Feral Power!
Did you know there are probably thousands of residents living in Concord who are here almost entirely under the radar? Thousands of small, furry feline residents without homes, most of whom were born in the wild and remain there, generally out of human sight.
Now, most of us know of a feral cat or two, but that is barely the tip of the iceberg. After doing cat rescue work in Concord for more than 20 years now, I estimate that there are literally thousands of stray and feral cats living here unknown to almost all of the human populace. Cats living in the wild don't necessarily seek out people -- except when food and low-contact shelter might be forthcoming -- choosing to live instead in our woods, fields, barns, and abandoned outbuildings around town. Feral cats learn to be stealthy and difficult to see; they are the successful survivors of generations of unwanted or abandoned pets.
Some people shun ferals as being "not real cats" because of their questionable pedigree, and shoo them away as dirty scavengers. Look closely: if you can be patient you will see the beauty and uniqueness of these feline survivors.
So, how did we end up with so many feral cats? The answer is simple: people are not always willing to spay and neuter cats. It's amazing how quickly unwanted, rapidly reproducing cats can create a colony of ferals. Adopt a Cat of Concord can help residents find a place to spay or neuter their cat (at a reduced price if needed), including helping with the trapping, neutering and releasing of ferals in supervised areas where someone has agreed to regularly watch over their welfare into the future.
Adopt a Cat of Concord is a 501(c)(3) organization seeking to help cats of all kinds in a no-kill setting regardless of age, feral status, and health condition. At present we have no shelter building, but seek volunteer foster homes until we raise funds to build a permanent special place for abused and unwanted kitties. We also offer advice about spaying and neutering, connections to other shelters, and helpful tips to give feline companions the best care possible. Find our website at www.AdoptACatofConcord.org.
Want to help us in our mission? We are looking for foster homes -- short term placements -- to help transition wild, abused, unwanted, or neglected cats until they're ready for adoption. We also would love to find homes for unwanted special needs kitties, such as older and medically complicated cats. Would you like to find a way to spay or neuter your cat, or feral cats that you've been feeding? Want to adopt one of the cats shown on this page? At this time, they are are all looking for good homes! These are all reasons to email us or contact us through our website.
We also happily accept donations, including funds, food, cat crates, and other supplies and equipment for kitties.
Floy Morway, the founder of the original Adopt-a-Cat organization, had a book about animal rescue in Concord and environs published in October, 2007. The book, "The Cat Lady of Concord", is filled with many entertaining short stories of her life rescuing abandoned animals. It also features our organization, Adopt a Cat of Concord. Purchase of this book on this page and on our website benefits our work with Concord's cats. Let's give ALL cats equal status!
Art Credits: Page designed by Windfall. Other images courtesy of Clipart.com.
