No More Homeless Babies -- Spay and Neuter Emergency!

Money is tight at the moment, and BCC's FRAC needs contributions toward neutering our current crop of kittens! There are only 25, and donations of even $5 would be enormously helpful and appreciated. Please visit our page at YouCaring.com to donate, and thanks!

Animal Awareness Day Pet Party This Sunday!!

Calling all pets and their people:

Come on down and join BCC, Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter, and fellow animal appreciators this Sunday, October 5, at Branford Green for our annual Animal Awareness Pet Party!

Support shelter and rescue animals, meet our volunteers learn about animal-oriented organizations and businesses in your area -- all while enjoying great music and refreshments from local vendors!

All proceeds benefit Branford Compassion Club and the Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter.

See you there!

Last Day: Macy's Shop for A Cause!

Today is the last day to get tickets and raise money and awareness for BCC . . . while saving a bit of money on great shopping at Macy's!

Shop for a Cause at Macy's and Support BCC!


Come on down to BCC's Feline Rescue and Adoption Center THIS AFTERNOON until 2:30, and
TONIGHT between 5:30 and 8:30 to buy your tickets, support BCC, and save!

Gracie: June's Cat of the Month!

There are still two more weekends left for you to visit BCC's Feline Rescue and Adoption Center and meet Gracie, our Cat of the Month for June! Learn more about her below, and don't forget that for the rest of the month, her adoption fee is only $35!

Ice Cream for a Good Cause!

Okay, so it's pretty hard to find anyone who requires a compelling reason to eat amazing Ben & Jerry's ice cream on a balmy June evening. But in case you do, we'd just like you to know that the proceeds from the ice cream you purchase tomorrow (Monday, June 9th) evening between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. will pay for dental work for our BCC FRAC kitties!

Meet Sweet Pea, Cat of the Month for May!

It's not to late to meet our May Cat of the Month, Sweet Pea!!

She'll be taking visitors and making friends every Saturday this month, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. She'd love to see you!

Earth Day Adopt-a-thon!

Welcome Spring -- and maybe a new friend or two -- this Saturday with BCC's Earth Day Adopt-a-thon! Come on down to FRAC, partake of refreshments, and enjoy meeting our kitties. All adoptees are spayed/neutered, vaccinated for rabies, distemper tested, dewormed, and flea treated. Gift pack with each adoption. See you there!

Lisa Lanno, Pet Psychic!

This Friday, 3/28, join BCC and Lisa Lanno for an inspirational evening of psychic connection . . .

March Cat of the Month: Gunner!

Ring in St. Patrick's Day with a new friend who's WAY cuter than a leprechaun (sorry, leprechauns)!

Gunner will be cat of the month for two more weeks. That's two weeks left to adopt him with a reduced fee. He's a sweetie who could really use a little TLC in the right forever home. Check him out -- maybe he'll be your lucky charm!

Connex (and You) Can Help Cats in Need!

The jar by the door; the junk drawer; your coat pocket; between the sofa cushions -- they're all places coins like to hide. When it's time to exchange your surplus coins, BCC hopes you'll do it at Connex's Guilford Branch. . .

Murphy

Today, we'd like to focus some attention on a full-grown guy who's been with us for awhile, and is hoping to find his forever home ASAP!

Murphy

Murphy is a very regal and distinguished gentleman with dramatic gold and black stripes and white markings. He's strikingly handsome, but aloof with people he doesn't know well. Such an independent character doesn't give his heart away to just anyone; once he gets to know you, however, he'll play, permit an ear rub (loves that!), and come when you call his name. Murphy isn't comfortable with being picked up, but petting from members of his inner circle is just fine, as well as a game chasing laser lights or anything with feathers or string. Murphy also loves simply lying in a sunny window and watching the world go by. After a vigorous play session, he'll find a secret place for a cozy nap. 

A family with kids isn't for Murphy, but in his foster home, he learned to get along with other cats, and even dogs. Someone who recognizes a diamond in the rough and has the patience to help it shine would be a great match for Murphy, but it's also important to realize that he may be as close to a “finished product” as he's going to get. 

The ideal human for Murphy would be one who enjoys witnessing a cat just being a cat -- playing, purring, chilling -- but isn't looking for an extreme cuddler. If the idea of sharing your home with a gorgeous guy who'll give you your space, yet still let you know he's there sounds about right, come on in and meet Murphy!

February's Cat of the Month: Sassy!

