|
Compassion All Animals Have a Face, Feelings and a Family
|
|
|
Something most people don't know about me is that I am a huge advocate for feral cats. I created this page to promote awareness for their cause and help people understand how they can help. While I do not expect for most of society to get involved or help the way I do, I would urge them to simply be responsible human beings. If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem. I speak for myself and countless other people who work to help animals every day, as well at the animals themselves.
Feral cats or any homeless animal are the direct result of an irresponsible human somewhere down the line. These animals are treated by most of society, as well as many shelters as if they are a throw-aways with no feelings. Thank God I do not share this mentality or I would not have the loving companion animals that I do. I believe in adopting animals that do not already have a home, only. In other words, I do NOT support anyone who intentionally breeds animals to sell them. Supporting people, who breed animals intentionally, literally KILLS animals that are without a home...One animal at a time. I cannot fathom anyone with a conscience being willing to contribute to this. The harsh reality is that if you are a breeder or you support one, you are subsidizing cruelty. There is no animal shelter, animal welfare organization or any individual who helps animals that will disagree with me on this subject.
I would urge you to spay and neuter your companion animals as well as take proper care of them. When you fail to spay or neuter your animals, it causes homeless animals. This is a FACT that people can no longer avoid. When cats are allowed to run loose outdoors and/or are not altered, the results are feral cats and feral cat colonies. The only crime these animals committed was being born into a world that refuses to take responsibility for its own lack of effort. These animals are referred to as wild or a nuisance. Guess what? I live near people that are more of a nuisance than any feral cat could ever hope to be. In reality, most feral cats do not bother anyone or any thing. They keep to themselves because they are afraid of humans for the most part. Sadly, as long as these cats are allowed to run wild and reproduce, there will be more and more of them. This vicious cycle will never end.
If you reside in an area where feral kitties live, the best thing you can do for them is give them something to eat. A common myth is that they will find food somewhere. Maybe they will and maybe they won't. They would certainly appreciate some cat food on a regular basis, though. After all, they didn't ask for this. The second most important thing you can do is TNR. This is trap, neuter and release. As there are low cost and even free spay/neuter clinics in almost every major city. Most will not charge you if you are trying to help with population control. This is obviously the best solution for putting an end to feral cats or cats that are forced to live on the street. Most unaltered male ferals will fight for territory, often times spreading disease like feline aids or feline leukemia among those in their own colony. These animals are exposed to the elements and temperatures most of us would not want to expose our plants to. They often times die of starvation, get hit by cars and fall victim to people who simple don't have the capacity to care. It would seem that helping to solve this issue makes more sense than pretending it's not your problem.
I am proud to say that all of my kitties were once ferals. They were the type of cats or kittens that most shelters would euthanize upon arrival, without even taking the time to work with them. They are the type of cats that most people do not give a second thought to. I once heard a shelter worker say "these cats can't be pets, its impossible". Well, I have many sweet faces running around my home that prove her (and most people) wrong. All of my cats were rescues and terrified of humans at first. Now they will sit in your lap, ask for you to hold them and enjoy snuggling with you in front of the TV. Again, I thank God that I made the effort to work with them. For some reason, I have a "gift" for being able to tame ferals and help them become acclimated to living indoors. (No, I do NOT believe in keeping domestic animals outside). It always brings us great joy to received updates and photos on some of the kitties we have found good homes for. Their happiness and safety is worth all of the effort.
In addition to caring for my own companion animals, which is literally a full time job in itself, I actively help all of the feral cats in my area. This entails feeding them, trapping them to be spayed or neutered, providing them proper post-surgery aftercare and either adopting them myself or finding loving homes for them. I have made it my own personal mission to help all of these kitties, hoping that those who live around me will become more responsible at some point. We have documented our TNR project every step of the way with details about each kitty, photos and veterinary records. We are proud to have helped several kittens as well as quite a few beautiful and handsome adult cats. PAWS Rescue has helped us to make all of this possible. A special thank you to PAWS as well as everyone at our vet's office.
Lastly, if you are interested in how you can help the feral kitties in your own community, I would urge you to visit these websites below. They provide excellent advice to anyone who would like to make a difference in the lives of feral cats. You will be doing a good and positive thing and the cats will appreciate your efforts! Consider opening your home and your heart to one them. -Tiffany
Cat Chat - the Cat Rescue Resource, Information on Feral Cats The happy kitty at the top of the page is Damien. He was standing next to his mother (deceased) on the side of the busy freeway in freezing temperatures. He was scared and crying for his mother. He is now one of the most active and friendly kitties in our family.
|
