The Q at Parkside

(for those for whom the Parkside Q is their hometrain)

News and Nonsense from the Brooklyn neighborhood of Lefferts and environs, or more specifically a neighborhood once known as Melrose Park. Sometimes called Lefferts Gardens. Or Prospect-Lefferts Gardens. Or PLG. Or North Flatbush. Or Caledonia (west of Ocean). Or West Pigtown. Across From Park Slope. Under Crown Heights. Near Drummer's Grove. The Side of the Park With the McDonalds. Jackie Robinson Town. Home of Lefferts Manor. West Wingate. Near Kings County Hospital. Or if you're coming from the airport in taxi, maybe just Flatbush is best.

Saturday, April 11, 2015

Help Reduce Feral Cat Population

Fat Cats. Phat Katz.

Each gift, no matter how small, helps
It's been nearly a decade since Mrs. Q and I trapped 11 cats and had them spayed and neutered. The effect on the backyard cat population was tremendous. After returning 9 of them (two were adoptable non-wild cats), they were quiet and sweet, requiring only a bit of food. They were happy, we didn't have to deal with the noise and the smell of spray during heat. All was well in backyard cat-land. Bootsy. Baby Bootsie. Grandbaby Bootsie. Negroponte. Scrabbles. Nichols & May, Picnic Basket, Mohamed, Chili Dog...the program Trap Neuter and Return (TNR) had an enormously beneficial effect on the whole block's quality of life.

Then we had kids. And the cats became...cats. Michael Showalter, three doors down, took over cat duties about five years ago, and with our help managed to capture a half dozen or so of the newbies. Well done. But now MS is on sabbatical in Smell A., and what great fortune, a new neighborhood group has sprung up to capture, neuter then release dozens of cats in the area! Fat Cats. They need just a wee bit of money to make it all happen. There are costs, after all. But the benefits will be HUGE, and it will be enormously helpful to have a little organization that you can reach out to when the felines get out of hand.

Give a little? Here's their GoFundMe. Go Fund Them!

Thank you so much for all of our new donations! Let's keep them coming, please share this link wherever you can and help us reach our goal before we have to begin trapping in less than a month!
Here Come the FAT Cats!

Prospect-Lefferts Gardens and Flatbush cat colony caretakers in Brooklyn are pooling resources to get 30+ local feral cats spayed, neutered, vetted and released in a mass project on April 28, 2015. Our new collaboration deserves a name: we’re the Flatbush Area Team for Cats, a.k.a. FAT Cats!

While the ASPCA does provide spay and neuter services, there is much more needed in order to trap the cats safely and to care for the colonies year-round.

We are currently caring for over sixty cats in colonies throughout the neighborhood and expect the numbers to increase as new kittens are born. Whether you love or hate cats, they are a big part of this city. When people unlawfully kill or remove cats, new ones will take their place. There is no way to get rid of them permanently, but there is a way to limit their numbers, which is to cease their reproduction and to provide them with a safe place to live.

Reasons to Spay and Neuter Feral Cats:

- Cats will not allow large numbers to live in their colonies, which naturally keeps numbers at a minium.
- Cats keep rats and mice at bay.
- Neutered and spayed cats make less noise and won't "perfume" your outdoor spaces.
- Spaying and neutering is good for cat health and ultimately results in less stress on their bodies.

If you love cats, know that these ferals are happier outdoors and just need the care that some very good-hearted individuals are happy to provide. For the friendly abandoned cats outside who are not feral and who crave human companionship, we find loving adoptive homes once they are spayed/ neutered, tested, and vaccinated.

All of this is not free! If you can offer just a few dollars it will help us to move toward our goal of being able to afford appropriate care for our community's local ferals. Your money will contribute to the purchase of:

Colony Care:
- Weather-proof shelters (using low-cost or recycled materials)
- Cat food (wet and dry)
- Feeding/water stations
- Medication and vitamins as needed
- Veterinary care for emergencies

Spay/Neuter Care:
- Cat and kitten food for up to 2 days prior to trapping and 3 days after, and longer for cats who need extra care
- Medication
- Additional veterinary care for sick cats
- Laundry (for sheets to cover traps)
- Tarps (to protect recovery space)
- Sanitizing wipes
- Bleach
- Paper towels
- Disposable gloves
- Garbage bags
- Flyers for publicity and education
- Some of these supplies can be found on our Amazon Wish List .

Other ways to help if you live nearby:

- Volunteer to help with this Trap/Neuter/Release project in late April, even for just an hour. Contact Naomi at nsinger@email.com.
- Consider adopting a friendly kitten or cat! Contact us for more info.

We thank you from the bottoms of our furry hearts!!

- FAT Cats

1 comment:

ElizabethC said...

Thanks TIM! happy to be involved with this group of caring and compassionate neighbors!