Comfort for Critters

162,273 blankets donated so far!

(Thank you all!)

1,819 Blankets in January

1,905 Blankets in February

135 Shelters Total

43 States Total

173 Volunteers!

• We helped almost four thousand pets in January and February by donating a total of 3,724 blankets to shelters!

• 127 different shelters, in 43 states received our blankets, and many received a handful of toys as well!

• These blessings were only possible, due to the 173 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. They also tell the story of CFC and why crafting helps the crafter along with the pet! 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!

"Lily and the other Good Mews kitties want to thank you for making them some blankets!"

~ Good Mews Animal Foundation ~

~ Marietta, GA ~

A huge thank you goes to Pauline B. of Glen Ellyn, IL for sharing this pattern with CFC. Pauline has been a strong supporter of our mission for many years, and we are grateful for all her help and all her blankets! Countless pets have been comforted by her beautiful creations. I hope you enjoy her delightful pattern! 

Download the PDF here!

"Please let your volunteers, who make items for the adoptions, know that Charlotte (pictured) is enjoying her blanket!"

~ Valley Humane Society ~

~ Pleasanton, CA ~

What's a cat's favorite song?

Three Blind Mice!

• Updates on our mission
• Pet information
• Craft ideas & patterns
• Animal shelter updates
• Easy ways to help pets
• Lots of "thank you's" for volunteers

Have questions? Check out our new FAQ page!

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!

I'm thrilled to continue to add great shelters to our program and to our mission. These shelters joined in the past two months, so please support them if they're in your area (and let me know when you do!). Thank you!

Biscuit Factory Animal Rescue

~ Greenfield, IN ~

Buddy Center

~ Castle Rock, CO ~

Cat Posse

~ Pasadena, CA ~

Love & Puppy Paws Dog Shelter

~ Austin, TX ~

Melissa's Second Chances

~ Shawnee, KS ~

Oakbrook Cat Rescue

~ Tacoma, WA ~

Portland Animal Control Shelter

~ Portland, TX ~

San Antonio Pets Alive

~ San Antonio, TX ~

Wayside Waifs

~ Kansas City, MO ~

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 email them for a tax receipt and possibly write off the donation (please check with your tax professional).​​
• You'll also get to hear just how much the shelter staff appreciates the blankets. Thank you!!!

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 of 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. PLEASE let me know how many you donate, 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!

March/April 2023           ~ Critter News ~

Welcome to Spring!

I'm thrilled to be welcoming Spring, and I hope you are too. It's lighter into the evening and crafting outdoors is again a possibility!

With this in mind, please keep crafting blankets, as the shelters begin "Kitten Season" in the next couple of months. They love to stock up on all types of our blankets (fleece, knit, crochet, etc.) so that they have them on hand for all the sweet kittens to take home when they are adopted. The blankets will have their mother's scent, which will be very comforting as they get acquainted with their forever family.

Please do always check our list of supported shelters before you donate, since there are additions, deletions and changes every month. If you'd like complete contact information for any shelter you can always follow the link to their website or send me an email (info@comfortforcritters.org). 

Over the past two months I've received quite a lot of yarn at our home base in Glen Ellyn, IL. I have some fleece as well, but only a limited supply. Feel free to stop by 24/7 and grab a bag of free yarn. I replenish it each night when I get home from work, so there will always be bags available. If you have blankets to drop off, you can leave them in the CFC bench as well.

Adjacent to the bench you'll see a new collection bin for food donations to the College of DuPage "Fuel Pantry". This food pantry for college students is my new employer, and it helps hundreds of adults (of all ages) as part of a large community college near my home. The students I see each day, thank you for your support! 

Happy Spring!

Linda

I know as I hustle around my home on weekends, I always seem to come across one of my kitties sound asleep. They move from spot to spot, looking for sunshine spilling into the room or an especially cozy blanket to curl up on. So why do they sleep so often, and so much?

