A few months after we moved into our home in Prescott Valley, AZ, one of our neighbors died. The surviving relative who lived there could not/would not care for over a dozen cats. He put all of them out without feeding them in December 2006. Some of the cats were quite young, living homeless out in the cold that winter.
I did not learn about the colony’s hardship until another neighbor told me the story around May 2007. She was doing what she could for the abandoned cats, finding homes for a few and feeding the rest. However, none were spayed/neutered. By the time I educated myself about TNR (trap, neuter, release) and connected with a local rescue agency, UAF, to help me with this abandoned and feral colony it was July 2007.
I remember the moment and the exact place where we stood in the house when my husband said to me, “Do you think we should feed them?”. We were looking out the window at one of the emaciated cats. My husband, Stew, and I both subscribe to the belief that we are all connected to all of Creation. This and feelings of compassion for the suffering of the abandoned cats compelled us to break our standing rule not to feed stray animals. (where we used to live, stray cats looked much healthier) Stew has worked with me on this feral abandoned project from the beginning.
Of course, the colony continued growing considerably between May and July. Litters were birthed and nursed under rusted-out trailers and other wrecked possessions in the former cat owner’s fenced-in yard. I did not realize where the litters were until the kittens started gallivanting around the neighborhood, too old to be socialized. Come to think of it, I was so green regarding feral cat know-how that I probably would not have known what to do to socialize them anyway. Eventually I learned. I hope to publish a separate post later about my success with socializing one now called Blanca.
Over these last two years, many have come and gone from our motley abandoned cat crew. Several new cats have wandered in to join the colony. Some act feral, others allow us to touch them. I have found homes for over a dozen cats and kittens. Some members of the colony suddenly disappeared, probably killed by coyotes. On a happier note, my husband got really good at partially socializing some older kittens using food and his natural propensity for connecting with wildlife. And to date I have spay/neutered 34 cats. It looks like we have achieved zero population growth for now. This was the first spring that there have been no kittens wandering onto our carport.
I plan to write some stories about the challenges and successes with managing this cat colony. Feel free to email me DTConsult@cableone.net if you have questions about the TNR process. I do not see myself as any sort of authority on the subject. Initially, I got information of TNR from AlleyCats.org And I have a wealth of experience from which to draw on to help others faced with the needs of homeless cats.
United Animal Friends paid for about 3/4 of each spay/neuter. I paid for the rest out of my savings. Some cats needed extra vet services, like antibiotics, treatments for ear mites, eye infections, and more. It has been an expensive venture.
I would be extremely grateful if you feel inclined to donate, using the PayPal button on the sidebar.
Thanks for reading – leave a comment if you like.
Debby Taylor
