As of Sept. 11, Operation Colony Cats has completed 2,000 feline spay and neuter surgeries in 2026.

Since Jan. 1, we have also completed 273 canine spay and neuter surgeries, transported 394 cats and kittens to Sweet Paws Rescue, transported 34 cats with the Oktibbeha County Humane Society and another 5 cats and kittens with the West Point Clay County Humane Society.

This week was a little slower than some of our recent weeks. We had fewer surgeries and fewer animals coming in, which was honestly a welcome break. Rescue has been especially busy this year, and everyone could use a little breathing room.

The past couple of weeks have also been hard. We have lost several cats, including one to heartworms, one to pneumonia and another to FIP. We have also lost cats to illnesses that came on unexpectedly.

One of those cats was Tweety.

Tweety came from a colony and needed extra time to become comfortable around people. Rachael pulled her from the shelter because she knew Tweety would have a difficult time there due to the socialization she needed. Jill fostered her and gave her the time and attention she needed to begin coming out of her shell.

Unfortunately, Tweety developed pneumonia, and we lost her last week. We are thankful to our friends at MSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine and the Oktibbeha County Humane Society for helping us care for her at the end of her life. We are also grateful to Jill for fostering her and giving her a chance.

Loss is part of rescue, but that does not make it any easier. We are fortunate that euthanasia because of space or common illness is not something we face often, but there are still animals we cannot save despite everyone’s best efforts.

At the same time, kitten season is still going.

In the South, it never really seems to end. We normally start seeing things slow down as the weather cools and the days get shorter, but we are not there yet. Another round of kittens is arriving, and foster homes are still badly needed.

If you have ever considered fostering for a rescue or shelter, this is a good time to reach out. Even taking one litter or one cat for a short period of time can help.

We are grateful to everyone who fosters, transports, traps, donates, volunteers or helps care for these animals.

Saving lives, one whisker at a time.