At TinyKittens, our purpose is to change global perceptions about feral cats. We want to show that every life has value, and we often prove that by taking on the really hard cases that wouldn't be given a chance anywhere else. We are driven to fulfill our purpose by developing new programs with an impact that radiates far beyond our daily rescue activitiesEducate Globally: We believe that in order to address cat overpopulation more effectively, we need to change global perceptions about feral and community cats. We are doing that by taking on the really tough cases, and telling their stories on social media and on our livestream. This creates emotional connections between everyday people and feral cats, which generates an increase in compassion and empathy. Creating these connections is absolutely essential if we want to end cat overpopulation. Greater compassion brings more volunteers, donors, adopters, advocates and resources to humane Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) and rescue programs, which are perpetually struggling to keep up. Our cats' videos have been viewed millions of times, and almost 100,000,000 minutes of our livestreams are viewed each month.Fostering Pregnant Feral Cats: As part of our Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) efforts, we have encountered many heavily pregnant feral cats. Traditionally, there are three options for pregnant ferals:Spay them and abort the babiesWait to trap until babies are born and weaned, then try to trap mom + babiesTrap while pregnant and foster until babies can be weaned and socializedConventional TNR wisdom has long held that in order to allocate very limited resources most effectively, we must come to terms with spaying pregnant females and write off any kittens. We want to see if there is a way to make fostering a more viable alternative. There is no information available on how to go about fostering a pregnant feral cat, and those who have tried have had low to moderate success rates because of the very significant risks. We are documenting our experiences and case studies as we go, and have been 100% successful so far.Caring for Sick, Injured and Terminally Ill Feral Cats: We are always looking for ways to care more compassionately for the cats we bring in, particularly our feral cats. When we first started working with ferals, everything we read led us to believe it was not possible to give meds, change bandages, or handle an injured feral outside of the TNR process where cats are sedated and kept in traps.If a feral cat is injured and requires care and a recovery period, the accepted course of action is to euthanize. This is done because we as animal rescuers have a moral obligation to prevent suffering, and if we released the cat without proper follow-up care it would be likely to suffer. In this scenario, euthanasia is indeed the kindest option for the cat.When we got our first call about a feral cat with crushed and infected paws, we knew if we could help her recover she would be able to lead a perfectly normal, happy life. We knew we had to try.So far, every injured feral we've brought in has been treated successfully, and either returned or adopted! We've been able to administer pain meds, check incisions, change bandages, remove sutures, evaluate their individual purrsonalities, and make confident decisions about who will be happiest being returned to their friends and family at the feral colony and who wants to trade their feral life for life as someone's pampered companion-for-life.Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR): We regularly participate in Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) efforts, including managing several feral cat colonies. We provide daily feeding and medical care for the cats, and are spaying and neutering as fast as we can. TinyKittens in the Classroom: Led by Lynda Tyler, an amazing teacher at Holly Elementary in Delta BC (and one of our awesome volunteer board members), we are working on a TinyKittens curriculum that will use our livestream of rescue cats and kittens to teach kids critical skills like leadership, compassion, writing, creativity, cooperation, the power of social media and so much more. Super exciting!