Not So Wild Cats in the Neighborhood

At the cats-only boarding facility, we keep an eye out for abandoned or feral cats. Leftover food from the guests is set out twice a day for our “regulars”. We even do our best to catch, spay or neuter, and find homes for the feral cats who hang out behind the building. But those aren’t the only abandoned kitties I deal with. There’s a sizable abandoned cat population at the apartment complex where I live. There are two in particular who live and hang out right by my door: a pair of mostly black kitties. One is extremely friendly; the … Continue reading

TNR Programs Gaining Popularity

What is TNR, you ask? TNR stands for Trap-Neuter-Return… and is a policy for dealing with feral cat populations that is gaining popularity. There are currently more than two hundred TNR organizations operating across the United States, including the ASPCA and the Humane Society of the United States. One big question raised with Trap-Neuter-Return programs is: why not try to find homes for the cats, if you’ve gone to all that trouble? The answer is not so easy. Some feral cats are adoptable, and most TNR programs do try to find homes for friendly strays. However, a lot of feral … Continue reading

Diary of a Cat Care B&B: Adventures in Cat Trapping

We have a new stray hanging around the cats only boarding facility. I haven’t seen him yet, but my coworkers have. He’s a grey tabby with a white belly, and he doesn’t seem healthy at all. If we can catch him, the vets can take a look at him and help him if possible. Thus, the great Cat Trapping Project began. A few weeks ago, we hauled out the big wire trap and set it with a tempting meal of mush inside. Morning one: the bowl is empty. The trap has been sprung. Nobody’s inside. Morning two: the bowl is … Continue reading

Diary of a Cat Care B&B: Two Happy Endings for the Price of One

At the beginning of the summer, someone called the cats-only boarding facility hoping to find her lost cat. She was staying at a nearby hotel and the cat had slipped out when someone had come to the door. (It’s all too easy for this to happen, as I learned when I was on my cross-country trip with Moose and Lally!) We promised to keep an eye out for her cat — a grey kitty with big blue eyes. Since we leave food out for the local feral cats, we often get other wanderers stopping by for a nibble. But months … Continue reading

Diary of a Cat Care B&B: Hi-Ho Silver!

We have a very special guest right now at the cats-only boarding facility: a friendly little cat we call Silver. I’ve mentioned our feral cat efforts before — we leave leftover food out for strays and feral cats. When a new stray comes by to nibble, we try to catch him or her for a check-up. The folks on the vet side will do a full exam, give the cat a round of vaccinations, and spay/neuter as needed. Last weekend, I met Silver. He was out by the food dish as I pulled into the parking lot. I crouched at … Continue reading