Cats, cats, and more cats! When we see stray cats, we all want to help. Unfortunately, if not done right, we end up with an even bigger problem. If you are feeding stray cats but not having them spayed/neutered, you are actually harming them in the end.
We recently received a call for help from the mother of a young man who had been feeding stray cats for quite some time. None of the cats were spayed or neutered so the colony grew. As well as not being fixed, most of the cats were sick. He loved the cats but sadly watched them produce litter after litter of kittens. He had several generations living at his house and could proudly tell you who belonged to who.
To compound the problem, the home he was living in was rented. This created a crisis for the cats when he was asked to move. His landlord told him he’d better take the cats or find a place for them. The landlord threatened to poison the cats if left behind.
ACT was called in to help. We took in 3 moms with 8 kittens between them, 2 pregnant cats, and 7 juniors (about 3 months old). All have received vaccinations and appropriate medical care. And, the good news is, since the gentleman had spent time socializing these kitties, all will be very adoptable when healthy and SPAYED or NEUTERED. There are still cats at the house.
There is growing support and research to back it, that the kindest way to deal with community cats is to fix them and free them back into their community. Feeding without fixing only serves to attract more cats, larger litters, and a population that quickly spirals out of control. Please check with your local shelters, clinics, and rescues to find out what kind of help is available in your area.
For more information on community cats and the best ways you can help them, go to
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