The adage, “Neither rain nor snow nor sleet can stop the mail,” obviously applies to the U.S. Postal Service. However, it applies with even more diligence to Eunice Lasala and a small, but dedicated group of volunteers from the Branford Compassion Club who maintain the feral cat colonies around Branford.
At least mail carriers get Sundays and holidays off. Eunice and her team are on call each and every day as they tend the 12 to 14 feral cat colonies in town.
On Halloween night, Saturday, Oct. 31, all members of the Branford Compassion Club (BCC) will be on call at the “Witches and Whiskers Charity Gala at the Blackstone Library, Main Street, from 8 p.m. to the “witching” hour of midnight. Cat lovers and the public alike, costumed or not, are encouraged to take part in the event, one of several sponsored by BCC throughout the year. The purpose of the event is to help raise funds to feed and shelter the feral population.
A tour of a few of the local colonies shows just how much work is involved in taking care of these felines. Some of the colonies are maintained at the rear of various businesses (in cooperation with owners), yet out of high traffic areas. There’s one behind a restaurant and business park on East Main Street; since it’s in a small clearing amid brush and overgrowth, you’d never know it’s there.
Water jugs are brought in at the beginning of the week to make the feeding process easier. The cats are fed wet food in the morning and have dry food to take them through the rest of the day; morning feedings are scheduled to avoid pilfering by nocturnal creatures such as raccoons and skunks.
Small huts are on site for protection from the elements. Older ones are made of plastic storage containers along with some small doghouses. However, club members are now making huts out of heavy-duty insulating boards that are sturdier with smaller openings that are better at deterring interlopers.
A local trailer park is home to about 40 felines and the colony is set up underneath a vacant trailer. A few helpful residents help out with the feedings there; the club often supplies food to people who are willing to help, but can’t afford the food.
A handsome light orange boy strolls around (as with all ferals that have been spayed or neutered, his ear has been “tipped”) and Eunice points out a pretty long-haired white cat that looks like she belongs on a velvet cushion by a fireplace.
“There are a lot like her, all longhaired, some with odd eyes,” says Eunice. “They’re beautiful.”
She is clearly devoted to these societal cast-offs. “Sometimes I can’t sleep at night worrying about them when the weather is cold.”
Some of the colonies may only have three or so cats, but even they get regular meals. Eunice (pictured) says that numbers in the colonies remain fairly constant although some have even been reduced by attrition, disease and coyotes.
“I’d hate to think what it would be like if we’d hadn’t been spaying and neutering,” says Eunice.
Eunice and two other women, Anna Marie Lorello and the late Friskie Wheeler, began taking care of Branford’s ferals about 13 years ago. Their efforts grew into the Branford Compassion Club. Approximately 20 members are now involved in feeding, fostering and caring for an otherwise neglected population. Click here for more information about the club and the upcoming Gala.
Feral cats are the products of unspayed and unneutered domestic felines. Cast off from their domestic surroundings, the cats loose their dependence on humans and adapt to living without human companionship. Within a generation or two they become “feral.” The Feral Cat Coalition estimates that there are approximately 60 million feral cats in the U.S., almost equal the number of owned cats. Eunice believes that number is higher.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that five million cats are abandoned each year.
Despite diligent efforts at “TNR” – the trap, neuter and release program followed by feral cat caregivers – Eunice says, “There’s always one female who won’t cooperate.”
As a result, there are always litters of kittens to be rescued and cats to be fed at various colonies around town. Kittens born of feral moms and even some friendly ferals have a good chance at being socialized and adopted into living homes; fostering those felines a big part of the work of the Branford Compassion Club. Last year 236 cats and kittens were adopted and the club hopes to top that number this year.
The Branford Compassion Club has received substantial support from local veterinarians who help with veterinary care and from TEAM (Tait’s Every Animal Matters), based in Westbrook, whose mobile van travels throughout the state performing low-cost spays and neuters. TEAM has spayed or neutered and vaccinated more than 126,000 cats since 1997. When the van is in Branford it sets up at Cosgrove Construction on North Main Street, thanks to animal lover Dan Cosgrove. HOPE Spay and Neuter Clinic, a relatively new organization based in Waterbury also provides low-cost services.
Despite all this generosity, caregiving is still very expensive: Not only in terms of food and shelter, but in veterinary care and medical supplies. These cats are not just tossed a few crumbs of food. They are spayed or neutered, vaccinated and treated for fleas and ticks. And those recalcitrant females? They receive a special birth control powder in their food once a week.
To that end a good part of BCC’s work involves fundraising and grant writing and hosting a variety of events each year that are both a delight to any animal lover and supportive of BCC’s mission. .
The Witches and Whiskers Gala on Halloween eve features a silent auction of goodies, including a season membership to Branford’s Owenego Beach & Tennis Club, and an overnight for two with a couple’s massage at Water’s Edge in Westbrook. Music will be provided by the band, Roundtrip, and dancers from “Let’s Dance in Rhythm” will demonstrate how it’s done.
WTNH-TV personality Desiree Fontaine is the honorary chairperson.
Tickets are $40, which includes one complimentary glass of wine and hors d’oeuvres throughout the evening.
For more information, to reserve tickets or to become a sponsor, call 203 – 315-3795 or e‑mail to Contact us@ BranfordCompassionClub.org.
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Obviously it is time to start cat hunting season. Though their hearts are in the right place, these people are just making the problem worse and creating a vile mess.