Comfort for Critters

1,712 Blankets

82 Shelters

33 States

• We helped over a thousand pets in July by donating a total of 1,712 blankets!

• 82 different shelters, in 33 states received our blankets, and most received a handful of toys as well!

• These blessings were only possible, due to the 105 volunteers and supporters who helped. Thank you!

Support our mission with the purchase of our pattern books: Crochet for Critters & Crochet for Your Comfort. Each book has 30 crochet patterns that are perfect for pet blankets. Every purchase keeps us going and keeps us shipping our free blankets!

E-books here!

Paperback "Crochet for Critters" on Amazon!

Paperback "Crochet for Your Comfort" on Amazon!

How many cats can you put into an empty box?

(Answer at the bottom of this page)

• Updates on our mission
• Pet information
• Craft ideas & patterns
• Animal shelter updates
• Easy ways to help pets

CFC is fortunate to have many young volunteers join up in the summer, when they have time off of school. I'm always so impressed by these young adults that are using their time to better the world and comfort homeless pets.

One such impressive young man is Wally M. of Aldie, Virginia. He spent 34 hours over the summer making 17 fleece blankets for the Lost Dog & Cat Rescue in nearby Falls Church, Virginia. According to his mom, he really enjoyed dropping them off, and getting to see all the dogs prepping for an upcoming adoption fair. While he was at the facility, the shelter worker insisted on taking his picture and I'm glad she did! 

Thank you Wally and all the students who are helping this summer. It reassures me that the future is looking bright indeed! 

I hope you enjoy these thank you notes, received from the shelters we support. Each one is received by me, but intended for you!

• "Thank you so much for your recent box of handmade blankets! They are a great comfort for cats and a joy for the people who love them. We can feel the love that goes into such a wonderfully made coziness for these pets. Thank you!" ~ Best Friends of Pets in Oklahoma City, OK

• "Thank you so very much for the beautiful handmade comfort blankets for our kitties! We are very grateful!" ~ UPAWS - Upper Peninsula Animal Welfare Shelter in Gwinn, MI

• "Thank you so much for the beautiful quilts that you made and donated to the Sanctuary at Haafsville. Quilts and blankets are always a much needed item here at the sanctuary. Your thoughtfulness is greatly appreciated and means so much!" ~ The Sanctuary at Haafsville in Fogelsville, PA

• "We would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude for your thoughtfulness in donating hand-made blankets to comfort our cats. We always send each cat home with their special blanket. Thank you for your time, talent and kindness!" ~ Montgomery County SPCA in Conshohocken, PA​

• "Thank you for the donation of crochet and fleece blankets to Prairie Paws Rescue. We will be sending home one with each pet when they get adopted." ~ Prairie Paws Rescue in Jamestown, ND

I'm happy, once again, to welcome a great shelter to our free program. If you you live, work or visit this region of New York state, please consider helping them out with your beautiful blankets!

Potsdam Humane Society 

~ Potsdam, NY ~

Once you make blankets:

• Local volunteers are welcome to drop off their blankets to a shelter near them or to CFC's headquarters in Glen Ellyn, IL. Please leave your name and email on whatever you drop off, so that I can send a thank you note.
• If you're outside our area, please check our "Animal Shelters We Support" page to find a shelter in your state. Then ship your blankets directly to the shelter or drop them off at their front door. PLEASE let me know how many you donated via email or by using our website form. If you'd like help signing up a local shelter, please email me! 

Please be patient:

• Keep in mind that CFC is a small organization, with just one staff member! I do reply to every email, but it may take me a few days. Thanks!

"I just wanted to send a thank you for the beautiful handmade blankets that we recently received. To date, we have adopted out nearly 4,000 pets. These blankets help provide comfort to the pets in our care.

I'm enclosing a photo of littermates 'Chicken Noodle' and 'Split Pea' enjoying one of the blankets. We really appreciate you thinking of our kitties!" 

 Animal Protective Association of Missouri ~ St. Louis, MO ~

Just for Laughs answer...  

  Only one. After that, the box isn't empty!

August 2022 ~ Critter News

147,406 blankets donated as of 7/31/2022!

Happy Summer!

I just love it when the next generation gets involved in our mission. This month we were blessed with help from one of the chapters of Key Club, an international organization that works with high school students to build character through leadership and service.

The Key Club at Anchor Bay High School in Fair Haven, Michigan chose our group to help, and help they did! They got together for a couple hours mid-July and crafted a beautiful group of 20 tied-fleece blankets. They had fun together and made a positive difference in the lives of 20 homeless pets. Can’t ask for more than that!

A big thank you goes to Kayla L. for doing all the coordination with me. She provided information and these great pictures. I also want to give a shout out to all the group members – Sarah Z, Macie H, Savannah A, Konstantin B, Ethan V, Leanh V, Sydney T, Carlie W and Emily R. I’m sure a bright future awaits each of these caring, young adults.

They donated their 20 beautiful creations to the Oakland County Animal Shelter in Pontiac, Michigan. I know the shelter really appreciated their support and their blankets are likely being cuddled and loved already!

