Help Bolton's Feral Cats
Donation protected
Bolton’s Feral Cats need our help!
Last year, my now 12 yo daughter, Briana made me aware of a colony of feral cats on South road. Each time she would visit friends in the neighborhood, they would find new kittens. We decided then that we wanted to help. The colony is growing in size rapidly. What started out as one litter of 5 kittens, has grown to 35+ cats, with more on the way (we know at least a few are already pregnant this season).
The best way to help these cats is through TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return). We visited with the kind man who currently feeds the cats and he has agreed to let us trap the cats so that that they can be spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and ear tipped. Ear tipping is a universally accepted sign that a cat is feral and has already been neutered. The photo above is a picture of a feral cat that I found on the internet, not a Bolton cat, that has a tipped ear. They will then be released back onto the property from which they came from. The current caretaker will continue to feed them.
The cost for TNR will be approximately $95 per cat, plus any medical expenses that may arise if any of cats have health issues that need to be addressed. We know there are at least 35 cats, however there could be many more. These cats are very good at hiding, as they are wary of humans. They don’t all come out at once, so its difficult to know exactly how many there are. We will be working to try to document as many cats as we can in the coming weeks before trapping, to get a better idea of what we are dealing with.
I will be working with an area rescue, Our Companions, that has agreed to help us. They may be able to provide some financial assistance; however, I do not expect that they will be able to cover it all. Any money that is raised that is not needed initially, will be used for any future TNR trappings that may be needed and medical expenses that may arise. Also, if possible we’d also like to provide at least some cat food for the caretaker, as he told us he is currently purchasing 40lbs of cat food a week.
Any help you may be able to provide will be greatly appreciated! Even just sharing the campaign helps.
Thank you, Kelly & Briana Ross
-Note: Anyone who would prefer to donate directly to Our Companions, the organization we are working with, by check or credit card may do so here http://ourcompanions.org/donate/index.htm
*Please note Bolton's Feral Cat project with your donation.
A few feral cat facts:
· Female cats can reproduce two to three times a year, and their kittens, if they survive, will become feral without early contact with people. Cats can become pregnant as early as 5 months of age, and the number of cats rapidly increases without intervention by caring people. Example: A pair of breeding cats, which can have two or more litters per year, can exponentially produce 420,000 offspring over a seven-year period.
· Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is a non-lethal strategy to reduce the number of feral cats and improve the quality of life for cats, birds, wildlife and people. This program helps to reduce the numbers of feral cats able to breed and reproduce. The TNR program sterilizes the cats, vaccinates them against rabies and surgically ear-tips the cat on one ear (ear-tip is the universally recognized sign of a cat who has been sterilized in a TNR program).
Last year, my now 12 yo daughter, Briana made me aware of a colony of feral cats on South road. Each time she would visit friends in the neighborhood, they would find new kittens. We decided then that we wanted to help. The colony is growing in size rapidly. What started out as one litter of 5 kittens, has grown to 35+ cats, with more on the way (we know at least a few are already pregnant this season).
The best way to help these cats is through TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return). We visited with the kind man who currently feeds the cats and he has agreed to let us trap the cats so that that they can be spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and ear tipped. Ear tipping is a universally accepted sign that a cat is feral and has already been neutered. The photo above is a picture of a feral cat that I found on the internet, not a Bolton cat, that has a tipped ear. They will then be released back onto the property from which they came from. The current caretaker will continue to feed them.
The cost for TNR will be approximately $95 per cat, plus any medical expenses that may arise if any of cats have health issues that need to be addressed. We know there are at least 35 cats, however there could be many more. These cats are very good at hiding, as they are wary of humans. They don’t all come out at once, so its difficult to know exactly how many there are. We will be working to try to document as many cats as we can in the coming weeks before trapping, to get a better idea of what we are dealing with.
I will be working with an area rescue, Our Companions, that has agreed to help us. They may be able to provide some financial assistance; however, I do not expect that they will be able to cover it all. Any money that is raised that is not needed initially, will be used for any future TNR trappings that may be needed and medical expenses that may arise. Also, if possible we’d also like to provide at least some cat food for the caretaker, as he told us he is currently purchasing 40lbs of cat food a week.
Any help you may be able to provide will be greatly appreciated! Even just sharing the campaign helps.
Thank you, Kelly & Briana Ross
-Note: Anyone who would prefer to donate directly to Our Companions, the organization we are working with, by check or credit card may do so here http://ourcompanions.org/donate/index.htm
*Please note Bolton's Feral Cat project with your donation.
A few feral cat facts:
· Female cats can reproduce two to three times a year, and their kittens, if they survive, will become feral without early contact with people. Cats can become pregnant as early as 5 months of age, and the number of cats rapidly increases without intervention by caring people. Example: A pair of breeding cats, which can have two or more litters per year, can exponentially produce 420,000 offspring over a seven-year period.
· Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is a non-lethal strategy to reduce the number of feral cats and improve the quality of life for cats, birds, wildlife and people. This program helps to reduce the numbers of feral cats able to breed and reproduce. The TNR program sterilizes the cats, vaccinates them against rabies and surgically ear-tips the cat on one ear (ear-tip is the universally recognized sign of a cat who has been sterilized in a TNR program).
Organizer
Kelly McDougal Ross
Organizer
Bolton, CT
