Fourfold Roots & Rascals

🐈Lumen & Specter🐈

With a heavy heart & tears in my eyes as I post this but these two boys are officially ready for their forever homes 😭❤️

They had their neuter surgeries, vaccinations & microchips done on Wednesday & they are officially ready to find the families they were always meant to have.

If I could keep these two, I absolutely would.

Lumen & Specter were urgently & humanely trapped alongside their mama & three sisters. They had been living at an apartment complex in Austin when one of the residents’ dogs got a little too close for comfort & mama did what any protective mother would do… She defended her babies.

Unfortunately, the dog’s owner decided the cats needed to go & was caught attempting to poison them.

These boys have come such a long way since then & getting to watch them grow into the goofy, affectionate little men they are has been such a privilege.

Lumen follows me everywhere I go in the house. He is quite literally my little shadow 🥹 He is incredibly affectionate & once you become his favorite person, you are HIS person. He loves snuggling, licking your hand & gently nibbling on your fingers while he does it. He is such a sweet, loving boy.

Specter is just as affectionate & playful except he doesn’t need to be attached to you 24/7 😂 He enjoys his personal time but will absolutely jump at the opportunity to cuddle when he’s ready. Like his brother, he loves grooming his people but Specter’s specialty is apparently being a hairdresser. He will paw at your hair, lick it & even chew on it. 😂

They are both incredibly sweet, playful, affectionate boys who have so much love to give.

Their adoption fee is $100 each or $150 for both if they are adopted together. And honestly, watching these two grow up with one another, I would absolutely love to see them get to stay together if the right home comes along. ❤️

Even more importantly, their adoption fees will go directly toward their sisters’ spay surgeries. Once their sisters are spayed & ready, we can start finding them their forever homes too.

So by adopting Lumen or Specter, you’re not just giving one of these boys a forever family, you’re also helping us get their sisters one step closer to theirs! 😻

If you think one of these handsome boys might be your missing piece, send me a message. & if you can’t adopt, sharing this post helps more than you know.

Been feeling this A LOT lately… to say I feel burned out, overwhelmed and overworked in rescue… I love what I do, I love my cats and there is no better feeling than turning a “feral” into a house cat but it truly never ends. The resources are limited, the cats seem unlimited and it’s a constant mental battle

Howdy everyone!

I’ve been seriously lacking here on social media lately. To be completely honest… life has been hard.

Even so, I’ve been working my tail off to make sure not only the cats are cared for but my family too. My husband is scheduled for spinal surgery on July 2nd so while we’re preparing for that and trying to manage his pain, we’re also juggling life with four kids, a house full of rescue cats and everything else that comes with it.

There’s a lot more going on behind the scenes that’s been weighing heavily on us but I’ve never been someone who jumps on social media to spill my guts. We all have battles we’re fighting and ours are no different.

I figured now might be a good time to pull back the curtain a little and explain what rescue actually looks like; both for those who’ve dreamed of starting one themselves and for those who have strong opinions without ever seeing what goes into it.

I can only speak from my own experience because every rescue operates differently.

Fourfold didn’t start because I had a grand plan. It started because there was a need. It truly snowballed from me trying to make a difference in the lives of a few cats into what it is today.

I didn’t come from money. I’ve never been wealthy or even particularly financially comfortable. But I’ve always believed in the saying:

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”

So that’s exactly what I did.

As more cats came through my doors, the expenses grew right alongside them. I reached out to businesses, organizations and community resources looking for help. Over and over, I heard the same thing:

“You’d need to be a nonprofit before we can donate or partner with you.”

I completely understand why. Businesses need accountabilityand they deserve the ability to write off charitable donations. But I’d be lying if I said it didn’t sting a little. It made me realize just how difficult it can be for ordinary people who are simply trying to put a little more good into a world that often feels overwhelmingly heavy.

One thing I refuse to compromise on is the quality of care these cats receive.

I won’t adopt them out until I know they’re healthy, spayed/neutered, microchipped, vaccinated and tested for FIV/FeLV. They deserve that. The families adopting them deserve that too.

Unfortunately, doing things the right way isn’t cheap.

Here’s what basic medical care looks like for one cat:

• Spay/Neuter through Emancipet – $89
• FIV/FeLV Combo Test – $20
• Exam – $20
• Vaccinations – $17 x 3 (for one round when they need 3)
• Revolution Plus flea, tick, and heartworm prevention – $27.33–$35.88

That brings the total to roughly $191.33 for one cat’s basic medical care.

And that’s before food, litter, enrichment, supplements, cleaning supplies, gas driving to appointments or emergency medical care.

My adoption fee is $100.

That means I’m already operating at a loss before a cat ever walks out the door into their forever home.

Could I cut corners? Absolutely.

I could skip testing.
I could skip preventatives.
I could do less.

But I didn’t get into rescue to do “good enough.”

These cats didn’t ask to be abandoned, neglected, dumped or born outside. If they’re going to pass through my home, they’re going to be loved well and cared for the very best way I know how.

Has it taken a toll?

Absolutely.

Financially.
Emotionally.
Physically.

I’ve questioned whether I could keep doing this more times than I can count.

But every single time I think about giving up, I look around at cats sleeping peacefully for what may be the first time in their lives or I watch one leave with a family that absolutely adores them and I’m reminded exactly why I started.

So if you’ve ever wondered how to truly support Fourfold, donations toward veterinary care make the biggest impact. Medical expenses are, by far, our greatest hurdle and what ultimately determines how many cats we’re able to help.

That said, I also know not everyone is in a position to give financially and that’s okay!

Sharing our posts, recommending us when someone needs rescue help or is looking to adopt, donating supplies, volunteering your time when we need an extra set of hands or simply cheering us on all make a difference. Every act of kindness, no matter how small it may seem, helps carry this mission forward.

Lastly, I want to thank the people who have carried us when I wasn’t sure how we’d make it through.

Gabe from Tractor Supply.
Brooke & Pinky from H-E-B.
Amanda, Dawn, Toni, Jaimie, Robert, Jackie, Gisela, Nick, Trey, Janella, Ingrid, Michelle and Sylvia.

Whether you donated food, litter, supplies, your time, encouragement or simply believed in what I’m trying to build; you have no idea what it has meant to me.

You’ve restored my faith in humanity more times than you’ll ever know.

This rescue has never been built by one person alone. It’s been built by a community of people who believe every life matters and that compassion is still worth choosing.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for believing in Fourfold, for believing in me and most importantly… for believing these cats are worth fighting for.

We certainly think they are 😻❤️🫶🏻

https://collect.bankingcrowded.com/collection/bbf2b79b-d5e6-4648-bf30-ae5c386dacf8

Crowded Collect Group payments made easy. Pay securely online with few clicks.