As the seasons change, temperatures are starting to drop. But unlike humans, animals are unable to run to the thermostat and adjust the temperature. They are at the mercy of the elements. Thankfully, in the South Jersey town of Moorestown, volunteers are working to make sure there a few less freezing felines and passerines this winter.
On October 8th, dozens of kind-hearted New Jerseyans came together to build 25 cat shelters and 16 birdhouses. The event was inspired by World Animal Day (October 4th) and was part of a series of volunteer events led by New Jersey State Senator Troy Singleton. For this event, the state senator collaborated with three local animal advocacy and support nonprofits — HousePaws, the BooTiki Fund, and Wandering Whiskers Rescue.
According to Wandering Whiskers Rescue President Amy Alexeyko, offering food and shelter to stray cats is a win for both cats and birds. Cats are spared from the freezing cold and birds have one less predator to contend with.
In an increasingly cold world this simple story of individuals coming together to build shelter for animals warms the heart. New Jersey has an estimated 2-3 million stray and feral cats. While small-scale volunteer efforts will not tackle the larger, more systemic problem, small acts are crucial. Animals need our help. These shelters will be life changing for many felines. They will provide a place to endure the cold and be treated to a meal as well as a straw blanket for comfort. And they have the potential to save many birds who would otherwise likely fall prey to starving cats.
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A very big thank you!
Bravo!
Why isn’t there a “share” option for facebook? These people deserve widespread recognition and could spur more people to follow suit!
There is, in fact, the option to post this on Fb — it should appear on the page of this article — by the way, I just clicked and shared on Fb — thank you.
Hasher sentences for animal cruelty. They must not get away with it
EXCELLENT JOB — THANK YOU — keep up your great work —
This is awesome! Great job to all those who partook in this venture! There are surely to be some very thankful animals in from the elements!
I fail to see what is humane about building shelters to keep re-abandoned cats outdoors. These folks don’t have to look at the cats dying slowly of disease, infection, maggots invading their neutering sutures following premature release after surgery – or being used as target practice with pellets/bullets/arrows. Or being run over by cars or ripped apart by feral dogs or coyotes. Or being used as fighting dog bait or crush videographers. People who truly care about cats keep them safely indoors or in catios…. or in kitty heaven. People who truly care about other animals, wildlife, also keep cats indoors.
I wish there was any easy answer — BUT, I get the logic of your point : “keep them inside and you’ll save everyone from problems!” — BUT, not so easy bringing in so many cats UNLESS each & every household would commit to taking in at least one cat; do you think we can get that kind of promise from each & every home? — ALSO; better the cats are outdoors than waiting in a cage for death at your local pound, unless your Pound is a NO-KILL — if our shelters were all NO-KILL (note, there are quite a number of NO-KILL shelters at present), there would be less cats roaming about outdoors; I have four permanent outdoor cats who live in my front yard — everything they need is on my property — they stay close to home; they may take walks around the neighborhood minding their own business; they do NOT harass anyone; mostly, they rove around unseen; there are other situations where Caretakers have colonies of cats under their wing — cats are fed each day, they have shelter, etc — they, too, stay close to their outdoor homes; it may seem to you that it’s all so overwhelming with millions of cats traveling about attacking, killing everything in sight — this just is NOT the reality; so Page, please try to be more understanding; there are many cat-lovers who have taken in more than two cats into their homes giving them the love & security they need; we need to reach more people/adopters — especially those who do NOT YET KNOW the beauty of caring for a cat and adopting one; by the way, any cats in your home? — Remember, cats’ personalities widely differ from one another; you may appreciate one over another due to difference in personalities; so please, if anything, we need your help to give these kitties a place to call home.
So well said ! I happen to be one of those few people trying to care for as many homeless cats as possible. I have spayed & neutered more than 20 cats. Most i’ve brought indoor wich is the safest place. Once i reached my limit indoors, i’ve had no choice but to leave the rest outside. I provide cozy winter shelters, food & water and like you said, they stay in my backyard, always close to home. They don’t bother anyone & they definitly know their safe place. If there were more kind, compassionate people in the world to look after just a few, or better yet, more responsible people, there wouldn’t be so many homeless animals.
Thank you for caring,
Raquel
Thank you so much!!! Wish everyone did more!
Patricia Welch soooo well written yes we must do more than sit around feel sorry we must take action for helpless abandoned lives those cats animals are so vulnerable
Gotta say thanks to these people for taking positive steps to help both cats and birds. THANK YOU ALL!