Most indoor cats spend about 15 hours a day either resting or sleeping. Some can even snooze a full 20 hours a day, which is considered the high end of normal. Must be nice! Especially for those sleeping at the far end of the range, they are likely tapping into their ancient roots when cats were fully nocturnal. These kitties were predators at night, and then found a cozy hiding place to sleep all day.

Most domestic cats have given up being fully nocturnal and have adopted a sleeping pattern similar to ours. However, they still are closely tied to their ancestors, in that they conserve much of their energy during the day, resulting in a lot of relaxing. In this way, they remain always ready with a burst of energy if needed. Wild cats use this burst to secure their next meal, but our kitties may use it to abruptly chase after their favorite toy or dust-bunny.

Few domestic cats sleep straight through the night until morning, with most still having some active time overnight. They may run randomly around the house or just wander into rooms, checking everything out. So catching up on sleep during the day is required, and actually very good for their immune system and overall health.

For a portion of their resting during the day, they may seem to be totally asleep, but if you look close you may find they are only very, very relaxed. The eyes may be completely closed, but if you see even minor movement in their ears or tail, it’s a sign that they’re just laying low, listening to their environment and ready to spring into action if they sense something interesting!

With the many cozy spots sprinkled throughout my home, I’m especially honored when either of my kitties chooses my lap to curl up in. It’s a great excuse to grab some relaxation for myself. Remember, petting a cat or dog has been shown to reduce stress in people and convey a feeling of well-being. So as I hurry through my home, and my day, I’d be wise to stop more often and pet them…even if I risk waking a sleeping kitty!

Every night at preciously 8 o’clock she approached slowly, but deliberately. She’d take her place facing him and begin her non-blinking, unrelenting stare. It didn’t matter how long she had to hold her position, hold it she did, until her reward was received. This was the nightly routine between my husband and our Polar Lab, Daisy. You could literally set your watch by her, often causing us to wonder is she could, in fact, tell time.

Upon researching this very question, I learned that although she could not tell time, she was still doing something impressive. Based on extensive research with other animals, scientists consider our dogs to be “stuck in time”. They live in the present, rather than thinking back to their younger days or ahead to next year. Animals simply cannot travel back and forth (mentally) through time as humans can.

They do however, have a sense of time passing. They can remember recent events and can often anticipate what’s coming, but to a much lesser extent than us. Understanding the concept of time, conveyed in hours and minutes, simply doesn’t apply to dogs.

So how did Daisy show up at 8 o’clock each night? The answer lies in the extraordinary senses and natural instincts which dogs possess. Their senses can pick up internal biological rhythms, hormones, body temperature and neural fluctuations to give them clues about what’s going to happen. There’s also a full range of smells, that are invisible to us, but that tell a whole story to a dog that’s paying attention. They use these signs, signals, and smells to remember what time regular, daily events happen. The fact that my husband sits in a particular place after dinner, that his timing of giving Daisy a treat often coincides with the preparation of his own snack, and the fact that the yarn if flowing and crochet hook whirling by 8 o’clock were all clues for Daisy.

Dogs are also very good at judging short-term “waiting time”. They are experts at knowing how long certain tasks take us to do, or how long they’ll have to wait. For instance, how long they’ll wait once their person picks up their shoes, until the leash will also be grabbed. In the past few years, scientists have discovered neurons in an animal’s brain that are only activated when they are in “waiting mode.” These neurons help them to know how long it’ll be until you walk through the door, from the time they hear your car enter the neighborhood.

It's important to note that much of the “time telling” dogs can do is based on learning as well, and it’s not an instinctive trait. Much of their behavior develops through habit and repetition. So, whether my Daisy was actually reading a clock (she wasn’t!) or reading our body language, I’m equally impressed. I’m also going to take a page from her book, and learn to live more in the moment!

I've always thought that crafters have the biggest hearts. This has proven to be true, as I read the comments left on our website. Thank you for not only making and donating blankets but for sharing why you find the time to help. I personally find the messages inspiring. I hope you do too! 

