Hi wonderful cat supporters!
I value your support and inquiring nature on these amazing feral cats. SLCC is really quite unique and I hope you enjoy getting to know them through my words and pictures! This almost reminds some days of National Geographic work as we spend every other day trudging thru the banks of Shasta Lake caring for the Shasta Lake Cat Colony (SLCC).
I’ve also had my hand at some other media outlets showing off the cool cats. You can find me on TikTok at @amandalovesferals or our instagram account @ShastaCountyCC. I do also have a Facebook page that will reflect all the updates as well! Give us a like!
Spring has sprung at the forest has come alive again these last 2 weeks. What does that mean? Oh so many kittens. Breeding season is here and the cats are beginning to gain those huge bellies. In the last month, 19 of our female cats that have been TNR’d have turned up pregnant. It’s been a very sad last few weeks because we know kittens do not survive out here.
We also lost two cats since my last update as well as another medical case on our hands. I need to take a moment to thank Sarah and Laurie as this would never be possible without their help and dedication towards seeking safety and life for these cats. This work costs a lot on our wallets, but mostly to our hearts. This type of animal welfare is no ones favorite because it involves so much heart break. You invest all your best into them and they become like a family member. But with heart break, comes experience and growth and were here to make a difference in these kitties lives! If you find it in your heart to donate towards the continuing care for the cats, visit the main page and it will show you how to help us.
Our TNR efforts have slowed down tremendously in the last two weeks. One of the two vets locally who offer TNR has taken a step back so we are left with one facility located 45 minutes away. To add, there is also an added cost now with this second vet. Our previous $45 for a male neuter stays the same... but females go up.
So with this extra time I wanted to show you what we are doing!
TNR (Trap/Spay/Neuter/Return) is something I’m new to as my animal welfare mostly was in events. When we TNR, it takes a lot of coordination to ensure the cats are cared for properly.
First comes trapping. The day before, no feeding takes place so the cats are hungry enough to be blind to the traps. Next is the trapping act which can take several hours to set up, trap, and take down. Once we leave the trapping site, the cats are brought home to decompress in the traps and be fed. They are not let loose but they do receive care in their cages for the next two to three nights. During the time they are in our care they will receive vaccinations, anesthesia for neuter/spay, and medical care as needed.
During these couple of days, we work with the cat behaviorally. If the cat is deemed tameable, then we bring them inside and work on them daily exposing them to humans. Most of the cats we are removing from the colony are tameable. Some of them we even believe are stray cats and had a home at some point. It’s been AMAZING to see how many lives can be saved from the forest <3
Currently, we are caring for
-Mr. Loves
-Miss Polydactyl
-Dirty Diana
-2 tortis shorthaired female
-1 white calico longhaired female
-1 grey calico shorthaired female
-the kittens at Sarah’s (Shire, Pinto, Pegasus, Argo, Blaze, Fries, Angus, Black Beauty, Black Stallion, Spirit)
We have adopted out
-Tarzan
-Alpha
-Alice/Wolverine
-Mowgli
-Palomino
We have laid to rest
-Hidalgo
-Amanda/Ares
-Charcoal
-BlackJack
Out of ALL those cats, we have totaled so far 42 cats who have been spayed/neutered!!!
I just need to take another moment to say thank you to EVERY.SINGLE.PERSON who has been part of this. TNR work is not for the faint heart. There are constant battles in funds and finding food for the cats while giving them basic care. This work is sad and gut wrenching. This is a 10 year problem leaving a lot of death and sadness in the forest. This is animal welfare for a problem that was man created by dumping cats. It’s a lot... but I’m damn proud of this work. This work is good work. It’s admirable work.
Thank you to all of you.