ARF Shares Adoption Story of Feral Kittens Tee, Putter & Wedge

Continuing their “Happy Tails: Life-saving Stories of Hope” video series on Thursday, Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons, aka ARF, shared the wonderful rescue and adoption story of feral kittens Tee, Putter and Wedge while also shining a light on the East End’s feral cat problem.

As the little black kittens’ names suggest, the adorable trio were found at Bridgehampton Golf Course. Tee, Putter and Wedge were just one week old when ARF brought them in, so the diligent staff had to give them around the clock care, bottle feeding each kitten every two hours to ensure their health and safety.

In the video, ARF executive director and CEO Scott Howe explains how Tee, Putter and Wedge represent the “bigger issue” of the East End’s large feral cat community. Like all feral cats brought to ARF in East Hampton, the kittens were spayed and neutered to help control the population, hopefully reducing the number of future feral cats. The organization has spayed or neutered more 27,000 cats, and found homes for tens of thousands, but the feral population continues to produce more kittens.

Beyond first catching the cats and getting them to ARF, Howe notes that foster volunteers play a vital role in the rescue process, typically serving as “the first loving human contact these kittens have with people.” This puts the future pets in a safe, home environment where they can socialize and learn to trust people.

When Tee, Putter and Wedge reached 2 lbs, they were big enough for adoption — and it wasn’t long before all three had found forever homes.

“If I can only get across one message about the impact of ARF’s work, it’s the joy we make possible in thousands of lives and thousands of families through our work through rescue and adoption,” Howe says, pointing out that the rescue needs donors to continue these efforts.

In 2021 alone, ARF has already placed more than 105 rescued kittens born on the East End with new families.

Learn more about ARF and see their dogs and cats available for adoption at arfhamptons.org.