STRAY CAT MEWS
The newsletter of Stray Cat Blues, Inc.
P. O. Box 8, Colmar, PA 18915 * 215.631.1851
www.straycatblues.petfinder.org
Summer 2007
TRAP, NEUTER, RELEASE WORKS!
HAPPY ENDING STORIES
Chester County residents Robin
and John have eight cats of their
own. They never set out to have
that many but cats just kept
showing up at their backdoor
and staying. They suspected they
were coming from a neighbor’s
barn where some feral cats were
living and breeding. The final
straw came last summer when
two young females showed up
with five kittens between them.
“We just couldn’t take in any
more cats,” says Robin. There
were three tri-color kittens in the
mix and Robin knew they were
females. It was only a matter of
weeks
before
they
reached
breeding age. “Do the math. Five
breeding females having litters we could have more than 25 cats
in the area by the end of kitten
season,” she pined.
five kittens with food into a large
dog crate.
She trapped the
mother cats and had them
spayed and vaccinated. Then she
took an important next step ….
she recruited the help of the
neighbor with the barn cats.
Together they were able to trap
and sterilize four older kittens
just reaching sexual maturity
and one nasty Tom cat that was
the culprit impregnating most of
the females.
Sweet, friendly adoptable
Sarah came from a TNR Project
Robin made several desperate
calls to other rescue groups and
local vet offices but no one could
help her until she contacted local
volunteers from Stray Cat Blues,
Inc. Gilda and Steve, also
Chester
County
residents,
stepped forward to help Robin.
They lent her a humane trap,
showed her how to use it and
helped her obtain discount vet
services from a local vet who
partners with SCBI.
Within a month, Robin had
trapped and sterilized 12 cats.
She and her husband fixed up a
few outdoor shelters for the cats
that they continue to feed. “I am
so grateful to Gilda and Steve for
their help and encouragement,”
says Robin. “And I'm happy to
report that there have been no
kittens this spring and summer that’s amazing.”
With help and guidance from the
SCBI volunteers, Robin morphed
into a TNR expert. She lured the
Marilyn lives in a large apartment
complex between Montgomery
and Philadelphia counties. Every
morning when she looked out the
sliding doors of her first floor
apartment, she saw stray cats on
her patio. First there was just
one or two, then as word got out
about the food she was putting
out, the numbers increased to
seven then eight. Marilyn’s on a
fixed income and really couldn't
afford to feed all these cats.
She really knew she needed help
when one of the stray females
snuck into her apartment, made
a nest under her bed and
promptly
had
five
kittens.
Marilyn called a friend who is a
Stray Cat Blues, Inc. volunteer.
Within a matter of weeks - all the
cats were trapped and sterilized
and returned to Marilyn’s patio.
The kittens were taken into the
SCBI foster care system and have
since been adopted into loving
homes.
Due to physical
limitations, Marilyn was not able
to actively participate in the TNR
process, but she gave a generous
donation to cover all the vet costs
of the cats.
These two people are fine
examples of how Stray Cat Blues,
Inc. volunteer trappers work with
the community using Trap,
Neuter, Release (TNR) as a viable
solution to cat overpopulation.
We also offer free TNR workshops
to teach people how they, too,
can partner with us to solve their
feral cat problems.
Detach or photocopy this coupon, complete it and mail to:
Stray Cat Blues, Inc.
P. O. Box 8, Colmar, PA 18915
YES! I want to help SCBI’s TNR Program!
Enclosed is my donation $__________________
Please make checks payable to Stray Cat Blues, Inc. (do not send cash)
Name:
Address:
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
SCBI is a non-profit PA corporation, tax exempt under IRC 501 (c) (3).
The official registration and financial information of Stray Cat Blues, Inc. may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by
calling toll-free, within Pennsylvania, 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.
If you no longer wish to receive our newsletter, please check the box and return this coupon to us. Many thanks.
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IMPORTANT POINTS when contacting
Stray Cat Blues, Inc. about TNR:
1. We'd love to help everyone who calls us but that's
not possible. We don't have enough volunteers or
resources to handle the more than 60 calls and
emails we get every week. However, we will do our
best to advise you.
2. We cannot take your cats. We can trap, fix and
return them to you and ask that you provide daily
food and water for the colony.
3. We cannot pay for all the vet services. Our budget
is limited so we must request a donation towards
the veterinary costs. We are a 501 c (3) nonprofit, all
donations are tax deductible.
Stray Cat Blues, Inc.
P. O. Box 8
Colmar, PA 18915
Feral cats deserve a break, too.
Our barn cat program seeks secure barn
homes for cats that cannot be socialized to a
home/family environment. These cats, like
all our adoptable cats, are tested negative for
FIV and FeLv. They are spayed/neutered,
fully vaccinated, and bathed before delivery!
We’ll even provide a training cage to
acclimate the cats to your property. All this
costs you ZERO, NADA, NOTHING. Our
barn cats are truly free to good homes…and
we mean good homes. Our barn cat
coordinator is vigilant in ensuring the safety
and secure placement of our barn cats.
Complete our Barn Cat adoption
application online at
www.straycatblues.petfinder.org.