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.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Kittens having kittens...
Her caregivers call her Missy. A tiny strawberry blonde feline with white trim, she is barely more than a kitten herself. Five days ago, outside in frigidly cold weather Missy gave birth to her first litter of kittens. Thanks to the PCFCI TNR program, this litter will be her last.
Missy's caregivers reached out to PCFCI to assist them with the ever-growing colony that they have been feeding and sheltering for over six years. These people have provided shelter and food to countless numbers of cats over this period of time. Despite neighbourhood complaints about the odour and the noise from territorial fighting, they could not bear to watch the homeless cats and kittens literally starving in front of their eyes. They contacted various agencies to see what solutions were available. Sadly they came to the realization that if surrendered to the shelter the unsocialized adult cats would be killed as they were deemed unadoptable. The final straw was the day they saw a hungry cat eat a Kleenex out of the garbage. They built shelters and started feeding the most nutritious diet they could afford. They found homes for many of the kittens and friendly adults. Unfortunately, as evidenced by the ever-increasing size of the colony, this just wasn't enough to resolve the problem.
The missing piece of the puzzle was sterilization. No matter how many cats they were able to find homes for, the remaining cats continued to reproduce, resulting in a never ending supply of new cats to the colony. This is why TNR is the only humane and fiscally responsible solution to address the issue. TNR translates into no more kittens, no more noise and no more odour. Over time the colony dies off through attrition.
Missy and her kittens will have a temporary new home, safe from the many predators that prey on small kittens. When the kittens are old enough to eat on their own, they will be placed in foster care in order to further prepare for adoption. Missy will be spayed and also placed in an adoption program, waiting for her forever home.
With your generosity and support, PCFCI will continue to work toward making a difference in the lives of these cats. At the very least they are deserving of the safe haven of a managed colony and just maybe a chance at finding their forever home.
Missy's caregivers reached out to PCFCI to assist them with the ever-growing colony that they have been feeding and sheltering for over six years. These people have provided shelter and food to countless numbers of cats over this period of time. Despite neighbourhood complaints about the odour and the noise from territorial fighting, they could not bear to watch the homeless cats and kittens literally starving in front of their eyes. They contacted various agencies to see what solutions were available. Sadly they came to the realization that if surrendered to the shelter the unsocialized adult cats would be killed as they were deemed unadoptable. The final straw was the day they saw a hungry cat eat a Kleenex out of the garbage. They built shelters and started feeding the most nutritious diet they could afford. They found homes for many of the kittens and friendly adults. Unfortunately, as evidenced by the ever-increasing size of the colony, this just wasn't enough to resolve the problem.
The missing piece of the puzzle was sterilization. No matter how many cats they were able to find homes for, the remaining cats continued to reproduce, resulting in a never ending supply of new cats to the colony. This is why TNR is the only humane and fiscally responsible solution to address the issue. TNR translates into no more kittens, no more noise and no more odour. Over time the colony dies off through attrition.
Missy and her kittens will have a temporary new home, safe from the many predators that prey on small kittens. When the kittens are old enough to eat on their own, they will be placed in foster care in order to further prepare for adoption. Missy will be spayed and also placed in an adoption program, waiting for her forever home.
With your generosity and support, PCFCI will continue to work toward making a difference in the lives of these cats. At the very least they are deserving of the safe haven of a managed colony and just maybe a chance at finding their forever home.
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