

🤔Neutering will make my cat feel like less of a male.
👉Cats don't have any concept of ego or sexual identity. He won't miss his ⚾⚾!

🤔Myth: Cats become less active and overweight due to spaying or neutering.
👉Truth: Cats become overweight when fed too much and not exercised properly.

🤔Myth: Behavior is adversely affected by sterilization.
👉Truth: The only changes in behavior after spaying or neutering are POSITIVE ones! Neutering will greatly diminish or eliminate aggression problems and undesirable behaviors fueled by reproductive hormones. Male cats will decrease or stop spraying and fight less, resulting in fewer bite and scratch wounds and lessening the spread of FIV and FeLV. They also tend to become calmer/friendlier and stay closer to home because they no longer wander in search of a mate.

🤔Myth: Spaying/neutering is painful to my cat.
👉Truth: Sterilization is performed under general anesthesia by a veterinarian. The minimal discomfort experienced by spayed or neutered cats can be lessened with pain medications and is well worth the endless suffering that is prevented by preventing unwanted litters.

🤔Myth: Everyone should be allowed to witness the miracle of birth.
👉Truth: Every litter of kittens contributes to the millions of unwanted cats that die yearly in our nation’s animal shelters or alone, outdoors. Don't enable overpopulation!

🤔Myth: Spaying/neutering is expensive.
👉Truth: Low-cost services are available in many areas. Look for clinics and SPCAs near you!

🤔Myth: Indoor pets don't need to be spayed/neutered.
👉Truth: ALL pets need to be spayed/neutered!

Original content provided by Stray Cat Project.

01/18/2025

📖Our BACK TO BASICS SERIES: the reality of Spay Abort

Spay abort—spaying a pregnant cat and therefore aborting her kittens —is standard practice in veterinary clinics that perform TNR surgeries. This is a sensitive and emotional topic that can be challenging for many to confront. However, many believe it is a key approach to addressing cat overpopulation, supporting the well-being of community cats, and lessening the burden on rescues and shelters by helping cats and kittens already in the system find homes.

During a spay abort, the veterinarian removes the cat’s uterus and ovaries under anesthesia. If the cat is pregnant, this ends the pregnancy, meaning the unborn kittens do not survive. Veterinarians do not consult with rescuers while the cat is on the operating table; it is understood and agreed at drop off that should the cat be pregnant, the pregnancy will be terminated and the kittens lost.

We recognize this is a difficult topic, and it’s natural to have questions or strong feelings. We invite open and respectful conversations in the comments to help foster understanding of these practices and their role in community cat care and population control.

01/18/2025

PSA: Please be kind to opossums. Many of them find a cozy place to combat the cold. So many we see are missing parts of tails, ears and toes due to previous frost bite-- and your garage or porch may be the only place they have. Opossums won’t hurt anything-- promise-- and shooing them out may be certain death due to lack of shelter. They are Northern America’s ONLY marsupial. And these precious souls eat fleas, and other pests.
Please. Be kind. Be the change you wish to see in the world.😽

01/18/2025

Some humans are so self-centered... 😿

01/18/2025

🌬️❄️ It's a good day to repeat this information. Discover how to rescue a hypothermic fur friend, so you're ready to be a lifesaver!

Many thanks to our friends at Stray Cat TNR for encapsulating all this information into an attractive graphic!



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01/18/2025

Please remember wild animals are having their homes destroyed as well,,, They are hungry and confused and are terrified of fires, ,I was in the hills all morning putting out food and water,, ,The winds have simply flattened all the vegetation. .When wild creatures wander onto your area please give them food and water and give them kindness and understanding.

01/18/2025

📚 Our BACK TO BASICS SERIES: spaying and neutering 🐾 What are the benefits?

The benefits of spaying (females) include:
✅ Population control! No more unwanted litters!
✅ No heat cycles; therefore, males will not be attracted.
✅ Reduction or elimination of mammary gland tumors, ovarian and uterine cancer, especially if done before the first heat cycle.
✅ Reduced incidence of pyometra.
✅ Better overall health for the cat whose body is no longer stressed and depleted by constant reproduction.

The benefits of neutering (males) include:
✅ Population control! No more unwanted litters!
✅ Reduction or elimination of spraying and marking.
✅ Elimination of hormone-fueled cat fights.
✅ Risk of testicular cancer is eliminated, and the incidence of prostate disease is decreased.
✅ Less desire to roam. Toms stay closer to home and tend to become calmer and friendlier.
✅ A reduction in the spread of FIV, a virus spread between cats by deep bites/puncture wounds received while fighting.
✅ Longer lifespan: outdoor intact male cats tend to get hurt or die while roaming in search of a female in heat. Neutering removes the urge to roam.

Sterilizing our community cats is beneficial to the community as well. Cats that are spayed/neutered during the TNR process are healthier animals and make better neighbors. Complaints of overpopulation, fighting, yowling, and marking will decrease, making the cats more welcome members of the community. Sterilization also saves taxpayer and animal welfare dollars as fewer animals will be captured, impounded, and eventually euthanized due to illness, injury, or lack of homes. Save a life! Spay or neuter all the cats -- your pet(s) and those outdoors.

Want to save 100 cats? Just spay one! We can save them all from a life of suffering. Please spay and neuter! 🐱💙

Original content provided by Stray Cat Project.
Accompanying graphic from an unknown source








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01/18/2025

📚 Our BACK TO BASICS SERIES: spaying and neutering

Let's continue our discussion on reproduction.....

SNiP Now shared this very informative post regarding female fertility and reproduction. They wrote:
"We have had a few calls from people worried their cats are in pain as they are exhibiting symptoms of yowling and other unusual behaviors (rubbing all over items). What these individuals are describing is their female cat having heat cycles which can occur in females as young as 4-months of age. Yowling, rubbing, raising the behind up in the air (lordosis reflex), spraying, the desire to go outside and find a mate...are all symptoms that can occur during a female cat's heat cycle. Sometimes females can appear more loving and other times females can have more aggressive tendencies during this cycle."

Remember that spaying a cat will eliminate these behaviors as well as help control the cat population. Please have your cat spayed by 4 months of age!

Content and graphic shared from SNiP Now .

01/18/2025

Let's focus on unfriendly cats who are not able to be handled. Where did all these cats come from to begin with? Most came from friendly pet cats who became lost or abandoned. If EVERYONE fixed cats and kittens before making them part of the family, this would certainly aid in the reduction of the feral cat population.

🐈 If your neighbor offers you a cat, get him/her fixed!
🐈 Even if you never plan on letting your cat go outdoors, get him/her fixed! Once a kitten reaches sexual maturity (typically starting at 6 months of age), you may not be able to physically keep them inside. Their hormones give them super powers and they become so fast you can't stop or catch them.
🐈 If you think your kitty isn’t old enough to be fixed, find out! (It is safe to spay/neuter at 2lbs/2 months)
🐈 If you don’t think you need to fix your kitty because it’s a male, you’re wrong. Get him neutered! One male can be responsible for 2,500 kittens every year. You may not see them, but your neighbors within a 5 mile radius will.
🐈 If you want your female cat to give birth just once so you can witness the miracle of birth, go to your local shelter and foster a pregnant cat and get your cat fixed!

01/18/2025

In case you need more proof to get your kitties fixed early…
Or in case you have someone telling you to wait until 6 months…
Just don’t.
👉🏼 Don’t risk contributing to the overpopulation crisis.
I guess no one told this little one it’s the middle of winter either.
DON’T WAIT‼️