Countless pets are abandoned on a yearly places all over the world. Here in Newfoundland is unfortunately no different. Cats are abandoned at landfills or left behind when owners move away. Kittens that were once so cute are now larger and trying to get out of the house. The males spraying around, the females going into heat and getting pregnant. Unfortunately, people can become overwhelmed and choose to abandon their pets. Regardless of the reasons behind abandonment, it is the cats who suffer the consequences.
Fortunately, being abandoned is not a death sentence to all the cats. Wonderful, caring people come together and forge communities who care for the colonies formed when a group of feral cats gather together (usually in a place where survival resources are more readily available). These rescuers provide food, water and create small shelters to protect these cats from the harsh weather of Newfoundland. For many of the rescuers, the ultimate goal is keep the current members of the colony as happy and healthy as possible while preventing more kittens being born into the wild through TNR.
We at Sunrise Animal Hospital firmly believe in the ideals of TNR. Bi-annually our staff and doctors come together and donate their time to spay and neuter these feral kitties.The cats are trapped in humane cages, spayed/neutered, have their ears tipped for identification and released back into their respective colonies. Any sociable cats are re-homed at the desecration of the rescuers (although its not unheard of for one of us to take a cat home!). This time around, we worked together with Pleas for Paws, Mollies Dream, Cross our Paws, and the Feral Soul Project.
Links to Rescues Mentioned:
Cross Our Paws
Mollie’s Dream
The Feral Soul Project
Links to more information on Feral Cats:
AlleyCat
Links to other TNR rescues in NL:
Feral Felines Rescue
Written by Sunrise Animal Hospital
