Hyde Way TNR Project

Objective

We're raising funds to help cover the costs of trapping, neutering, vaccinating, and releasing a community of feral cats in the Regent Square/Wilkinsburg area near Pittsburgh.

The Coronavirus pandemic is impacting us all, but many might not realize that this includes animals. The temporary shutdown of shelters across the country is going to lead to a huge explosion in the number of kitten litters, the overall feral cat population, and the lives of hardship they often face. We're hoping to do a small part to curb that problem in our area.


Fundraising goal

We're hoping to raise enough funds to have all the cats we take in spayed, neutered, and vaccinat ed  at Frankie's Friends, one of the few rescue clinics still open during Pennsylvania's Covid-19 stay-at-home order. The spay and neuter packages at Frankie's Friends include flea and ear mite treatments, rabies vaccinations, medical exams, antibiotics, pain medications, and ear tips!

So far, we've rescued nearly 50 cats and kittens. Any additional funds raised will go towards neutering newly found cats, treating sick and injured cats, and covering food and flea treatments for pregnant cats and their kittens. 


Who we are

We're sisters who live in the Regent Square area of Pittsburgh. Originally from Naples, Florida, we moved to Pittsburgh to attend Carnegie Mellon University. We've grown to love the city enough to now call it home, even after graduation.

Both of us have volunteered at animal shelters since high school, and we continue to dedicate our time to that effort as weekly volunteers at the Humane Animal Rescue.

Alysia has three rescue cats of her own – Fiori, Midna, and Luna – but still considers herself a dog person.

Autumn has fostered cats and rabbits throughout college, before finally taking the plunge her senior year and permanently adopting an adorable calico named Nadine.


How this began

As Autumn was taking a walk in her neighborhood of Wilkinsburg, she saw a young cat pop its head out of the bushes. She called Alysia to ask for assistance (and a can of food). Together, we were hoping to check for a collar or microchip.

When we followed it behind a house, we discovered an alley in Wilkinsburg full of beautiful, feral kitties. After talking with the local renters and homeowners, we learned that those cats are a staple of Hyde Way, and they are very well fed! However, the majority of them are not spayed or neutered, so there are many ongoing pregnancies and other medical needs to be addressed.

Now we're working to TNR (trap, neuter, release) these cats, get them the medical care they need, and to help find forever homes for any new kittens we come across.


Other ways to help

If you're local, we would gladly accept any donations of cat food, flea treatments, litter supplies, scratching posts, clean crates, and humane traps you might be able to spare. We can return labeled crates and traps at the end of our project. If you're interested in fostering pregnant mamas, kittens, or recovering cats, feel free to reach out and let us know what neighborhood you live in and if you have any experience with cats.

If you're not local, look into TNR rescue groups in your town to see if they can use extra volunteers to help check traps and transport them to and from clinics. TNR goes so far towards ending the cycle of suffering and hardship that feral cats experience, and the strain on your neighborhood of sheltering, feeding, and/or cleaning up after these poor kitties.

Thank you so much for your help!

Follow our efforts at our wordpress blog, Kitty Hyde-Away.