Here's an article from The Barrow Journal that was published a few weeks ago. Kitten season is upon us!!!
The Crazy Cat Lady
Currently there are three kitties who share my home. Why do I have three kitties? Because I can’t afford four (or a hundred!) I
could so totally be The Crazy Cat Lady.
I want them all. I had to stop
following the Humane Society pages on Facebook, because I worried about the kitties
finding homes, and I’m sure my friends grew tired of me always posting pictures
of kitties who needed homes.
While there are many factors that determine the active
kitten season, it seems that spring and summer are the busiest intake times for
the shelters. And guess what… spring is
right around the corner.
There are beautiful breeds from which to choose for those
who are looking to buy a fancy cat. Of
all the cats I’ve had, there were two that I actually paid money for. Yes, they were gorgeous specimens of fine
breeding, and I loved them dearly. But,
in reality, they were no more special than any other cat I’ve had – including
the ones with torn and tattered ears, one with a paralyzed tail, and several
who surely qualified for the Kitty Psyche Ward.
Bottom line, if it purrs, I love it.
I’ve recently been amazed and delighted to find that there
are folks in the area who are totally dedicated to the feral cat population,
and are personally committed to these homeless kitties. There was a story on one of the cat pages on
Facebook about a woman who came into town for work, and stayed at a local hotel
for a few days. She discovered a sweet
kitty living in the parking lot, and started feeding her. The kitty would come out late in the evening,
and after a few days, allowed her new friend to pet her. She had an obvious
injury to one of her feet, and the lady wanted to save her. She reached out to
this Facebook page, and several people got involved right away. Someone volunteered to adopt her, if she
could be caught. Another person agreed
to come to the site and capture her. This was an amazing story to follow. The lady from out of town was so concerned
about the kitty, that she stayed in Athens for an extra two nights, just to
ensure that someone was able to rescue the kitty. It took a village to save this little
furbaby, and after getting the medical care she needed, she is flourishing in
her new home.
Kelly Bettinger is the awesome gal who captured the
kitty. She works with an organization
called Campus Cats over at UGA. I know
she is awesome because she rescued that particular kitty in a matter of
minutes, late one night, on her own time.
Kelly also drove to Statham one Sunday afternoon to help capture Dixie,
one of my best friend’s kitties, who was scheduled for spay surgery the
following morning. Dixie is one of four
kitties who “took up” at DJ’s house a while back. Dixie got herself in the family way, as cats
are prone to do, and gave birth to four beautiful kittens. As responsible pet owners, DJ and David made
sure to get all the kitties fixed, but could not for the life of them capture Miss
Dixie. After seeing the story about the
parking-lot rescue, I hooked DJ up with Kelly, and she drove out and got Dixie
caged in no time flat, enabling her to be transported for surgery.
Yes, I love kitties, and I’d like to adopt all of them. But these folks who get out in the field, give
of their personal time to really make a difference… these are my heroes. Perhaps someday I’ll have the time and resources
to help, but until then, I’ll do my best to take extra good care of Cooper,
Scout, and Boo Radley, my sweet rescue kitties.
With kitten season just around the corner, please consider
several ways in which you can help the overpopulation problem: Adopt a kitty of your own for a delightful
addition to your family! Yes, there is
an adoption fee, but your kitty will be totally vetted, fixed, and
microchipped. It’s a great deal! You can also help control the feral
population as well, by notifying a company called Altered Feral State, who will
trap, fix, and return feral cats. For
more information about this organization, you can call the Pet Smart store in
Winder. I’m not sure how far out of
Athens the Campus Cats folks are able to provide service, but please contact
them for information, or volunteer to help.
They are making a huge difference in the Athens area, and would so appreciate
your help. There are many adoption
agencies who work with pet stores in this area, as well as Humane Society
offices located in most counties. These folks
are always in need of supplies, donations, and volunteers. Add a bag of kitty litter, cat food, paper
and cloth towels, or bleach to your shopping cart for donating. Sponsor a surgery for a homeless kitty. Call one of the agencies and schedule a play
date for you and your kids to go into the shelters and play with the cats and
kittens. They need to learn
socialization with people to help them be better candidates for adoption.
I’d love to be The Crazy Cat Lady and have a house/yard full
of kitties. I’d love to save them
all. But I can’t. However, I recently saw a poster that said
“How can you save 100 cats? Spay or
neuter just one.”
There’s room for lots more heroes out there, and there’s a
superhero cape with YOUR name on it! If
you’re more of a dog than cat person, the same needs exist for our canine
friends as well. Please consider how you
can make a difference in the lives of our furry friends.
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