SAN DIEGO — If you've ever seen a cat living on streets and wondered how they survive, we may have an answer for you. In this Zevely Zone, I visited the Feral Cat Coalition as they prepare to celebrate their 30th anniversary of giving.
"Welcome to Feral Cat Coalition," said volunteer Lindsay Snook with a big smile.
Three times a week the Feral Cat Coalition opens their doors to homeless cats. "Today we have a total of 29 cats here," said Lindsay. "This is our anesthesia room."
Volunteers trap cats that live on the streets of San Diego and bring them to this clinic.
"They are feral. They have been humanely trapped by caregivers throughout the county," said Lindsay as she gave me a tour of what she calls spa day. "Because they get the works, everything they need," said Lindsay.
In the summertime, San Diego heats up and so does the kitty romance. "When it is hot, cats are being forced into heat," said Lindsay. "Then kittens are born." The coalition estimates tens of thousands of cats are living in the wild in San Diego County.
"On to the surgery suite. Here is where the magic happens," said Lindsay.
Cats are spayed or neutered and given vaccinations. We watched Dr. Sulani Grindle helping one homeless cat with dental care. "We are not going to change the entire world, but we change the entire world for these cats," said Dr. Grindle.
We watched that happen a few months ago when we met Benny the one-eyed cat.
After our Zevely Zone story aired, Benny was adopted the next day. "Absolutely," said Audrey Stratton. "Benny is doing fabulous, he's got a home with mom and dad and a couple of children, and they spoil him rotten."
Audrey told us mild mannered cats get adopted and those that are too wild get returned to the same neighborhood where they were trapped. "He needs a little massage. This is a feral cat, so he has not perhaps ever felt human touch before this is a rare pleasure for me and him hopefully," said volunteer Pamela Williams. It was her first day and she was already loving and helping the cats in need. "Well, I love them, and I think anyone that really knows cats, how you could not love them?" asked Pamela.
I often ask volunteers why they do what they do. "Just because cats deserve it, yeah they really do," said Lindsay. Pamela added, "You know if everybody just did a little, we all be way ahead of the game."
If you see a homeless cat roaming in your neighborhood, you can request a free spay/neuter appointment. The Feral Cat Coalition will loan you a trap with instructions on how to use it. The trapped animal can then be brought to the clinic to be spayed or neutered for free. The animals are released the very next day.
The Feral Cat Coalition is a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing the overpopulation of feral and abandoned cats through free, humane Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR). For 62-thousand animals in the past thirty years, this place has been the cat's meow. The Feral Cat Coalition is in need of donations and volunteers. If you'd like to help the non-profit organization, click here.
Check out more Zevely Zone content below: