Sally E. Bahner Photo
It was a quiet morning at the Saltonstall colony, home to 10 or 12 community cats.
One small brownish-gray feline was sunning herself in the large open area between the tidy semi-circle of huts and the brush-filled “playscape.” With her coloring, she almost melted into the ground, if it weren’t for the sun puddle she was sitting in.
Sally E. Bahner Photo
No one else appeared to be around until an orange kitty shot across the clearing from the huts into the brush. The brownish-gray kitty joined him and they perched together on a downed tree, watching. They were obviously friends.
Sally E. Bahner Photo
The residents of the colony are cast-offs from humans who found it inconvenient to care for them. Some cats are born into such colonies and are dubbed “feral.” More recently, they’ve been known as community cats. They are not your typical lap cats. They are wary of humans although cats that live in such colonies rely on humans for food and shelter.
Vulnerability
There’s an ongoing debate among cat owners about whether to keep their cats indoors or to allow them unlimited access to the outdoors. (This does not include those who have built specially enclosed outdoor “catios” for their cats.) Community cats, who spend their lives outdoors and unsupervised, are especially vulnerable.
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Charlene Vessichio (pictured), the cat doyenne in charge of Saltonstall and a couple of other colonies, said that “TomTom,” one of the residents, had died. She said found him with an injured leg, and he allowed her to pick him up, place him in a carrier, and take him to the veterinarian’s where they discovered he had been shot.
The incident was reported to police, who regularly patrol the area. Obviously, there was no way to track the perpetrator.
“He was very sweet,” said Vessichio. “He was one of the cats who could have been adopted.”
For that reason, the locations of the colonies are not readily disclosed.
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Community cats are often part of a “TNR” program. That is, they are trapped, neutered (or spayed), and released back into their colony and their numbers diminish by attrition. Vessichio said there were around 25 cats in the colony at its start. Friendly adults and kittens are socialized and adopted into forever homes. It’s standard procedure advocated nationally by organizations such as Alley Cat Allies for controlling the feral cat population. How many cats are in this photo?
Around Branford, there are several colonies similar to Saltonstall, and volunteers from the Branford Compassion Club feed the cats daily and regularly maintain the shelters. Vessichio schedules the volunteers and sees to it that the colonies are shoveled out after snowstorms. “I even come by afterwards and make sure the roofs are cleaned off because the cats like to perch on them,” she said.
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Vessichio’s devotion to the cats was apparent on this February morning. The cats appeared from nowhere when she arrived as she briskly cleaned plates, filled bowls with water and dry food, and heaped wet food on to two plates. Brother and sister, Sugar Girl and Spider dove in, while three others watched from a safe distance.
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Vessichio explained that Sugar Girl and Spider could probably be adopted since they are quite friendly, but that there are few people willing to take in cats that aren’t completely socialized.
Feral cats can adapt to living in a household, but it requires patience. They may take years before they feel secure enough to interact comfortably with their human caregivers. Vessichio has taken in several ferals and respects their wariness, but she said she was happy to find one of her cats close by in bed one more staring at her.
Rescuers at Work
Photo courtesy Robin Olson
Robin Olson of Sandy Hook was recently involved in rescuing 50 cats from a manufacturing plant in Waterbury. Olson, who fosters and places cats and kittens through the non-profit organization, Kitten Associates, documented the experience in her blog Covered in Cat Hair. A large apartment complex was nearby, and it was apparent that many of the cats had been dumped. The people on site cared for the cats, but had no idea what to do for them, Olson said. Olson and a team of colleagues trapped the cats, an arduous process, and have set about finding foster families and providing veterinary care, including spaying and neutering the cats.
Photo courtesy Robin Olson
WI in cage.
Olson was especially taken by a small black and white longhair kitty, named Waterbury1 and subsequently renamed Tulip. The poor kitty had dirty, matted fur and a mouth full of rotten teeth. Her outlook improved after she was shaved and every tooth removed. But almost a month later, she’s still hospitalized. Olson said her mouth is “half healed” and that she has an infection in her jaw and bartonella, a tick-born disease. The good news is that Tulip does have an owner, who is waiting patiently for her to be 100 percent healed before she is released from the hospital.
And the rest of the Waterbury kitties are on track to better living conditions.
While the Saltonstall cats have a more secure and cared for existence than the Waterbury cats, it all comes back to educating people about the responsibilities of cat ownership. Adopting a cat is a lifelong commitment and resources are at hand when difficulties arise.
Those who rescue cats, work in shelters, and maintain community cat colonies are at the mercy of donations from like-minded people. Vessichio said they are always looking for extra shelters, such as unused dog houses.
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To that end, the Branford Compassion Club will hold a food and supplies drive Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at its Feline Rescue and Adoption Center, 2037 Foxon Road, North Branford. Check out their wish list and stop by.
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You just may meet the love of your life.
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People should be aware that cats kill between one and four BILLION birds annually in the United States. That makes them the leading cause of bird mortality and is thought to be one of the main reasons why songbird populations have dropped sharply in recent decades. Cats themselves are also exposed to many dangers when allowed to run free, from eating diseased or poisonous substances to being hit by cars. Responsible owners should keep cats indoors.