“I got involved with Feral Cat Friends last spring, when I noticed a few stray cats in my neighborhood. I posted their pictures on a local lost pet website on Facebook to see if anyone was missing them. Someone mentioned that our neighborhood is populated with feral cats likely from a nearby barn, so I learned what feral cats were and more about how they typically live. A neighbor then cared for a litter of feral kittens, which were born with neurological and physical disorders likely from inbreeding. Some of the kittens’ conditions were so severe, they did not survive. At that point, I knew I had to do something to help!
I started out by simply spaying and neutering feral cats in my neighborhood. It expanded to building insulated shelters during the cold weather. I did this by asking for donations of materials that happen to be lying around peoples’ homes. The huge response I received from strangers in the community was impressive. I then knew that I needed to give back. Therefore, I began building insulated homes for others, loaned my personal traps that I had purchased, and set traps in populated neighborhoods. I learned that people truly care for these animals; they just need support and confidence in helping them.
Everyone in the Feral Cat Friends community that I have spoken to is extremely supportive. For example, I was struggling to feed the amount of feral cats I have while I was in graduate school. I came home to large bags of cat food, dishes and gift cards from strangers with a note saying, ‘this is not an individual problem, this is a community problem’. It was such a powerful statement. I have never met a group of people who are so caring and giving. They understand that feral cats need just a little help to survive, and it starts by us taking responsibility.
Theresa has very little help but does a phenomenal job of reducing the feral cat population. I have also heard that the local animal shelter has noticed a decrease in cat population. She, along with others with knowledge of feral cats, has given me confidence to continue reducing population and teaching others about the importance of spaying and neutering.”