Economy Impacts Cats In Sandy Hook

The impact of the bad economy does not stop at people, as a group of neighborhood stray cats in Sandy Hook discovered recently when the caretaker who had been feeding them was evicted on May 31. Since the caretaker was unable to take any of the cats with her, more than 20 cats and kittens suddenly found themselves homeless and left to fend for themselves, including Pancake, a curious 5-week-old tabby kitten, and his littermates.

 The good news is that Pancake has been saved and is currently happily playing in a safe foster home until he can be adopted. Volunteers from The Animal Center have been working at the site since immediately after the eviction. Its top priority has been to get the kittens to the veterinarian to treat mild upper respiratory infections and then to place them into foster care where they will remain until they are well enough for adoption.

Many of the adult cats are more feral than friendly and are slowly getting used to the volunteers who feed them daily. Animal Center volunteers are midway through the process of humanely trapping the adult cats to get them to the vet for exams, spaying/neutering and rabies vaccinations in an effort to prevent unwanted litters from being born. Barn homes for the feral cats and adoptive homes for the friendly adults are desperately needed.

 The Animal Center is paying for all the veterinary expenses, which are significant, and is seeking donations to help care for these cats. For more information, contact Monica Roberto at info@theanimalcenter.org or 203-270-0228

The Animal Center is an all volunteer, nonprofit animal welfare charity. Its programs include a foster-based, no-kill rescue and adoption program for homeless and injured cats and kittens; and a feral cat assistance program that provides spay/neuter and vaccination assistance to caregivers of free-roaming, unowned cats in the community. The Animal Center is a 501(c)(3) publicly supported charity, helps approximately 250 cats a year, and relies heavily on the support of the public and generous volunteers. For more information, visit The Animal Center online at www.theanimalcenter.org.