After talking with neighbors on this quiet block we learned of two large colonies of cats and got to work explaining TNR. These caretakers love their cats but over the past few years could only scoop up the tiniest kittens and take them to the shelter. The remaining cats were too skittish, multiplied quickly, and now there are many – 30 at least.

We’ve trapped 13 cats to start, focusing on females, juveniles, and any who appear injured or ill. Fortunately most are healthy. One needs extensive medical care. Five are likely adoptable. Each one is special and all are beautiful

We’re partnering with 19th Ward Community Cats to spay/neuter all the cats before the winter and we’ve purchased some incredible shelters from Neighborhood Cats Network since our typical shelters will not work for the larger colony on this block.

This project is an expensive one and we need help to cover the cost. Please help us get this colony under control by preventing more kittens and giving each cat the healthiest possible life and a warm place to stay. Thank you as always for your donations and support.

-Amethyst was noted by his feeder to be losing weight and had difficulty chewing. We re-trapped him knowing his symptoms were serious. This shy boy was found to have a tumor in his mouth and was humanely euthanized.

-Beauty showed up at her colony with a tail injury then disappeared. After the trail cam snapped pics of her, we quickly trapped her. She’s recovering from her tail amputation and will spend the rest of her days safely indoors with her long-time feeder.

Each of these special kitties got the attention they needed thanks to the caretaker of a managed colony. Day in, day out these feeders watch over these cats. To support them and show our appreciation, we’re collecting dry and canned cat food (and making winter shelters) on Saturday Nov 16th from 1p-3p at the Ryan R-Center 530 Webster Ave. You can also order from our Chewy wishlist.

We, and the , thank you for your donations!

Check for gaps. Make sure there’s no space between the trap and the ground.

Avoid interference. Watch out for kinks in the rope or anything that could catch, like a hidden tree stump.

Use a “slider.” A little piece of cardboard under the prop keeps it from getting stuck in soil or scraping concrete. Hesitation or noise and the cat can escape.

Add weight to the plate in the back. This helps to keep it stable.

Pull only when they’re fully engaged! Wait until the cat is completely focused on eating before pulling.

Secure the box trap. Always use the hooks to connect the two traps before transferring the cat.

Good luck! You can do this

Unfortunately we get so many calls about cats in need that we cannot get to everyone. Don’t hesitate to call us back if you still need help! We are focusing on a few locations with a large number of cats and on getting kittens off the street and socialized. In addition to this, we are making and distributing winter shelters (and hoping the weather stays mild for a few more weeks).

Thank you for your ongoing support

Join us this evening 5p-7p 498 W Main St (parking behind the building off Litchfield) for food, fun, raffles (winners picked tonight), vendors, and a look at the terrific art exhibit put together by our board member and artist Gretchen Ettlie. We cannot thank her enough for bringing together so many talented people to help us raise money for the city’s free-roaming cats. Scroll through to see some of the works still available for purchase.

Thank you to our sponsors Javas, Lori’s Natural Foods, Archimage, Kids Art Supporting Animals, and Natural Pet Foods. We applaud you for recognizing that the combination of TNR plus managed colonies is the most effective approach to the serious problem of cat overpopulation.

After she recovers from her spay, mama cat to our new adorable kittens will be returned to her reliable feeder. No more kittens for her  @kids_art_supporting_animals@archimagestore@lorisnaturalfoods@javascafe

These are also the happy faces of new and loyal supporters at the Joy Gallery this afternoon creating some amazingly pretty postcards.

All funds raised during our Catoberfest will help with the cost of spay/neuter as well as the supplies we need for winter shelters. Hope to see you Friday evening Oct 25th 5p-7p. Thank you for supporting our mission and helping the city’s deserving cats

Looking ahead to “Postcard Day” art activity for all ages and our cat food drive next Saturday Oct 19th 10a-2p. Joy Gallery 498 W Main St. Suggested donation $5 to create your own mixed media collage

Hope to see you on the 19th! Browse, shop, snack, buy some raffle tickets. Learn more about what we do for the city’s many homeless cats