Staff Writer Joe Charpentier wrote one of the top stories this week about how feline colonies in the area are growing out of control. He talked to a lot of the people who are trying to help the cats found in feral colonies and hoarding situations. Basically, they’re trying to control the colonies through spaying and neutering.
One of the groups tackling the issue is Community Cat Advocates, based out of Buckfield and Auburn. They have some insights that didn’t make it to Joe by deadline so he wanted to share them here.
They have the largest “barn cat” programs in the state. These outdoor cats aren’t suited for domestic adoption but provide rodent control in an area.
“Our main focus is feral (unsocialized) and stray or injured cats that shelters cannot take on,” says co-founder Micaiah Roy. “We have partnerships with many shelters and often take feral cats from them and trade them for friendly cats that can be adopted into actual indoor homes.”
On the subject of cat hoarding, Roy also says there is no good answer to the question, “How many cats are too many?”
“What is reasonable for one person may not be for another,” said Roy. “The number of cats that is acceptable depends on the amount of space you have, the time you have to devote to caring for the cats, and the amount of money you have to spend on veterinary care.”
Also, if you’re into adorable cat photos, Staff Photographer Andree Kehn has a slideshow of pure feline awesomeness at the top of the story.
— Carl Natale
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