Our Mission
To secure low-cost veterinary services for stray, outdoor, and farm cats and their caretakers. To help people live with these cats in their communities and to teach people how to care for these cats for the span of their lives.
REGISTERED NON-PROFIT:
Tip Me Frederick, Inc. is a 501c3 nonprofit organization. Your contributions help us provide low- to no-cost spay/neuter, vaccines and vet care to stray, outdoor, and farm cats in the Frederick County, MD, area. Your contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Why "Tip Me Frederick"?
Tip Me Frederick derives its name from the process of ear-tipping an outdoor cat. This means the top 1/8″ of the cat’s left ear has been surgically removed. This is a national symbol, quickly becoming an international symbol, that alerts people that a cat has been altered and received its vaccinations. These cats have a “colony caretaker” who loves them and manages their ongoing daily needs. Tip Me Frederick was founded to help these caretakers find the resources they need to do just that.
How We Help
We help individuals learn how to manage a colony of outdoor cats, including how to provide food, water, and shelter. We provide ongoing support for updating vaccines and other medical care your cats may require. We work with other area rescues to help you find adoption services for friendly lost or abandoned cats and kittens. We can also teach you to tame outdoor kittens if you’d like to find adoption services for them.
We can provide help and support in re-homing by working with farms and businesses, showing them the advantages of keeping outdoor colony cats. Remember, re-homing is always the last option for cats or colonies; finding the proper placement may take a long time. Re-homing is also arduous and requires weeks of confinement to prepare the cats for their new environment. It is always best if the cats can stay where they are, as that is their home. We will provide help and support in speaking with neighbors, management, and others to encourage them to allow cats to stay where they are with a dedicated caretaker.
Our team
Babs Wratten
President
Babs grew up with all kinds of animals, but has a real soft spot for community and farm cats. She lives with her husband, Mark, and four cats. She traps, drives clinics, educates people on outdoor cat care and fosters on occasion.
Linda Joyce
Treasurer
Linda is a recently retired accounting professional with more than 25 years of experience in government and nonprofit finance. Throughout her career, she was known for her integrity and commitment to supporting mission-driven organizations. Having lived in the Frederick area for over two decades, Linda now enjoys an active lifestyle that includes hiking, gardening, and cycling. She also recently adopted a senior cat named Lily, who has quickly become a cherished companion.
Rosemary Hazard
Interim Secretary
Rosemary Hazard has always had a soft spot for cats and, with her supportive husband David, has opened her home to several strays and former ferals. These furry family members have brought so much joy to their lives. Recently retired as a government analyst, Rosemary is now sharing her organizational talents with Tip Me Frederick, serving as interim secretary. She also has experience in charitable fundraising and enjoys supporting community causes.
Steven Kleck
IT Coordinator
Steven is a cybersecurity professional by day, solving challenges for some of the biggest companies around the world. By night, he is a proud cat dad of six (Loki, Paul, McLovin, Pavarotti, Ralph, and Sam) and works to ensure Tip Me Frederick’s back-end and administrative functions go smoothly.
Brenda Tibbs
TNR - Washington County Coordinator
Brenda has loved working with feral cats all her life. Her kids grew up thinking all cats were born needing to be tamed! She cares for cats at her home and several feral colonies. Brenda lives with her four adopted dogs and cats. She has worked with all kinds of rescued animals, including flying a rescued sea turtle to its new home for Turtles Fly Too.
Angela Brittain
Public Relations
Angela started her life in TNR back in the early ’90s on the streets of DC and surrounding areas, including many areas in Northern VA and the former Lorton Prison! She lives in Walkersville with her husband, two older children, “several” cats, and an old dog. She is a former typesetter and graphic artist, and keeps her skills sharp by volunteering with several nonprofit organizations.
Dr. Linda Rawls, DVM, Ret.
Emeritus - Veterinary Liaison
Linda grew up in Texas, Louisiana, and Alabama, and decided at age four that she wanted to be a veterinarian. Linda was the only female in the Auburn University School of Veterinary Medicine, where she graduated in 1972. Her long career included positions in Mississippi and in Birmingham, AL, as a zoo veterinarian. She settled in Maryland, where she and her former husband, also a veterinarian, purchased a liquor store in New Market and transformed it into New Market Animal Hospital. She raised two daughters and sold the clinic in 2012. Dr. Linda was instrumental in Frederick in the early days of TNR, even coming in on her days off to do surgeries. The TNR community in Frederick owes Dr. Rawls a debt of gratitude, and we are delighted to have her serve on our board as our veterinary liaison.
