Feral Cat Day!!

Here's the thing... my funny little ballerina Olivia Newton John lived her first few days on the mean streets of central Washington. She was brought to the shelter by herself and when she was ready the shelter folks sent her to live at a skilled nursing facility to acclimate her to humans. Livvy loves to run through the house, bouncing off furniture like a parkour runner. She has more energy than a 5 year-old and she's super-vocal (she can also form words like "agua" and is therefore bilingual). Even though she drives me crazy at times, life certainly would not be the same without her. 

I firmly believe that any animal brought into my family should come from a shelter. The Humane Society of the United States estimates that over 50 million stray and feral cats live among us. Here are some

• A stray cat is a pet cat who is lost or abandoned. Feral cats are the offspring of lost or abandoned pet cats or other feral cats who are not spayed or neutered. Stray cats are accustomed to contact with people and are tame, but feral cats are not accustomed to contact with people and are typically too fearful and wild to be handled.
• Feral cats are the offspring of lost or abandoned pet cats or other feral cats who are not spayed or neutered. Females can reproduce two to three times a year, and their kittens, if they survive, will become feral without early contact with people. 
• Feral cats typically live in a colony—a group of related cats. The colony occupies and defends a specific territory where food (a restaurant dumpster, a person who feeds them) and shelter (beneath a porch, in an abandoned building) are available. 
• Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is a strategy for improving the lives of feral cats and reducing their numbers. At a minimum, feral cats who are TNRed are spayed or neutered so they can no longer reproduce, vaccinated against rabies, and surgically ear-tipped on one ear (ear-tipping is the universally-recognized sign of a cat who has been TNRed).
• Helping feral cats can be very rewarding. There are many options for you to be involved; please see our website for more information. First, you may want to look for an existing feral cat group or individuals who are practicing TNR in your area to help you learn the ropes.

 Have a wonderful day!