Whiskers & Tails: Better Together | August 2026 Newsletter
Summary
The August 2026 edition of Whiskers & Tails is all about being Better Together. Meet four bonded pairs waiting for homes, celebrate a month filled with adoptions and foster fails, and meet foster Mary Kate, who has helped nearly 200 cats through rescue, fostering, adoption, and TNR. This issue also explores why feline bonds matter, shares the effort behind Shelly’s Law to strengthen animal protections in Illinois, and asks for help filling more than 300 bowls during a critical canned-food shortage.
Table of Contents
• From the Editor: Better Together
• Looking for Love: Meet Our Bonded Pairs• Bitzy & Babs• Harry Potter & Tiger Lily• Rajah & Venus• Sandie & Sadie
• Happy Tails• Siblings Going Home Together• Foster Fails Worth Celebrating• Romeo Becomes Goose• Domino Finds His Home
• Community Heroes• Standing Up for Shelly• Advocating for Stronger Animal Protections in Illinois
• Foster Spotlight: Meet Mary Kate• Nearly 200 Cats Helped• Why She Keeps Saying Yes• The Rudster• Could You Be Someone’s “Yes”?
• Cat Corner• What Does “Bonded” Mean?• Why Some Cats Need to Stay Together
• Did You Know?• Cats Form Real Social Bonds
• Ask Fat Cat• Why Do Some Cats Have to Be Adopted Together?
• Help Us Fill 300+ Bowls• Critical Canned Cat Food Need• Ways to Donate Food and Funds
• Coming Up at Fat Cat Rescue• Paws & Peppermint Holiday Vendor Fair
• Until Next Month• Every Cat Counts
Content
The August 2026 edition of Whiskers & Tails centers on one idea: Better Together. Throughout the issue, Fat Cat Rescue shares stories showing what happens when cats, fosters, volunteers, adopters, and supporters have someone in their corner.
This month’s Looking for Love feature introduces four bonded pairs searching for homes together: Bitzy & Babs, Harry Potter & Tiger Lily, Rajah & Venus, and Sandie & Sadie. Each pair has its own story, but all share an important connection with a feline companion they depend on for friendship, confidence, comfort, or security.
There are plenty of happy endings to celebrate, too. Lucy & Lyanna, Storm & Bolt, and Jolene & Jimmy found homes together. Jack’s family returned to adopt his sister Junie B. Rudy & Max found homes before their introductions were even posted. Several fosters became permanent family members, including Stripe, Ash, Domino, and Romeo, who officially joined Mary Kate’s family and received a new name: Goose.
The Community Heroes section turns to animal advocacy and Shelly’s Law, an Illinois effort inspired by an animal cruelty case involving multiple kittens. The proposed changes focus on sentencing in felony animal-torture cases and greater recognition of multiple animal victims. Fat Cat Rescue founder Kaye Larsen and other volunteers have been gathering petition signatures and helping spread awareness.
This month’s Foster Spotlight introduces Mary Kate, who has spent seven years helping cats through rescue, fostering, adoption, and TNR. She has helped save, TNR, or find homes for close to 200 cats, including more than 30 Fat Cat fosters. Her story shows how one spare bedroom and a willingness to say “yes” gives a cat a completely different future.
Cat Corner takes a closer look at bonded cats and explains an important distinction: two cats who live together are not automatically bonded. A true bonded pair has developed a deeper social attachment and often seeks each other out for grooming, sleep, play, reassurance, and comfort. For some cats, separation causes significant stress, which is why Fat Cat Rescue requires identified bonded pairs to go home together.
The theme continues in Did You Know? and Ask Fat Cat, with more information about feline social relationships and why Fat Cat prioritizes the right home over the fastest adoption when placing bonded cats.
The issue also highlights an urgent rescue need. Fat Cat Rescue cares for more than 300 cats, each receiving wet food at least once daily. With its food supplier unable to provide canned food during August and September availability uncertain, the rescue is asking supporters to help replenish its supply of canned Friskies Pâté through wishlist purchases or financial donations.
Finally, readers get a look ahead at the Paws & Peppermint Holiday Vendor Fair on December 5 at the Libertyville Civic Center. The free event will bring together local vendors for holiday shopping, with a portion of vendor sales benefiting Fat Cat Rescue.
