Black cat population is booming on Marco

submitted Blackjack, a 10-week-old kitten, is loving, fun and adorable. He is looking for his forever home.

submitted For the Love of Cats volunteer and shelter manager, Linda Levine, holds four kittens that are looking for forever homes. The kitten's mother, Phoebe, was abandoned on the Island while pregnant.

June and July has brought kittens, kittens and more kittens as well as abandoned adult cats too.

Carlita is a 4-year-old bobtail tortoiseshell female who was abandoned at a motel in Naples. She has a wonderful new home now.

A pair of kittens came to us that were rescued behind the Publix on San Marco Road. The mom cat was abandoned and gave birth behind the store to two kittens. A wonderful home health-care worker picked them all up and took them home. She kept the mom and we have found homes for the adorable kittens that she so lovingly hand-raised.

In the meantime, a volunteer of ours, Kathy Dooner, had been bottle-feeding three five-day-old kittens that were found in an abandoned car. The kittens were 8 weeks old by the end of June and all have homes now.

An adorable Siamese mix kitten that we rescued four years ago was returned to the shelter because a family member suddenly developed allergies. Dudley had grown into a beautiful, very big, chocolate point Siamese mix. He is gentle and sweet and now enjoys a new home with another cat buddy.

Several days later, we had two wonderful boys returned because their family lost their home and jobs. Lynard and Skynard are 2 years old now and live happily in Naples at their new home.

Every year, there seems to be a color trend with the rescued kittens. Some years, it is brown tabby, some black and white, some red tabby and this year it is solid black. We have already adopted out three litters of black kittens this year. Two more black kittens were being fed and played with by a family on Isles of Capri before coming to the shelter. Blackjack and Gracie are loving, fun and adorable and at 10 weeks old are still looking for their forever home.

When we have rescued pregnant mom cats, they are usually seasoned professionals, but Phoebe was abandoned on the Island in the middle of the night and very pregnant for the very first time. Phoebe is probably not much more than 8 months old herself, the proverbial teenage mother. She gave birth to four beautiful babies on July 15. After some touch and go, they are all thriving now and Phoebe, like a typical teenager, would rather play with her kids then discipline them.

Another seasoned mom cat has been raising her four kittens at the shelter as well. Betty was a much neglected 8-year-old girl who was still having kittens. Her condition was very poor when she came to the shelter and had lost most of her teeth. Her mouth has recovered from all that infection and her kittens have wonderful forever homes. Betty is now waiting for hers. She is an exotic short-hair mix, very small, quiet, gentle and affectionate. Her kitten machine days are over and she is looking forward to the peace and quiet of a loving home.

For the Love of Cats is a nonprofit rescue and shelter on Marco Island. Our mission is to end the cruelty of pet overpopulation. We are a group of passionate people dedicated to saving the lives of abandoned cats and kittens in the community. Since our beginning in 2002, we have rescued more than 1,100 cats and kittens. Visit our website at www.floridacatrescue.com.