Many people seem to forget these cats are the victims – like many animals – of human irresponsibility and stupidity.
“While small-scale volunteer efforts will not tackle the larger, more systemic problem, small acts are CRUCIAL.
Animals need our help.” (especially cats, who seem to be the scapegoats mankind’s ignorance and arrogance).
That says it ALL. We all have a responsibility to make this a better world, instead of sitting and guzzling lattes.
Well done to all the volunteers who are doing all they can to help cats and birds this winter. You are all true heroes and heroines.
God bless all of these kindhearted people who took the time to think of these poor animals this winter!!
What a great idea. Those negative comments about cats eating birds and infecting children…. Cats and birds have been predators for thousand of years, and if there is a surge in the outdoor cat population, look to humans for failing to get the cats reproductive organs removed, or abandoning the animals so they have no choice but to hunt and feed in what ever shape or form that prey may take.
As for children being at risk from infection, have you people never heard of hygiene or hand washing!? I used to run around with all sorts of animals both at home and on a farm. I used to cut, graze and bump myself on every inch of ground and fence, all around were cats, dogs, chickens, horses, mud and muck, yet I was one of the healthiest children in my neighborhood. It is this insistence of covering children up in cotton wool and, sitting inside playing computers and watching TV, instead of being out and about making mud pies and getting grazes and cuts from rough and tumbles, that has brought about the rise in infections.
Children no longer naturally build up any natural immunity.
A little good old fashioned common sense would not go amiss here.
Well done, to all the volunteers who took the time and effort to make these cosy little shelters.
Keep up the good work.
Please don’t let this organization fool you into believing that they’re protecting birds by what they’re doing. The leader of Wandering Whiskers does not understand the dire impact cats have on birds and should not being spreading false statements that this shelter project will help birds. This was a PR stunt meant to make it seem like they are protecting birds. Feeding and sheltering outdoor cats, which are a non-native species, will do nothing to reduce the devastating impact cats have on all native wildlife including birds – they kill between 1 and 4 billion birds a year and up to 22 billion mammals! Cats hunt by instinct not necessarily hunger and in fact have more energy to hunt when they are well fed! The only way fewer birds will be killed is to stop supporting feral colonies and bring ALL cats indoors. Please turn to a reputable source like the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to learn more about this very serious problem, not the head of a cat rescue. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/faq-outdoor-cats-and-their-effects-on-birds/
While I go agree that cats hunt birds, and other disease-carrying vermin, it’s really human encroachment that has devastated every ecological niche we’ve touched. We’ve pushed many species to the brink, including these birds, through habitat loss from man’s desire for all that nice land to build our McMansions and Lifestyle Shopping Centers. Do you think anyone cares about the wildlife they dispossess?
We ignore OUR responsibility – habitat loss/fragmentation, deforestation, pollution, pesticides, to name a few human consequences, and so cats have been sighted as THE ONLY REASON birds’ numbers are dwindling – perfect scapegoats. Even these community cats are victims of human stupidity. T-N-R does work, and it’s the best way to control populations, and re-home adoptable cats. Until humans become responsible for spaying/neutering, there’ll always be homeless cats.
Bird feeders attract rodents, which attract cats, so cats are seen around feeders. Most cats hunt at night when rodents are out and birds are roosting. Rodents go after eggs, hatchlings and fledglings – this is fact. In the Southwest rodents even eat reptiles while they’re in torpor. Rodents cause damage to crops and food stores/supplies, and spread diseases like Hanta and Plague. Cats eat rodents. That’s how Nature plays it out. HUMANS are the wildcard here. WE upset the balance in every place we go.
Cats did not kill off the Dusky Sea Sparrow – we did that by building on their fragile habitat. Cats did not bring California Condors and Bald Eagles to the brink of extinction – we did that through lead poisoning from our ammunition in carcasses, not to mention DDT that thinned out eggshells so they cracked when nested upon. Cats did not make the Ivory-billed Woodpecker disappear – man did that by draining their swampy habitat so we could build. I’m sure I could name more, but I think you get the point. And it’s all true.
Any study can slant results to show what you want it to show, no matter who’s doing the research.
It’s all in what you want your study to say – what spin you want to put on it. You can make the numbers reflect anything you want, while leaving out important information, like man’s impact on wildlife. And many people want science to say cats are rampant killers of our precious wildlife. It shifts the blame off of us.
But when it’s all said and done – we are the killers of wildlife, and there’s no buts about that.
WOW ! AMEN TO THAT. WE NEED MORE PEOPLE LIKE YOU. SO TRUE….HUMANITY IS DESTROYING THE WORLD.
