Saturday, January 17, 2009

Life on the rocks....

Dawn breaks slowly over the frozen shores of Lake Erie. Massive mountains of ice lay jumbled along the lake where water meets land. Man-made shoreline consisting of piles of snow and ice covered rocks, intended to keep erosion at bay, is now home to a growing colony of feral cats. Assorted shapes, sizes and colours, there are a couple that are probably only 3 - 4 months old. Who knows how they came to live at this unlikely location. They may be a splinter group from a nearby colony or some may have been dropped off there at some point, abandoned by their human caretakers - one can only speculate. Now this is the only home they know. They have managed to survive, at least for now, the frigid temperatures, raging blizzards and howling winds that this winter season has unleashed on them. Thanks to kind souls that supply them with food and fill up the little spaces between the rocks with straw where they huddle to keep warm, they are alive. Sadly, females who are no more than kittens themselves may already be pregnant with the first litters of 2009. Is this any way to treat creatures that were domesticated by man and were more than likely someones companion animal? We think not. Trap, neuter, return, along with a dedicated volunteer caretaker and appropriate shelter will ensure that they receive the best quality of life under the circumstances. We think it's only fair...

1 comment:

  1. Wonderful writing giving a glimpse of the cruel circumstances these cats endure....you WILL inspire action on their behalf.
    Wendy

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