On the Prowl in Virginia-Highland
By Lola Carlisle
It started with a feral cat, now named Virginia, and you’ll never guess where she was found. We first spotted her slinking around the house across the street from my office on Virginia Ave–slinking because she was stealthily moving her litter of kittens to a “safe place.”
I know a few people committed to cat rescue, and I was beginning to become familiar with recommended practices for addressing the feral cat population. One of the most dedicated people on the cat rescue scene in Atlanta is Warren Royal, a friend from high school. He has managed a feral cat colony behind a Home Depot in Alpharetta for many years (and other colonies, too). He took in one of the largest males out of the Home Depot colony, Big Daddy, who later became a beloved poster cat for feral cat care. (You can read about him here.)
Warren and his friends were unbelievably helpful in the rescue of Virginia and her three kittens. In the case of a mother and kittens, it’s very tricky. Kittens younger than a couple of weeks old do not have a great survival rate if separated from their moms. In Virginia’s case, patience and vigilance were the keys. Before the kittens were ready to be separated from Virginia, a terrible thunderstorm approached and the kittens were in an unprotected place; we decided it was best to scoop them up. Virginia watched and hissed from a distance. Luckily, Warren’s friend took in the kittens and fed them kitten formula every couple of hours until they could eat more solid food. (Obviously, she is a saint.) All the kittens were healthy and found homes after a few weeks of special attention.
The next step was to trap Virginia and TNR her – that’s “Trap. Neuter. Return.” Many cats that have been feral for a long time are just unable to become pets. There are several organizations in the Atlanta area that provide TNR services at very reasonable prices. (There are links to them below.) The obvious philosophy here is population control and disease prevention by vaccination. And – although the outcome includes releasing a predator in the neighborhood, one that eats many beneficial animals – it feels to me like the most humane approach. You’ll know a cat has been through this program if you see a notch in their ear or the tip of the left ear has been cropped.
As you can certainly imagine, this is a time-consuming process but so important. The process seems to go the smoothest when used closer to home or work, because it’s easier to identify the feral cats and see their routines. It’s also easier to set and watch the trap so the cat spends less time in the trap and is less traumatized. TNR practitioners always recommend covering the cage when a cat is inside.
There are several people in the neighborhood with TNR experience who are usually more than willing to lend equipment, provide information, and help keep an eye on traps. With the help of neighbors and Warren, I’ve TNR-ed two other cats and found homes for their kittens as well. The neighbors who helped me have also TNR-ed about 6 cats that eventually became their pets. They keep bells on their cats to reduce their chances of catching the local wildlife.
All in all, we’re fairly lucky in Virginia-Highland with regard to the stray animal populations, at least compared to other neighborhoods and rural areas. Putting forth an effort to keep the population at bay is a positive for the cats, their potential prey, and the neighborhood. Please reach out to me ([email protected]) if you have questions. Another resource in the area is Liz Kroll, Southern Animal Rescue volunteer/board member: [email protected]
Gotta go – there’s a Tom over by Roadhouse that needs a little TNR TLC…
Resources
This organization is very affordable and convenient for TNR: http://lifelineanimal.org
Lola Carlisle has lived in VaHi for years.