A New Year with Hopes of Making a Bigger Difference

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We start the New Year with hopes, dreams and goals to make a bigger difference in the lives of feral cats in the greater Lutz area. None of which are achievable without the support we have so gratefully received since becoming a 501(c)3 non-profit in 2019. It's our collective efforts that have made it possible for us to trap-neuter-vaccinate-return (TNVR) over 575 cats since 2018 while caring for five feral cat colonies.

But there is so much more work to be done as evidenced by the growing list of people that have asked for help and wait for us to be able to get to them. Clearly, we need to shift gears a bit and this morning before 10 a.m. was a prime example of why it is imperative to do so.

While driving down Highway 41 I received a call from a caring gentleman that needs help in trapping seven cats he feeds daily near his property. Then a text came in from a woman who said her neighbor trapped a kitten, but there was no plan in place for what to do next. That text was followed by a call from the woman's neighbor during which I learned two kittens had perished in his truck engine and the engine had significant damage. He was compassionate and concerned about the kittens and the mama cat but doesn't want them returned to the area after they've been TNVR'd. I suggested he see if the Humane Society of Tampa Bay could take the kittens, since we are not set up to house cats/kittens and facilitate adoptions outside of the colonies we care for.

In the last call and text from the same community, I encouraged the residents to organize before kitten season to start a TNVR program. CATpassionate Village can provide the guidance and training, the traps and the resources to get the work done. It is our hope they take us up on the offer.

With just a small group of CATpassionate Village volunteers (only six of us) caring for feral cat colonies and trapping, we are simply unable to address all of the need that exists. But with more people willing to learn and take action, we can make a bigger difference in the lives of feral cats.

If you have a local Lutz group or community that would like to have CATpassionate Village come and speak at a gathering about our work and how to become involved in TNVR to eliminate the unnecessary suffering that comes with cat overpopulation, please email us at catpassionate@gmail.com.