• "As animal lovers, it's so hard to restrain from taking every cat, dog or any other pet, home with you. But even if we can't take them home, we can comfort them in a time where they're lonely and scared, with a blanket made with love. I'd like to think they understand that these blankets are made by people who love animals. Even if they don't understand that, they still have something that helps them feel more secure, or it might even remind them of the warmth and comfort of their mother. Let's keep sending in those blankets made with plenty of love and hoping that the pet who receives it goes to a home where they're happy, healthy and loved." ~ Renae B. in OK

• "I make blankets for fur-babies to have something of their own to help them when they go to their forever home. I want to tell the other volunteers that what we craft out of love, will go a long way to help another fur-baby that has been disappointed with humans. Love heals all, with fur-babies! Thank you for all you do!" ~ Gaby M. in VA

• "I always enjoy the newsletter and being reminded of so many caring people, about animals in shelters, and doing good. There is so much that is distressing in our country and world, that being reminded of caring people doing good things for animals is really a boost." ~ Gay K-D. in OR ​

• "I want to tell you that each month, as I read how many blankets go out...it is mind-boggling. What a wonderful impact you have made on so many animals' lives and also people too! You have helped people do something for others - literally like me, from the comfort of my home. And...all the groups that have made blankets together - that's a great way to connect with other people. I am truly in awe of how much has been done since CFC started!" ~ Rita T. in VA

• "I love kitties and feel bad for those not adopted yet, and making them blankets helps them feel comfy at the shelter. It's amazing and heartwarming just how much cats love getting a blanket, and the shelter workers so appreciate it, too!" ~ Kerry M. in WA

• "My son and I love cats and would love to adopt them all. Unfortunately we have to settle for giving them some comfort by sending them snuggly blankets!" ~ Penny E. in KY

I hope you enjoy these thank you notes we've recently received. They are sent to CFC headquarters, but meant for YOU! If you need a "pick-me-up" there are many more on our "Shelter Thank You's" page!

• "Thank you so much for the blankets. You all are so kind to think of us. I thought the coloring picture with a thank you note to us was a great touch!" ~ Little Victories Animal Rescue Ona, WV

• "I received your package of blankets last week. Some of our foster kitties are already enjoying them in their foster homes and will get to take a beautiful blanket with them when they are adopted! We loved all that we received, thank you so much!!!" ~ Lil Roar Cat Rescue in Virginia Beach, VA

• "Here's one of our sweet shelter pups about to lay down on one of your blankets (shown top right). Her name is Fig and she spends a lot of time with us in the office because she's a total lap dog, unless she gets a cushy chair and colorful blanket to herself. The rest of the blankets are being handed out to our other shelter animals by our animal care and adoption teams! Thank you again for this wonderful donation!" ~ St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center in Madison, NJ

• "On behalf of all of us at the Rhode Island SPCA, I would like to thank you for your generous donation of handmade blankets and toys for our cats and kittens. We are grateful to be able to keep them cozy and stimulated during their time with us at the shelter. Supporters like CFC have helped us impact the lives of thousands of animals in need. Thank you for thinking of us!" ~ Rhode Island SPCA in Riverside, RI ​

I'm so happy to be able to share this "shout out" to Mary Ford of Batavia, IL. In January I invited our Facebook Group to thank Mary as well, and the response was amazing!

Mary is a huge animal lover and expert crafter. We're so fortunate to have her on the CFC team. At 93 years old she's been working on blankets to provide comfort to homeless pets all across the area.

She's donated stacks of blankets to the Anderson shelter in Elgin, IL, the Kane County shelter in Geneva, IL and the Aurora County shelter in Aurora, IL. She's also sent blankets to comfort pets at the Dallas Animal Services in Texas.

Her energy and heart are such an inspiration to me. Based on the Facebook response, she's an inspiration to many others as well. In total, 140 homeless pets have received a blanket from her, certainly made with love, and I hear more are to come! THANK YOU MARY!!!

​

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.