Feral Cats
In the summer of 1997 a friend told me about the cats in her neighborhood. Strays, she said, that her mom had been feeding. Neighbors down the road from her were planning on killing any kittens they found if they were not removed.
I knew nothing about feral cat colonies at the time, I had not even heard of them. But, I knew that those kittens needed help. I started going out to her neighborhood each time a new litter was found. I would catch them, with only leather gloves to assist me.
I was able to catch all but one of the kittens. In the end I had taken in 40 wild kittens. Almost all of them needed to be socialized.
I had no resources. I was unable to get assistance from the local shelter and had no way of knowing that there were other places to turn. So, I did what I could, sick that I couldn't do more.
Once the kittens were socialized I placed them in homes. That was the extent of my abilities. I was haunted by the memories of the adult cats left in that neighborhood.
In the spring of 2000 I found out about another colony. By now I knew more about feral cat colonies and what needed to be done. I was in a new area and knew even less people that I had in my old town.
Using the internet, I got wonderful advice from people who had experience with feral cats. I decided to try to get help from an animal welfare organization I had just learned of. At their office, two women overheard me asking for help. One was from a local cat rescue, the other a caring individual wanting to help.
With the help of these two women I was able to help this colony. I trapped, neutered and released the feral cats. The kittens and tame adults were placed in rescues to be adopted out. By the time summer had turned to fall, the last female was spayed. In the spring of 2001, the last male was nuetered.
I can now look at these beautiful ferals: Kaia, Lemon, Bailey, Jersey, Carter, Polly, Mandy, Oscar, and Fox and see the difference in their lives. They are all healthier with shinier coats and more weight on their bodies. They get regular feedings and visitations to assess thier health.
I plan on helping other colonies. I recently assisted in the TNR (Trap, Neuter, Release) of another colony. I want others to know that they too can help.
As I build this page I will be adding more and more information relevant to feral cats. Please keep coming back to learn more.
Feral Cat Links
Pictures and Information about my colony.
Alley Cat Allies
Feral Cat Coalition
