When Paul and I bought Canyonlands Campground and moved to Moab over 10 years ago, it one of the few times in my life I did not have a cat. Little did I know how radically that was going to change.
A few months after we arrived, a guest left her very pregnant cat and a short time later the cat and her kittens showed up at our door. Soon after that, one of our staff found another mother and kittens by the creek. We set up a little feeding station by our office and overnight we had cats coming out of the woods. It was getting slightly overwhelming as at one point we had three batches of kittens. We were able to fi nd homes for the few we could catch, but most of them were too wild.
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Animal Control was helpful and lent us traps, but the painful truth in 1995 was that the feral or wild cats they picked up were destroyed. I could not stand it, so we started one of Moab’s first feral cat communities. We would trap one and dash to the vet for the spay/neuter, and them release it back into the colony the next day. The cats were not amused, but did not hold a grudge for long and were soon eating with the rest of the group.
This was before the Humane Society Feral and Stray Cat Program had started. Now with vouchers available, it only costs $10 to spay/neuter a feral cat. We learned that well fed cats made better mousers. A large $8.00 bag of food will go a long way towards feeding a colony. We also noticed that when a community stabilizes they will not take new members. If you have an interest and an area that would work, be assured the colony will not grow out of control. Mice had been a problem in our house, office, and shop area. Our newfound friends quickly took care of that!
The Kitty Cafe
We built an elevated feeding station with a roof, made a two story cat condo and added the “Kitty Café” sign. It was a bit more elaborate than most colonies but we were in a unique situation, as our colony was viewed by hundreds of guests everyday. They were delighted with the concept and many donated food and money to support our efforts. We hope some took the idea back with them to their home towns. The best part was that these beautiful animals were allowed to live out their lives. It was a joy to watch them thrive and interact, and a comfort to know to that there would not be endless litters of unwanted kittens.
Ten years later it was time to sell the campground. There was a big problem; the new owners would not keep the colony. I was frantic! Humane Society volunteers, Jim and Mary Molter and Margaret Griffith came to the rescue and placed the entire colony with two cowboys on a ranch in Salida. The gentlemen were familiar with the Feral Cat Program and had the perfect shelter for the cats. Who says there are no more miracles? The round-up wasn’t easy and often not pretty, but several days later our colony was settled into their new home. They are still healthy, happy and earning their keep by controlling the rodent population.
These cowboys provided the colony a new home in Salida
Kudos to everyone who donates their time and money helping animals in need. You are all unsung heroes!
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