BAS — First, please pay a visit to ALLEY CAT ALLIES for more info regarding your points — be mindful — be fair and correct about your statements — there are many who are responsible for the death of birds — whether unintentionally or not– please take into account INSTEAD OF blaming everything on cats — it is clear to me how you FEEL about cats — Second, how does one count ALL the dead birds? — Third, Who counts ALL the dead birds? — Fourth, How do you know cause of death and by whom? — Keep in mind, this is a big country. — IF you can relay the answers to me, I’d appreciate it — DO NOT FORGET — pay a visit to ALLEY CAT ALLIES — upon reading their info, you’ll be given references where you can double-check, triple-check facts if you wish.
BAS — First, please pay a visit to ALLEY CAT ALLIES for more info regarding your points — keep in mind to be fair and correct about your statements — there are many who are responsible for the death of birds — whether unintentionally or not– please take that into account INSTEAD OF blaming everything on cats — it is clear to me how you FEEL about cats — Second, how does one count ALL the dead birds? — Third, Who counts ALL the dead birds? — Fourth, How do you know cause of death and by whom? — Keep in mind, this is a big country. — IF you can relay the answers to me, I’d appreciate it — DO NOT FORGET — pay a visit to ALLEY CAT ALLIES — upon reading their info, you’ll be given references where you can double-check, triple-check facts if you wish.
Why should seemingly harmless TNR kitties be a problem?
The stark answer is : That they are not harmless.
Outside cats – through a rat to cat transmission – spread the sinister parasite Toxoplasmosis gondii.
That includes TNR cats.
( Its not just about birds )
This where this parasite begins.
Outside cats feeding off of mice and rats.
Cats go to the bathroom like all of living critters, but in those cat “packages” are oocysts of Toxoplasmosis.
And, nasty they are.
Any child, walking the grounds, can be infected.
How?
By just being a child.
Picking up a ball where a cat was using the restroom, and simply wiping a mucous membrane.
Nose, mouth, eyes…..
Then, it’s game over.
Toxoplasmosis causes blindness.
No child should ever go through that because they were infected.
No parent can disinfect a child 24/7.
Kids fall, they explore, and they put their fingers in their mouths.
Washing up in the restrooms later may be too late.
There is no cure for this parasite, and the only vector that affects humans are outside cats.
The Brain.
Once in there … there is no way out.
The Toxoplasmosis gondii parasite has been linked to mental disorders, including schizophrenia, spectrum disorders, road rage, suicide, and depression.
There are no inoculations for Toxoplasmosis.
Your healthy, happy toddler can be changed forever due to this parasite.
Is this possibility acceptable for any child?
Not to forget blindness.
Aaaaaaannnd the birds…..
Cats kill 2,000,000,000 birds a year.
Well fed cats.
TNR cats.
They are hardwired to hunt.
That’s not even counting the small native mammals, reptiles, and amphibians that they view as “toys”.
Rabies is becoming a real problem in many states.
Cats have overtaken dogs as the number one source of rabies transmission.
This is because raccoons are attracted to feral cat feeding sites.
Are rabies vaccinations UTD with each cat every three years at your colonies?
No……
One shot upon neuter does not protect a cat for life.
Cats, should be in an enclosed area where everyone benefits.
The cats are safe and so are the children, immune compromised …and wildlife.
Cats belong inside.
Inside cats are very safe because the cat/rat interaction is unlikely.
Cats make great pets.
I love my cat.
She stays inside.
Please read my above reply. Humans kill more birds and other wildlife through greed and arrogance. We lived in Tucson AZ for 20 years and saw the very fragile ecosystems disseminated because of over-development, and water waste. That had major impact on small native mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. I volunteered at the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, and RODENTS were the primary problem when it comes to killing wildlife and spreading disease
While cats are the vector for toxo, it can be gotten by other means, including dogs – the very first time I heard of toxo, it was in reference to dogs and blindness. HANDWASHING is still the best way to prevent ANY disease. I’ve had cats all my life and was tested to R/O toxo, among other things, and the results were negative. I practice good hygiene.
“Any warm-blooded mammal can carry or contract rabies, but the primary carriers in North America are raccoons, skunks, bats, foxes, and coyotes. Thanks to an increase in pet vaccinations, WILDLIFE now account for more than 90 percent of all reported rabies cases.”
For anyone interested in facts, here’s the link: Understanding Rabies : The Humane Society of the United States http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/facts/rabies.html
And our cats stay inside, too. We built them a nice, safe catio. And I no longer have bird feeders, because of rodents.
