The Rescue Effect Helps Two Best Friends Stay Together

Stray Cat Blues, a foster-based cat rescue serving the greater Philadelphia area, was eager to join The Rescue Effect, the ASPCA’s nationwide campaign to help more animals find loving homes.

Each year, the organization rescues hundreds of stray and abandoned cats and kittens, relying on a dedicated network of foster caregivers who help shy, scared and vulnerable cats gain confidence as they prepare for adoption. In 2025, Stray Cat Blues placed more than 1,100 cats and kittens into new homes.

With support from an ASPCA grant, the rescue made adoption even more accessible through a series of creatively themed special events designed to give more cats a chance. Better Together waived the adoption fee for a second cat when adopters welcomed a pair. Home for Every Heart focused on cats who had spent more than six months in foster care, while Senior Snuggles highlighted cats age seven and older by waiving their adoption fees.

The response was everything Stray Cat Blues had hoped for. Many cats found loving homes, freeing space and resources at Stray Cat Blues for other Philly felines in need, and their stories are heartwarming.

A Foster Makes It Official

Tiffany C., who has fostered 21 cats with her husband, Mike, for Stray Cat Blues over the past three years, says the waived fees motivated her to adopt a pair of kittens, FrouFrou and Fluffernutter, whom she fostered for seven months.

“I thought it was a wonderful opportunity,” says Tiffany. “With the waived fee, I felt it was a sign to make them permanent family members, and I know first-hand what’s gone into their care and socialization.”

Both cats and their littermates were born underneath the deck of a house last winter. The homeowner contacted Stray Cat Blues, whose volunteers caught the four kittens and mama cat. Tiffany, who is experienced with feral felines, took FrouFrou and Fluffernutter. FrouFrou, the shyest, thrived in Fluffernutter's company. They bonded quickly, and FrouFrou’s confidence blossomed.

“[FrouFrou] studies his every move,” says Tiffany. “When he got treats, she would look at me like, ‘I might want one of those.’”

In the end, Tiffany realized how happy the kittens are in her home, and they get along well with their four resident cats. Tiffany continues to foster.

“I love fostering for Stray Cat Blues,” Tiffany says. “It's a wonderful organization with a strong focus on community and support. I never feel like I'm doing this work alone.”

“The Rescue Effect is a fantastic catalyst for organizations of all sizes, from well-resourced groups to smaller ones that are just getting started,” says Denise Bash, executive director of Stray Cat Blues. “We focus heavily on foster development, which is a long-term solution to saving more animals.”

The Rescue Effect’s message is simple: When you adopt one animal, you help many more. By welcoming FrouFrou and Fluffernutter into their lives, Tiffany and Mike gave two best friends a future together and helped ensure that more animals at Stray Cat Blues can get the same opportunity.