Feral Cat Colony Weathers Irene

When we last visited the meticulously maintained feral colony near Lake Saltonstall in Branford, it was a winter wonderland.

The eight or so cats roamed and played around carefully shoveled pathways. Their food was protected from the elements in a cabin of sorts and there was fresh hay in their huts. Plywood walls offered some protection from the elements.

Months later, the dense shrubbery and tall trees shaded the cats from the summer sun. The same cast of characters seemed to be present, with perhaps some new faces. They looked plump and healthy.

With Hurricane Irene approaching, Branford kitty advocate Eunice Lasala expressed concern about the feral colonies throughout town.

“We have heavy stuff [such as concrete blocks and bricks] weighing down kitty shelters and they’re usually set down against buildings,” she said. ​“I don’t know what more can be done since the cats are feral and run away when they’re approached.”

Some of the colonies are located in industrial parks and in trailer parks and are hunkered against the buildings there. The colony near Lake Saltonstall is set into a hollow, which offers some protection.
 
A feral cat is a domesticated cat that has returned to the wild or the offspring of such a cat. Living together under such circumstances, they form colonies, or family groups. While they are not approachable, they often become dependent on humans who feed them, and spay, neuter and vaccinate them, and collect and socialize their litters of kittens.

So what Lasala means is that it would be impossible to collect all these cats (there are approximately 12 colonies in Branford) and take them to a safe place in anticipation of the storm.

Two days of high winds and rain inundated the area. When visited on a sunny morning right after the storm, the cats were nonplussed. They were milling about, tails high in the air, anticipating their morning visitation from one of the dedicated members of the Branford Compassion Club, who feed and maintain the colonies around town and help with the socialization process.

We leave the colony and stop at Big Y on another mission, but pick up a bag of food before leaving. What if the storm had prevented the feeder from her assigned rounds?

Back at the colony, a car was parked with its trunk open. Charlene Vessichio, of Guilford, who has been key in taking care of the cats for two years, was there. As if apologizing to the cats, she explains that with the storm and power out, she was delayed in getting to the colony. Her trunk – Vessichio describes her small sedan as the Cat Car – is full of the supplies she needs to maintain the colonies: food, dishes, water, Havahart trap, cardboard to put down over the mud, special sandals.

But beyond taking care of the daily needs of the cats, this is a love story.

Seeing Vessichio interact with the cats, you see it’s obvious she cares for them and that they look forward to her visits. However, she has a special relationship with Bear, a large solid gray boy.

“He lets me pick him up,” she says. ​“I have to hold him in a special way.”

Vessichio talks to Bear and bribes him with catnip, another of the treasures from her car’s trunk.

We stand in the background, so as not to spook Bear, as they do their little routine.

She talks to him as he strolls around. He rolls around on the ground, belly up, and then hops up on the roof of one of the shelters. She gives him a little more catnip.

Finally Vessichio scoops him up and holds him close to her chest, his chin resting on her shoulder. It’s a moment of connection for both of them.

It cannot be emphasized too often that these cats live under such circumstances due to human neglect, particularly the failure to spay or neuter. The Feral Cat Coalition estimates the number of feral cats in the U.S. at 60 million. In addition the bad economy has led many people to relinquish pets at the shelters or simply abandon them.

The Branford Compassion Club and the Cosgrove Animal Shelter will sponsor Animal Awareness Day on Sunday, Oct. 2, beginning with a Dog Walk at 11 a.m. from the Branford Community House to the Branford Green, where festivities will take place. A Blessing of the Animals will take place at 1 p.m. under the direction of the Branford Clergy Association. The event continues until 5 p.m. with live music, food, activities for children, and an Adoption Festival with booths featuring animal rescue groups, and more.

In addition, the Branford Compassion Club is celebrating National Feral Cat Day on Sat. Oct. 15 (the official date is Oct. 16) by holding a fall food drive to collect much-needed canned and dry cat food for its feral colonies. The drive will take place at its Feline Rescue and Adoption Center, 2037 Foxon Road, North Branford, between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. For more information on how you can help, email the Branford Compassion Club.

Rescue groups across the country will acknowledge National Feral Cat Day, but for Charlene Vessichio and others like her, every day is Feral Cat Day. 
 
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