Irvington neighbors Kathleen Egan and Amelda Butler love the cats that stroll the area looking for tender hearts and Tender Vittles set out by like-minded people. The cats have many “owners” and many names: Phantom may be Ghost to one person, only to be called Old Man by someone two doors down. Cats don’t really care what you call them, as long as you call them for supper. Kathleen and Amelda are among the many who keep an eye on the community cats and worry when one of them stops coming for his or her meals. As much as they may love them, they don’t want more of them, and have begun an initiative to fix as many as possible. “No more kittens!” said Kathleen.
Unfortunately, there are far too many cats and not enough loving homes for them. Indianapolis Animal Care Services are overwhelmed with the number of stray, abandoned, and neglected cats (and dogs) in the city. Most of them were pets at one time, perhaps loved, then dropped off at the shelter to meet an uncertain fate.
Community cats are outdoor cats that have many “owners” but no home, and can not adapt to living safely indoors for the most part. Some may have started off as having a home, but were dumped or abandoned and have gone “feral” and are distrustful of people. Some were born on the street and know no other way of life. Community Cat programs such as the one at FACE emphasize improving the quality of life for these multi-owner cats by neutering or spaying them before they can breed, then returning them to their familiar environment. The Trap/Neuter/Return program helps to reduce the population and keeps the cats out of shelters. One unfixed female can have as many as three litters per year, with an average of eight kittens. Fixing males prevents them from fathering
The 46219 Initiative started by Amelda and Kathleen is one they hope will curb the kitten population in Irvington, while still giving the independent-minded cats a better life. Working with FACE Low Cost Animal Clinic on the near eastside, they have been able to set up a fund that will help pay for the spay or neuter of cats in the neighborhood. Kathleen and Amelda will also work with individuals to help them get their community cats into FACE on their Spay Days — days set aside for groups to get community cats fixed and vaccinated before being released back into the neighborhood. The program is only for outdoor unowned, cats. While many community cats have already been fixed (look for the ear-tip) there are still many roaming the area that are not.
Beginning March 31 and running through August 31, Amelda and Kathleen want to get a maximum of 10 cats per month fixed. They have created a team that can help trap cats for transportation, and have created an account at FACE to pay for the services, which are about $60 per animal. Kathleen and Amelda would love to see all the “Cats of Irvington” be safe and happy next winter.
In order to do all this, they are asking for donations to the account at FACE, which can be made on their Web site, facelowcostanimalclinic-bloom.kindful.com (enter 46219 Initiative when prompted for “in memory of” or “in honor of”). Individuals in the Irvington neighborhood who need help getting a cat fixed can call 317-406-7102 and leave a voice mail and they can mentor you. They would be happy to get some more volunteers to help with transportation and hands-on support.
Coincidentally, C.J. Woods III column this week is about one of those Irvington community cats, Street. (We didn’t coordinate this, really.) See Page 4 for his take.
