Ark Animal Sanctuary News

14 years ago

    Quite often we get phone calls asking us to rescue feral cats. A feral cat is a cat that does not know the human touch. They are, for lack of a better word, wild. In order to catch them you need to live trap them. They bite and scratch out of fear and can really hurt someone.
    In most cases, we trap feral cats, neuter them, clip their ear to identify that they have already been neutered, and release them back to where we found them. That is the most logical thing since they already know that area and they can no longer reproduce. When a feral cat enters a shelter or rescue the majority of the time they are euthanized because they aren’t adoptable and they take up valuable space. 
    It seems so sad instead of paying money to euthanize why not neuter and release them back. Let God decide their fate, not man.
    Bob and Sherry were two such cats. Bob was a bobtail. Bob was not a nice cat to put it quite frankly. He was down right mean. He was live trapped and neutered, but we could not release him back because the people didn’t want him in their yard. We were very worried about Bob’s fate.
    One day a very nice lady came in and said that she would be willing to take a barn cat. She had a big brand new barn and wanted to rescue an animal so she took Bob. Bob still is not a nice cat, but is content to live in her barn and has no intentions of leaving. Later this lady came back for another cat. Sherry was a little more tame, but still afraid of people. Sherry came out of a household with about 30 other cats, so needless to say she could not be released back. So Sherry went to live with Bob. They have the perfect home on a farm with a nice barn to take shelter in and plenty of food and water. They also have humans if they choose to socialize with them.
    Barney and Merry came out of a place with two other cats. They were feral as kittens. The other two cats found homes, but Barney and Merry weren’t that trusting of humans. They were neutered and spayed and stayed at the Ark for well over a year. We were beginning to think that there was no hope for them. Then one day a gentleman came in looking for two barn cats. He soon adopted Barney and Merry. He took them home and enclosed them in his barn for 2 weeks. At the end of the two weeks he opened the doors to find that Barney and Merry were now permanent residents. Not only that, they follow him around while he does his chores waiting for their special treat canned food. He can hold Merry and Barney lets him pat him while he is eating. This is a huge milestone for these two.
    Yes, the winters are long and cold, but somehow feral cats manage to survive. This is all they know. We help them the best way we know how by neutering and spaying them so they can’t re-produce and release them back to the only life they know.
    Not every cat is meant to live inside where it is warm and cozy. There are those who were born feral and will remain feral for their entire life. But that does not mean they are throwaways. Every life is important and valuable. It is my belief that we as humans do not have the right to euthanize a cat simply because it is feral. It is our duty to try and help that animal in whatever way we can, unless of course it is a danger to society.
    Thank you to the people who adopted Bob, Sherry, Merry and Barney. You have definitely made a difference in their lives and we are forever grateful.
    If you have a barn and would like to help a feral cat, call us at 532-7387. There is no adoption fee and all the cats are neutered and spayed and fully vaccinated.
    The Ark Animal Sanctuary took in three dogs and four kittens for the month of May. We currently have one dog and 38 cats. The adoption fee will be waived on all cats for the month of June. All cats are fully vaccinated and neutered.
    Our expenses for the month of May were $759.42. We brought in $1,019 in donations and fundraising. Mark your calendars, as we will have a bake sale outside Hollywood Pet Salon on Saturday, June 4, and pulled pork and nachos on Saturday, June 18. Thank you for reading our column.