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!

September's Cat of the Month: Pinky!

Say hello to Pinky, BCC's Cat of the Month for September!

When I wake up, you can rub my belly.

Have you ever known a cat who loves (let alone likes) belly rubs? If you've spent time around just about any feline, your answer is probably a resounding “no.” Well, 5 year-old Pinky is one big, beautiful exception to that rule. Other loves: laser chasing, cuddling, and just being with her favorite humans.

Pinky was left at BCC's front door early one morning with a note saying her people were moving. Hard to believe that someone would leave behind such a sweet kitty, but Pinky isn't the type to hold a grudge. This big girl is ready to open her heart to a new family -- one that can include kids, but not other cats. Just be prepared to play, play, play. . . this lady needs some exercise.

As Cat of the Month, Pinky has an adoption fee of only $35. So if you're ready to add an armful (OK, make that two arms full -- did we mention she's rather large?) of affection to your home and your life, come and pay Pinky a visit. She can't wait to meet you!

Hi!

Please don't forget to come and see me Saturdays between 11 and 3!

"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!

In the Spotlight. . .

Over the next week or so, we'll be publishing a series of posts starring some very special cats who have been with us for awhile, but have yet to find their forever homes. All of these ladies and gents are spayed/neutered, house trained, and up to date with routine shots. Could you be the right match for Suzy, Zipper, Sassy, LeeLee, Murphy, or Sluggy? Stay tuned to find out!

Today's featured kitty is. . .

Suzy!

Suzy is a sweet, shy two-year-old tortoiseshell shorthair who knows the value of a good blanket, both for cuddling and for hiding under. She may take refuge there when meeting a new person, but if you give her a chance (and by “a chance,” we mean a significant amount of one-on-one time at the shelter and then in your home), you'll discover a kitty who, while something of a loner, likes to play with lasers, feathers, and crinkly toys. Suzy is a candidate for placement in a low-key home (no kids, please) where she's the only cat or where she's joining another friendly cat. The most important thing for her is an owner who is gentle, soft-spoken, and patient enough to appreciate the baby steps forward that careful nurturing will bring.

Suzy may have some untapped potential for socialization or she may be as social now as she'll ever be. We can't be sure, but we do know that she needs a strong, established comfort zone in order to feel safe enough venture out of her shell. Suzy's FIV-positive status means that she needs to stay indoors. Although her immune system isn't as strong as that of a cat without FIV, she can and does safely co-exist with them. FIV is only transmitted among cats. It does not affect humans, and is only transmitted via deep bites or from mama cat to kitten (which is how Suzy got it). Learn more about FIV here .

Suzy has been waiting and hoping to experience the unconditional love and security of a true forever home, but first she has to make friends with plenty of potential candidates! Get acquainted with Suzy on Saturdays between 11:00 and 3:00.

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.

Feral Food Drive - Saturday, October 20th!

Please join us as we celebrate National Feral Cat Day with a Food & Sponsorship Drive!

Donations of unopened canned and dry cat food can be dropped off at BCC Feline Rescue & Adoption Center, located at 2037 Foxon Rd, North Branford from 11am-3pm or Walmart in Branford from 10am-4pm on Saturday, October 20, 2012.

Please ask about our Feral Sponsorships!

Adopt an Adult!

Check out our Adult Cat Adoption Event, running September 15th-29th!