One of the more undesirable members of our community left a mother cat, no older than 8 months old, and her five kittens that are approximately four weeks old, in a partially closed box at the feeding site in the shopping center. The mother cat is black and appears to be malnourished but otherwise healthy, and the kittens, four black and white and one gray tabby, appear to be in excellent health. However, they are still in the process of being weaned. We DESPERATELY need a foster home for them or a forever home. Although we would like to keep them together, we are open to any help you can give. Since the kittens are still being weaned, they will have to be fed softened kitten food at least three times a day for about another week, then two times a day for a week, etc., until they are weaned. The should be weaned by mid-August. At this point, Sunset Felines has so many cats needing care that we literally do not have ANYWHERE to house them, and leaving them at the mercy of the city is not an option.
We are in search of volunteers with event planning and/or marketing experience to work with us on events to promote our cats for adoption as well as support for the colony. If you or anyone you know would like to make a positive impact on the welfare of these very special cats, please call us or send an email!
Lots of people contact us about cats that need homes, either because they're moving and can't take their cat with them or - OR - they've spotted a nursing mother cat on their property or near the dumpster at their favorite restaurant. If you are dealing with either of these situations, please understand that we are not a shelter and are unable to take your cat(s) off your hands. As much as we would like to, our operation depends heavily on foster homes which tend to stay full due to the massive cat overpopulation in this area.
The answer is simple: spay and neuter!
If you think you've stumbled upon a colony and want to do something to control the population without having all the cats trapped and put to sleep, we will gladly provide assistance in implementing a trap-neuter-return program in your area. Just call the number below for more information, or check out the resources available on the Alleycat Allies website.
Euthanasia is not the answer!
Feral cat colonies can be found all over the city, and in the unmanaged ones, overbreeding leads quickly to the spread of diseases like feline leukemia and feline AIDS. Competition (i.e. fighting) among tomcats for food and mating rights are one of the ways that these diseases are spread. We address these problems through a method called trap/neuter/return, or TNR. We humanely trap the cats and take them to be spayed/neutered, vaccinated and treated for any other illnesses or injuries. After assessing how the cats will adapt to indoor living with people and other pets, the cats are either socialized and placed in loving homes or returned to the wild, where they can live "among their own" and enjoy a life free from the stresses of overbreeding and disease.