Let's show show Sassy some Valentine's love this month by finding her a forever home!!

Carols and Cats. . .Tonight!

Come to the United Methodist Church TONIGHT and get your yule on for a good cause: Join BCC for Carols and Cats!

. . . and don't forget that BCC is commemorating World AIDS Day all December long by waiving adoption fees on all of our FIV-positive kitties. Learn more about FIV and our cats at our website. Hope to see you tonight at Carols and Cats!

Fill the Forester for Ferals this Saturday!

Come on over and help us Fill the Forester for Ferals at Premier Subaru this Saturday, December, 7! The Greater New Haven Cat Project and BCC are partnering for this ASPCA-sponsored event, which aims to raise food and funds for feral cats in our area, as well as draw local and statewide attention to the plight of homeless cats. Learn more about GNHCP and BCC's feral cat support programs and meet Donna Velardi, Certified Animal Massage Therapist and Animal Communicator, who will be giving 5-minute readings during the event. With your help and support, it will be a great day for cats in need!

Tips for a Purrfect Thanksgiving

Alice says "Happy Thanksgiving!"

With just a couple of weeks until Thanksgiving, we've been thinking about the many things for which we're grateful. On behalf of all of BCC's cats -- from our feral colonies to our foster kitties to the residents at our Feline Rescue and Adoption Center -- we'd like to thank friends old and new for donations of time, money, publicity, supplies, and all manner of other support. As for the wonderful people who've made room in their lives for one or more of our shelter cats, we'd bet they're expressing their gratitude every day!

As you get ready to share the day with friends and family, here are 5 tips to make Thanksgiving (or any holiday) equally wonderful for your cat.

1. Be mindful of where cats go once company arrives. Some would rather retreat than meet guests, while others might look for any opportunity to slip outside as guests come in. Make sure that indoor cats are in a safe spot during the festivities. If you have a cat who really hates company, set up a “safe room” where she can chill out (be sure to provide food, water, and litter).
   
   
2. Cats plus candles can spell disaster, so if you have a curious feline around the house, you may have more to worry about than simply keeping Kitty out of the entrees. Consider replacing your tabletop candles with LED candles for danger-free ambiance.
   
   
3. Did you know that onions are highly toxic to cats? For this reason, onion-laced gravies and side dishes should not be part of your furry friend's Thanksgiving meal. That doesn't mean he can't enjoy a bit of turkey -- just make sure it's plain. Sneak him a few cooked, chopped giblets, and he'll be in heaven!
   
   
4. Serve your cat before you serve your guests. This way, she can enjoy her meal in peace and have a post-turkey snooze while the "official" dinner is being served.
   
   
5. Give Kitty some quality time before and during the festivities. 15 minutes of playing and petting an hour or so before the guests arrive will be therapeutic for both of you. If he's in a safe room or not hiding under the bed, give him a little attention later on, too. Of course, you'll probably collapse together after everyone's gone, but those little extra visits beforehand will remind your pet that you're thankful for him, too!
   
   
   Stay tuned for updates on BCC's upcoming events as well as profiles of our Featured Cats :)
   
   

Coffee and . . . Cats!

Here we are, halfway through October and thoroughly enjoying the bright days and crisp nights that make autumn in Connecticut so spectacular. And speaking of the wonders of fall, what's better on those cool, star-filled evenings than a delicious cup of coffee from a master roaster? Several cups -- plus homemade treats to go with them! Add to the mix the shared wisdom of an animal massage therapist and communicator and the fact that the proceeds from this amazing event go to cat rescue, and you'll feel great about attending. . .

Get your tickets now, before they sell out!

Sister Act!

Once in a while, we encounter two cats who, while they might fare perfectly well in separate situations, really do seem happiest together. Athena and Esme are a perfect example of this, which is why we would love for them to go to the same forever home!

These beautiful sisters are about a year old. Athena is more white than black, while Esme is more black than white. You can certainly see a family resemblance, but their personalities are quite different. Esme is the outgoing one, while Athena is quite shy. They're both crazy about laser lights and other toys (if you're carrying one of their favorites, you won't get away without a vigorous play session), and they both love treats. The only thing they love more than treats is each other's company. They'll groom, play, and just chill out with one another; it's wonderful to watch even the simplest interactions between such a sweet and companionable pair.

