Haircut and Community Cats - Feb 4, 2014

I got my hair cut yesterday. While I was waiting, I noticed a bowl of cat food outside on the window ledge. I asked my stylist what that was all about. And what I heard back from her was the concept of Community Cats, not from the animal welfare perspective, but from the human this-is-the-right-thing-to-do perspective. Anise has been working out of an old building in downtown Petaluma for 8 years. During that time, she’s TNR’d 10 cats with the help of Forgotten Felines. She traps; a FF volunteer holds on to the cat until the next clinic; spay/neuter, vaccines, ear tip; RETURN! Then Anise feeds the cats and lets them live. She’s named them all and even converted the other tenants in her building – they all take turns feeding and paying for the low cost services through FF.

Recently, an office space opened up in the building. The leasing agent contacted Anise to tell her that the cats were a problem for a potential tenant. Anise took a deep breath and said, ‘I’ve been here longer than anyone, yet not as long as these cats. This is their home. Please find another tenant for that space, or you will have to find 2 because those cats belong here. If they go, I go.' The leasing agent wasn’t happy. An hour later, Anise received a call from the building owner. He thanked her for sticking up for the cats and giving them a chance at life. He told her about his own ‘unofficial’ colony and his own commitment to cats. They found another cat-friendly tenant!

Then we talked about what would have happened without Forgotten Felines. I told her that in another county, their ‘low-cost’ spay/neuter options were $200. She said that there was no way they could have helped all of those cats for that fee.

After the haircut, I was making my payment on her ipad. Guess whose photo was the background? Precious – the most beautiful community cat in downtown Petaluma.