*HISTORY: Don and I
have two cats: Kat is 6 years old, and
Scooter is about 8 months.
Scooter
Kat
We have an
outdoor condo for our cats and they can enter the outdoor caged space from the
living room window.
Our cat condo
One evening in
September, Scooter managed to climb the wall and knock out a tile from the condo to make a great
escape.
Of course, panic set in as soon
as I discovered that he was gone.Nightfall
was approaching so I dutifully set out a couple dishes of good smelling cat
food to help lure Scooter back home.A
while later, I looked out the window and saw that we had attracted four darling
little hungry kittens devouring the food I had left out for Scooter.
Oh no!As a devoted
cat lover, my heart broke to see these starving little adorable kittens at
large.They scattered and ran off into
the night when I tried to approach them confirming that they were indeed feral
cats.
Scooter did come home that night. We heard him scratching at the window wanting
to come in.
The next morning there were four sets of pleading little
eyes staring up at me when I stepped outside.
How could I resist.
I just looked at them and thought "now what??" If no one does
anything to help this little furry family, I knew they would soon grow up and
have litters of their own. We need and
appreciate the feral cats in Palm Creek as they keep the rodent population in
check but can also become overpopulated if not somehow controlled. I recalled the charity dance held last season
to raise money for spay/neutering the stray cats in the community so contacted
Juliana Crispens who I hoped would have some guidance.
Juliana suggested I keep feeding the cats to keep them in
the neighborhood. In about a month they
would be ready for her program. Then she
brought over four cages which we loaded with food every day until she arranged time to take them
up to Mesa for the procedure. We actually set the traps and within a few hours
had all four cats trapped safely in the cages.
Juliana drove them up to the clinic in Mesa on Monday
morning and brought them home that night.
They received their operations, vaccines, and even rabies shots. Two other dedicated volunteers kept the cats overnight to make sure they were okay. Then they brought them to our house for release. All appeared happy and healthy to again enjoy
their freedom. They are now old enough
to begin their vigilance at surveying the area for rodents and the myriad of
insects they also devour.
The little white kitten (aptly named Casper) has become Scooter's best friend. They play together through the condo cage...even sharing toys that Scooter pushes through the grate. They were so happy to be together again after the release.
Some residents deny the need for feral cats because they
haven’t seen any rats in the neighborhood.They’re here though.Through
living here for 19+ years, we can attest to rodents becoming a problem.With all the trash receptacles placed around
the park and the fallen fruit from citrus trees, there is plenty of food left for
scavenging rodents.And sometimes they
get into a house and make quite a mess.
Feral cats are skilled hunters and typically eat small
animals like mice, birds, and insects. Yes, they will eat crickets and
scorpions. They're opportunistic
feeders, so they'll also scavenge for food in garbage bins or eat whatever they
can find, including scraps and leftovers.
It’s fascinating how adaptable they are!
Here is information provided by the AZ Vet Direct agency
that assists with the program:
Our spay surgery cost estimate for a cat is: $110. Our
neuter surgery is $85.This cost is for
anesthesia and surgery only. The cost of pain medication to go home is
$15-30. You may choose an injection for pain control instead for $20.
E-collars are $15 and are optional for cats.A rabies vaccine is required for all patients 12 weeks of
age and older for $20.
The cost of this program adds up in a hurry! Juliana and a group of friends created a fund raising program last season by sponsoring a karaoke event and bake sale. Plans are underway for more events this season. Mark your calendar for January 18 from 1:00 - 5:00 at the north pavillion. Details will be available soon.