As someone who is always trying to keep my pets healthy, I’m challenged to find a way to take the weight off my 100%-inside kitties. They seem to love to eat, sleep, and well, eat and sleep. They don’t enjoy treats, so it’s easy enough to limit calories, but keeping them active isn’t so simple. Enter the laser pointer – a great way to get them moving!

Why kitties love laser pointers…

All felines, from mountain lions to the kitty who curls up on your lap are, in the end, solitary, predatory creatures. They love to stalk, love to pounce, love to hunt! Not surprisingly, they are captivated by, and attracted to, any toy that allows them to stalk, pounce and hunt.

Since their brain, and their eyes, are wired a bit differently from ours, it’s not the bright red dot that gets their attention. In fact, they likely see the light as white or yellowish. Their eyes are super sensitive to movement, above all else. So as the dot jumps from place to place, or even subtly jiggles as we try to hold the laser pointer still, this movement grabs hold of their attention and won’t let go!

Is it a healthy toy?...

The short answer is “yes”, though there are a few simple, commonsense guidelines to keep in mind. The exercise an indoor cat experiences, as they chase around the dot, is quite beneficial. It’s also a great mental stimulation for them, which can also be an issue for indoor cats. While they likely enjoy taking in the outdoors from their favorite window, things around your home tend to stay the same. This bit of excitement can be a fun surprise for them.

Playing with a laser pointer can also satisfy their predatory urge, which exists even in the most docile house cat. They are hardwired to spend a good portion of their waking hours stalking their food, just like their wild cousins. So getting a bit of stalking in during the day, is always a good thing!

A final bit of advice…

If your kitty is new to this hunting game, use it in moderation. Start with a very short session and build from there. As their “parent”, you’ll know when they’re too pooped to chase anymore. Also be sure to let them “catch” the dot every once in a while. It’s interesting to watch their inquisitive look as they try to “paw” it. After a bit of time “smashing” the dot, let it sneak away once again!

Of course, don’t ever aim the laser pointer near the cat's eyes, or (just to be careful) face. Don’t aim it towards anyone’s face, for that matter. My cats enjoy it the most when I keep the dot just out of reach, zigzagging across the floor. I enjoy the interaction with them as well, since they usually climb into my lap exhausted after just 10 minutes of play, ready to sleep, and then eat, again!

I love hearing why volunteers enjoy making blankets and work so hard to help pets that they don't know and may never even meet. Thank you all for your time, your talent and your big heart!

• "My 9 year old granddaughter loves animals. This is something we can do together! It teaches her kindness, compassion and an understanding of how important it is to give of yourself." ~ Kathy M. in Orting, WA​

• "I loved 'chatting' with all the animals when we dropped off the blankets. The shelter was so happy to get them, which made me feel good! I'd like to tell all the volunteers that the scared rescued pets need all the love you can send them! Keep up the good work!" ~ Susan H. in Loudon, TN​

• "I've been doing this for some years. I'm not as quick as some volunteers, as my hands are not always great. We have 7 rescue cats at the moment and have fostered kittens in the past. As we can't take in any more, I find making the blankets a great way to continue to help out. To other volunteers....keep making the blankets. The kitties and the rescue staff love them!" ~ Susan B. in St. Francis, WI

• "My dogs provide us with so much love, laughter and joy. They use the blankets I've made for them daily, whether it is to cover them up with or to use as a pillow. I hope the dogs at the shelter enjoy the blankets I make for them!" ~ Geni O. in Channahon, IL​

We are now donating 1,500-2,000 blankets regularly every month, which is awesome! It's also A LOT of blankets to filter in and out of my house every month. 

With this in mind, we're asking all out-of-state volunteers to please donate your blankets directly to a shelter right in your own state!

I can help you find a shelter near you, and will do all the work getting them signed up. If you choose a shelter from our website list, I can promise you that in-state shipping will be less costly than sending them to me. I do ask though that you let me know....so that I can update my records!

Benefits of donating your blankets locally:

• Cheaper than shipping them to Illinois (if you're out of state)!
• You can ask for a tax receipt and possibly write off the donation (please check with your tax professional).​​
• You'll also get to hear firsthand how much the shelter staff appreciates the blankets. Thank you!!!

If you'd like to keep up to date on our mission, follow us on Facebook! We also have a Facebook Group, "The Comfort for Critters Team", where we share what we're working on, pet and craft humor, and tip & tricks for making beautiful blankets. It's a private group that stays 100% positive, 100% of the time! Please consider joining us!

Cats like a lot of things, but there are a handful of treasures they simply love! Combine the soft feeling of yarn, a crunchy grocery bag and a handful of catnip, and you have a wonderful toy they will play with, sleep on and all around cuddle!

It's a fun and easy pattern to make for shelters too. Click here to download the pattern and I hope you enjoy creating it! 

​ Comfort for Critters

3s139 Sequoia Drive ~ Glen Ellyn, IL 60137

Linda Kastiel Kozlowski ~ Founder & Owner ~ Info@ComfortForCritters.org

~ Our Mission ~

To comfort all the animal shelter pets we can't adopt,

and to be a blessing in the lives of every volunteer, supporter & shelter worker.