All TNR cats are seen by Vets, are inoculated for rabies — are spayed & neutered — some get booster shots — many are cared for by a loving Caretaker — please pay a visit to ALLEY CAT ALLIES for more info regarding your points — upon reading their info, you’ll be given references where you can double-check, triple-check facts if you wish — I wish there was an easy answer — BUT, I get the logic of your point : “keep them inside and you’ll save everyone from problems!” — BUT, not so easy bringing in so many cats UNLESS each & every household would commit to taking in at least one cat; do you think we can get that kind of promise from each & every home? — ALSO; better the cats are outdoors than waiting in a cage for death at your local pound, unless your Pound is a NO-KILL — if our shelters were all NO-KILL (note, there are quite a number of NO-KILL shelters at present), there would be less cats roaming about outdoors; I have four permanent outdoor cats who live in my front yard — everything they need is on my property — they stay close to home; they may take walks around the neighborhood minding their own business; they do NOT harass anyone; they do not leave secreted diseased fluids because they are healthy cats — mostly, they rove around unseen; there are other situations where Caretakers have colonies of cats under their wing — cats are fed each day, they have shelter, etc — they, too, stay close to their outdoor homes; it may seem to you that it’s all so overwhelming with millions of cats traveling about, secreting toxoplasmosis, attacking, killing everything in sight — this just is NOT the reality; so K, please try to be more understanding; there are many cat-lovers who have taken in more than two cats into their homes giving them the love & security they need; are you planning to adopt another cat? — that would be great.
Well stated, K!
While I understand the efforts of this group to keep homeless cats warm, even cats with full bellies will still predate wildlife, causing needless deaths of cottontails, squirrels, birds and other species numbering somewhere in the hundreds of millions in the U.S. annually. Don’t these wild lives matter too?
Taxoplasmosis is also very real. Someone could be out gardening and be exposed. The type of neurological damage that results will ruin a person’s life.
G — Thank you for your view — First, WASH HANDS FREQUENTLY AND WHEN APPROPRIATE — WEAR GLOVES WHEN GARDENING —— Second, read other comments to gain a wider perspective — better decisions are made that way.
So nice, thank you so much, does not ‘only’ help our fellow beings, gives also us hope for a better world for us all.
They are God’s Creatures.
And we shall not kill and hurt, but show compassion and care.
Our life is short also, let us take the chance, do good, stop the violence (‘God is Love’) and support the vegan lifestyle.
He is the beginning and the end, one day we will die also.
Please don’t be fooled by this PR stunt. They’re doing nothing to help birds or prevent them from being killed by cats.
Monika, how are you showing compassion to all the wildlife killed by cats by either hunting or spread of disease. You are choosing ignorance as a way to feel good about not directly killing but rather to let the cats kill for you. You are also choosing to ignore all the farm animals you are allowing to be slaughtered so that you can feed more cats. Your “compassion” is selective to fit what your mind wants to believe.
To think you are also helping birds by building bird houses along with cats shelters is absurd. There are so many bogus claims made here and anybody who knows anything about wildlife or does a bit of research will see through this travesty. First of all well fed cats have more energy to act on their instincts to chase, hunt and kill wildlife. So the very act of building shelters for homeless and feral cats and feeding them only makes their impact on wildlife worse.
Second, most birds do not use bird houses for shelter during winter months – bird houses are used during nesting season by cavity nesting birds. Different size houses with varying size and shapes of holes will attract different species of birds along with what type of habitat in which they are located.
Mice often use bird houses during the winter by taking advantage of old bird nests and will raise their young in the boxes.
This is a very pathetic attempt to think you are somehow appeasing those opposed to outdoor cats with fabricated claims.
What heros and heroines they are.
It is so lovely to hear of cat and bird shelters being built keep up the good work Thank you.
Bless all of you. What a wonderful thing to do! The kindness and the love you put into these little houses for cats and birds are so wonderful. Thanks to all of you these animals will have a warm place to stay in the cold winter days. You all have lots of love to share and you are true Angel’s.
this is so great what I wouldn’t give to see every cat in a home and every outside creature comfortable and healthy at all times. I used to think how beautiful forests and meadows were until I learned of all the things afflicting wild creatures and now they just look like misery to me.
This is a reason to make sure that all your pets are spay/neutered. Keeping the feline population under control, both outside and inside, helps reduce the conflict. All shelters should spay/neuter before any animal is released. Low cost spay/neuter should be made available to everyone!!