Meet the Smithin Clowder:

These are just some of the feral kitties we have been taking care of in New York since March 2024. It has not been easy. Not only have we been traveling an hour+ each way once a week, every single week, for over a year, but we have also been struggling to manage financially, physically, mentally, and emotionally.

There have been many hardships caring for these guys, and now we are asking for help to get them set up for a safe, happy life in our backyard in NJ.

Who are all these kitties?

This colony of cats has lived on the property for decades. From Dorothy's grandparents caring for them to my late father-in-law, Charlie, spoiling them every day, these cats have been a family staple. None of these animals ever went hungry. Charlie not only fed his cats; he also fed the raccoons, deer, gophers, opossums, birds, and anything else that came by. The kitties got dry food, wet food, water, and milk every single day.

When Charlie passed, we couldn't abandon them as people suggested. People told us, "They're wild, so they will find their way and take care of themselves." Others said "Stop feeding them and they will move on."

Well, we couldn't and wouldn't do that. Instead, we set out to save them.

So then what happened?

What started as 13 cats last winter turned into 17+ this spring, and would have continued to grow exponentially if we hadn't finally found someone to help us with the TNR process. Jill's Ferals in Port Jervis, NY, was a godsend. Jill made quick work of trapping everyone and bringing them to an awesome vet who not only spayed and neutered them, but also provided the medical attention they needed.

Even with us caring for them, we had some unfortunate losses. We have lost a few to illnesses and accidents. Thankfully, many of the young kittens were adopted out. And, one of the most loving ginger boys, Sneezy, also got adopted, thanks again to Jill's Ferals.

Where are we now?

After all of this, we are now down to just 7 kitties.

Three of whom we took into our home.

First, there is Fenrys:

The softest, cuddliest, wildest little ginger boy who stole our hearts as a kitten. Once we brought him home, he needed to have surgery to have his eye removed.

Next, there is Twixy:

Twixy is a 3-year-old tortoiseshell girl who did the biggest behavioral turnaround I've ever seen. She went from a standoffish feral to the most loving girl. "Lil Miss Underfoot" walking around under your feet. You would never know she was a feral now.

And then there's Peggy (formerly Petey):

Peggy is a still-scared 2-year-old ginger girl who had to have a leg amputated after living with the injury for a year. We're trying so hard to gain her trust, but I'm glad she's happy, healthy, and living indoors where it's warm. She is slowly but surely learning that she doesn't have to be in survival mode anymore.

How can you help?

That's a great question; I would love to tell you!

There are still four kitties living on the property: Boi, Romeo, Ollie, and Baby. We still drive there each weekend to care for them, and by proxy, all of the other wild animals that love to come by for rest and a bite to eat. We don't want to have to drive there every week through another winter, though, and we want to give the kitties a much more comfortable life going forward.

With the advice of a rescue and countless hours of research, we built a catio in our backyard, which we are in the process of winterizing for them:

They'll acclimate to their new home over the winter in the catio, and our next step is to get this awesome cat-proof fencing, and that is where we need help.

We want to give these guys a quality of life and use this to fence in the backyard to keep the kitties safe from predators. Once the cats acclimate and winter is over, we want to get this fencing and have it installed.

Our long-term goal is to connect our basement to this outdoor space so the kitties living indoors with us can visit the rest of their family outside safely.

The Ask:

All of this is going to cost thousands of dollars, and because of everything over the last 1.5+ years, our savings are depleted.

So, we need your help.

If you can donate, we'd appreciate it. Even just sharing this page will be a huge help to us. If you've read this far, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. This has not been an easy road, and making the decision to ask for help is difficult.

These kitties are worth everything we have been through for them, and now you can join us in making sure their future is bright and happy!