It’s a Cat in the Hat New Year!
Mama Kitty
This past August, our local feral cat problem came to a crescendo when an angry neighbor threatened an older gentleman who was feeding the cats while out on walks with his wife and their little dog. I heard of the incident and stepped in, worried if things got any worse, someone may get hurt.
Other neighbors volunteered to help and within a month, we caught seven cats-four adults, and three kittens. The adult cats went to a family in Benson, Arizona a half hour from where we live where they would have food, shelter, and space to roam free of traffic. The three kittens were adopted by Helga, a neighbor who would raise them as indoor pets.
Soon after, it became clear if the remaining cats were not moved someplace safe, there would be more problems with the angry neighbor. Armed with canned food and patience, I was able to lure the cats and kittens to our front yard. With the help of Rachel, a neighbor who is a vet tech, we continue to catch cats in hopes of finding them homes or at least spay and neuter them to control the population.
4-month old sweetheart looking for a forever home, She has 6 brothers and sisters also looking for homes!
Since this all began, seventeen cats and kittens have been caught and have either been spayed/ neutered and released or have found homes. Through all this commotion, we took in a little girl kitten whose mom was spayed and released. Her name is Mabel. She’s three months old and has been adopted by our four indoor (once feral) cats and five dogs to include Patches, our adopted Border Collie mix, who follows Mabel everywhere as she adjusts to her new home.
Feral cats live tough lives on the streets. People run them out of their yards, spraying them with garden hoses, yelling at them, blowing whistles and honking horns to discourage them from setting up safe havens in backyards and on patios. They are often chased by kids, dogs, and tougher, streetwise tom cats. In our neighborhood they become prey for coyotes, hawks, and owls. In worse case scenarios, some are unintentionally poisoned when rat poison or other chemicals are left out. Some cats fare better in their outdoor habitats than others. They learn humans can’t be trusted and find ways to survive without our help. All the cats who remain too fearful to be rehomed, live here on our porch where they have shelter, food, water, and a space heater for cold nights.
Many years ago, I moved to the country where I rented a house from Pat, an elderly woman who had dozens of cats and racoons living on her front porch. I had never owned a cat and had no intention of taking one of them in until a tiny, ginger kitten with cotton ball fur rubbed up against my leg and purred. Pat was there when I picked her up and held her close to my chest. “Looks like that one’s found a home,” she declared.
“I’m not a cat person. You know that,” I said.
Pat raised her hands to the heavens. “God’s watching, Beth. There’s no turning back, now.”
Pat was right. I named that little kitten Oh-Oh and have had at least three or four cats in the house ever since. All of them feral. And all of them loved within an inch of their lives.
As I reflect on this past year, I am grateful for the neighbor who didn’t have room in his heart for the cats and who started all of this. I have met amazing folks on this journey. Some who leave bags of cat food on our porch to offset costs and others who send photos of the cats and kittens they have adopted. Sometimes it takes a village, and this is my village. A place where neighbors have come together to help save lives.
We still have a long way to go, but each spay/neuter and each adoption gives me hope that the remaining cats and kittens will find loving homes. So, in this new year, if you have room in your heart and home and the patience that is required to take in a feral kitten, please reach out. I am happy to provide tips that will help you and the new member of your family adapt, but mostly I promise years of love and companionship that these darlings offer.
Happy New Year!
From two of our babies, Charlie and Bootsy