Esme is fine with being picked up, while Athena isn't just yet. Esme is definitely more touchy-feely than her sibling; we don't know why that is, but they do seem to complement each other perfectly. . . maybe we should have called them Yin and Yang. :)

Athena and Esme are ready to settle into a loving home together. Helping them do just that will be one of the many rewards of sharing your life with this lovely duo. Please pay the girls a visit any Saturday between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., and find out if they might be the right match for you!

Adopt-a-thon 2013 Is Coming!

Only two more weeks until the kickoff of BCC's Back-to-School Adopt-a-thon! On Saturday, September 21, we'll open our doors from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., during which time we hope to match up many of our more than 80 resident cats and kittens with forever homes.

Adopt-a-thon is a fantastic opportunity to:

• Say hello to our dedicated volunteers and learn more about what we do
• Meet, pet, and play with our kitties
• Find out how you can help BCC reach out to cats in need
• Enter to win a backpack full of school supplies
• Adopt the perfect cat -- or cats -- for you!

This is our first adoption marathon ever, but we hope to make it so successful that it becomes an annual event. That means more visitors, more fun, and, of course, more adoptions than on any typical day at BBC. To that end, BCC's usual $95 per cat adoption fee will be reduced to just $50 per cat during Adopt-a-thon, and if you adopt one kitten, you'll get another kitten free!

If you're ready to welcome the love of a cat or kitten into your life, come on in to BCC's Feline Rescue and Adoption Center (2037 Foxon Rd., North Branford, CT) on September 21. Get a jump on the adoption process by downloading our form, and don't hesitate to call us at 203-483-MEOW with any questions you may have.

Hope to see you there!

"Fall" into Volunteering!

Wake us up when the new volunteers get here!

How was your summer? We hope it was great! Here at BCC, the dog days brought plenty of cats and kittens in need of loving homes. The season also meant greater availability from our volunteers, which gave us solid proof that more hours open to the public equal more adoptions.

As you may already know, our regular “open-to-the-public” hours are Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Well, for three weeks over the summer -- thanks to a few of our wonderful volunteers -- we were able to open Wednesday evenings and Sunday afternoons as well. This meant that the cats were available to be petted, played with, and generally befriended by prospective adopters, many of whom ended up providing a cat (or cats) with forever homes. As a matter of fact, during BCC's extra summer hours, the adoption rate increased by approximately 6 cats per week -- that's 18 more adoptions than during a typical week of Saturday-only hours! Unadopted cats also benefit, since meeting and playing with new people makes them better candidates next time around.

While autumn brings with it holidays and busier schedules, it also heralds an opportunity for change and growth. Would you be willing to devote a bit of your spare time to help cats in need? Our goal is to be able to open to the public for at least one additional day or evening per week, but we'll need additional team members to do it! Volunteers pitch in with tasks including facility cleanup, feeding and health maintenance, paperwork, and socialization (in the form of playing, petting and anything else the kitties need to become more adoptable). There's something for any compassionate adult who has a little time to commit and a lot of love to give.

Ready to learn more about how you can make a difference? Just drop by Branford Compassion Club (2030 Foxon Rd., North Branford) any Saturday between 11 and 3 to meet our cats and volunteers. You'll get a sense of what we do, how we do it, and whether it's something you'd like to do, too. Visit our Facebook page anytime to download an application and check out the latest photos of our gorgeous cats and kittens.

We hope to see you soon!

Bingomania! to Benefit BCC

Presented by the Connecticut Gay Men's Chorus

Saturday, October 20th
The Annex Club, 554 Woodward Ave., New Haven

Admission: $20

Doors open at 6:00pm
Games begin at 7:00pm

The Connecticut Gay Men’s Chorus hosts a monthly Bingomania! at the Annex Club at 554 Woodward Avenue in New Haven, just off I-95. We hope you will join us for a hilariously unique evening of entertainment where you’ll play Bingo for cash prizes as hostess Joan Crawford entertains you with silly contests, fun giveaways and of course, the naughtiest jokes ever told!

Each month has a different theme and many come in costume to try and win our costume contest. No costumes are necessary— just come and enjoy the creativity of others! Your $20 admission includes all of your game cards for the twelve regular games of Bingo. Each regular game has a cash prize of $100 and the final regular game of the night has a cash prize of $200! We also offer three optional Special Games. You can play a Special Game for just $1 per sheet and each Special Game pays a 50/50 cash prize up to $400! You have the chance to win up to $2,500 in Bingo cash prizes each month at Bingomania!

BCC will be there collecting donations for cat food and supplies.

Please see the CGMC website for more details.