The lives of the 'marina cats' that inhabited the rocky crevices of the public boat ramp at the H.H. Knoll Park on the Lake Erie shore of Port Colborne have been dramatically changed by the Port Colborne Feral Cat Initiative (PCFCI).
The feral cats - cats that are afraid of human contact - lived among the rocks of the boat ramp in a 'feral colony'. They depended on food handouts from kind hearted people to avoid starvation and suffered through frigid winters in an extremely harsh environment. The number of cats in the colony fluctuated with the relentless cycle of deaths and births. The average life span of a feral cat is two years, with three out of four kittens born to feral cats not surviving to adulthood.
Kristi Mallinson-Vogel knew there was a way to end this cycle of suffering and founded PCFCI, a volunteer group committed to humanely address the feral cat problem with a community Trap-Neuter-Return program, known world wide as TNR.
'Feral cats are the direct result of human neglect,' says Kristi. 'We've created this problem and we need to fix it. Pet abandonment, pets that are not spayed/neutered and lack of TNR programs for feral colonies all contribute to the massive number of feral/stray cats, not only in our community but around the world.' Feral cat numbers are estimated to be in the tens of millions in the United States alone.
Program funding was granted to PCFCI by the City of Port Colborne in May and the marina cats were the first to benefit. Over the course of a few days in June, PCFCI volunteers worked around the clock to humanely trap, sterilize and vaccinate the feral marina cats. A barn home for the cats was secured which provides food, shelter and medical attention, if needed. In return, these lucky cats have all 'volunteered' for mouse patrol!
'PCFCI is very happy to report that the marina cats are safe, healthy and well cared for in their new country home,' says Kristi.
