We humans created this reality
I have a few ‘outdoor friends’ who visit my deck for the basics to survive. They are beautiful creatures who are so frightened of humans that they run if I even get as close as a few feet.
They are what is defined as feral cats. I have named them and watch them. They take shelter from the elements in our shed. This past winter we placed a heater there for their comfort.
They have become accustomed to me regularly removing soiled blankets for freshly laundered ones in ‘their space.’ I wonder, what are they thinking? However, they still keep their distance. They often lay on my lawn, basking in the sun. They are gentle souls.
I reside close to a busy road. Yes, you guessed it, two of them have now passed away and have been carefully buried at the edge of the lawn. I never touched or held Clara and Buster but I feel the loss just the same. There we no skid marks on the road, no knock at the door. Just a cat.
Was it someone trying to make a ferry or someone trying to get to town? I will never know.
Feral cats are lost as companions because we humans have made this a reality. We discarded them or their parents or grand- parents. We neglected to spay or neuter them. We humans have left them to find their own ways to survive. Not a great life for a domestic cat.
The Society for the Friends of Ferals has made it their mission is to alleviate the suffering of feral cats by providing food, shelter, essential medical care and TNR services (trap-neuter-return) to control the feral cat overpopulation. This is an entirely volunteer, not-for-profit group who are taking responsibility for this travesty. Taken from their website: the “Society for the Friends of Ferals is a registered charity operating in Digby County, Nova Scotia. It was founded in 2002.” Further they: “feed colonies daily, transport cats to/from veterinary appoint- ments, and foster adoptable cats and kittens until they find their ‘furever’ home, whenever possible. All funds received through donations and fundraising are used exclusively for the benefit of our feral cats. To date, Society for the Friends of Ferals has provided TNR services to over 950 cats and rescued countless others.”
They can be contacted through their Facebook page or website rescue@friendsofferals.ca. Interesting note, there is an online shop on the site with some really neat stuff that you can acquire that supports the society.
My beloved Oscar was once a cat in need of a home. I now would be lost without him. He greets me every morning with his purr and cuddles. He is my con- fessor, my friend, my companion. He is also what the old folks called a nurse cat. His awareness and instincts have been invaluable. He – and I am not a nut – has detected serious health concerns and has alerted other humans. When I am ill, he never leaves my side. I have had young animals in my home that he ‘washed’, cared for and protected. He was also quite disturbed when they disappeared. Pets are so special. Each has their own personality. Whoops I said pets. Oscar is family!
We thoughtless humans created this travesty. The Friends of Ferals have taken up this gauntlet to address this situation. Well done!