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In 2005, we started a big TNR
project at Bell's Auto Service in West Chester, PA.
Helen and Ward Bell had fed the feral cats that lived
around their garage for years, but the situation had begun to get
out of control. The colony had grown in recent years, and when Helen
started to think about the number of kittens that were likely to be
born, and how those numbers would multiply rapidly, she decided to
take action.
 Helen
contacted Cat Angel Network and explained her situation. There were
at least 20 adult cats that she fed regularly in the neighborhood
nearby
their business. She was willing to continue to feed the colony, and
she agreed to help trap the cats and transport them to the vet for
spay/neuter surgery. We agreed to pay the vet bills and find homes
for any kittens that were caught early enough to socialize and adopt
out as pets.
The project started in April of 2005. As time went
by, we trapped over 30 adult cats who were all altered, vaccinated,
and then released back into the colony. That year, nearly 80 kittens
were born. The kittens were raised in Cat Angels foster homes and by
Helen and Ward at their home. (We found homes for all of them!)
By the end of 2005, most of the males in the colony
had been neutered, and all but three elusive females had been
spayed.
In 2006, we were able to trap and spay one of those
three remaining females before she had kittens. The second female
had three kittens in May. Helen caught the kittens, and two days
later trapped the mom. As soon as the kittens were weaned, mom was
spayed and returned to the colony. The kittens became available for
adoption in late August.
The last unspayed Bell cat, a very feral girl named
Tabitha*, was trapped in late June. She was very pregnant, so she was
caged and had her kittens in July. As of the writing of this in
August 2006, the last litter of Bell kittens is 5 weeks old, and are
growing up at Helen and Ward's house. When the kittens are weaned,
Tabitha will be spayed, we will heave a big sigh of relief -- and
continue to work on trapping the remaining unneutered males in the
colony!
*Tabitha was also the mother of
four of the kittens featured on the 2005 Cat Angel Network holiday
card!
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