Founded in 1997, Adopt a River Cat (A.R.C.) is a no-kill organization based in the Fox Valley area that is dedicated to the spaying and neutering of stray cats and kittens. Many of these strays have been abandoned and mistreated for so long that they have become feral. In other words, they have adopted an extreme distrust or fear of humans, and as such cannot properly be rehabilitated as household pets. These homeless cats tend to form colonies, where they interbreed and soon a population explosion occurs. The traditional reaction, or solution, to this problem has been to trap and kill the cats, but as it is a very costly method, it is only done in spurts, and as such, barely makes a dent in the population while opening new opportunities for colony growth.

Over the last decade, A.R.C. has been committed to providing a humane alternative to this method, by placing adoptable cats and kittens into no-kill shelters, or by following the standards of Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR). This approach mandates that feral cats be trapped, sterilized, and returned to a managed colony where food, shelter and medical care is provided.

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With your generous support, Adopt a River Cat can continue to help save the lives of hundreds of stray cats in the Fox Valley area. In order to make a donation, please visit our Paypal account or our Amazon wish list by clicking on one of the links below.

A.R.C. is also willing to accept item donations in the form of food, humane traps, litter, bedding, and toys. In order to donate items, please contact Cathy Cavins.

Please note that A.R.C. is a 501(c) 3 organization, and as a result, all donations are tax deductible.

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Adopt a River Cat is looking for volunteers to fill the following positions:

Trappers

A volunteer trapper would be responsible for helping to set up humane traps near known colonies, and helping to monitor and maintain those traps.

Drivers

A volunteer driver would be responsible for transporting trapped cats and/or kittens to/from the colony sites, veterinary appointments, temporary foster homes, or possibly transporting adoptable cats and/or kittens to an acceptable shelter that can take them.

Temporary Foster Homes

A temporary foster home would provide shelter for cats and/or kittens who are recovering from veterinary procedures or until a shelter has room for an adoptable cat or kitten. In many cases, the temporary home for these cats can be located in a heated garage or other such shelter where the cat would be comfortably held.

If interested in volunteering, please contact Cathy Cavins.

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