But we cannot save them all.
Two weeks ago, a group of ladies, feeding cats on Harmonie Street contacted me for advice. In the group they were feeding there was this small black kitten so skinny and feral it was an emergency and it must be taken in immediately for vet care.
With the kind of weather we had at the time (minus 20) and no fat to help him, the kitten was really at risk. But the lack of experience in capture lead to a tragic end. They tried to capture him but even sick as he was, he eluded the girls and went back outside. They found him dead a few days later in a box lined with straw installed specially for the cats living on Harmonie St.
Even though I pressured the girls to capture the kitten, they did not act fast enough. When you are feeding strays, and there is a sick, skinny or injured cat in the group, EVERYTHING must be done to capture it immediately in order to save it. Meanwhile, the cat is suffering needlessly and in our kind of winter weather, it will most certainly die if it is a kitten that skinny.
The faith of the two other kittens (twin girls pictured here) from the same colony is quite different. Being more friendly, they were captured and are presently at the shelter, up for adoption. Intelligent and healthy, they would make good company for any cat lover. For adoption: 438 875 0748
Helping stray cats is not easy. Over the week-end, we had two more cats from that same colony spayed and neutered. The male looked injured and was walking on three legs but the vet did not find any major injury, she figured it was arthritis from an old one. As for the female, the caregiver was telling me she had litters already and was still pregnant. That is the reason she was captured and spayed. Luckily she was not pregnant. Having kittens in the harsh winter is quite an ordeal. The little female is not happy at the shelter. She survived a few years outside so I'll arrange for her to be released back on Harmonie St. this week-end.
Being fed on a regular basis, these two will have a more quiet life since being fixed. No more worries with babies or male battles and injuries.
That is the exact purpose of taking good care of a colony with TNR (trap-neuter-release) and the system works beautifully provided that a caregiver is around all the time.
Feral cats are part of urban wildlife and must be treated as special beings. We must help them live their kitty life outside and they will appreciate. Don't try to make them live with humans, they don't care about humans or being petted.
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