Home Sweet Home for 50 Feral Cats

The HSUS provides direct care for more animals than any other organization, in addition to improving the lives of countless animals through our macro-level work to shape public policy, corporate policy, and public attitudes.

Our hands-on care work takes so many varieties, including our Emergency Services response today to rescue 19 horses in Baltimore from a life of neglect and squalor.

Today I am also so pleased to report that 54 domesticated cats we rescued from San Nicolas Island in California are resting comfortably in their brand-new outdoor enclosure at The Fund for Animals Wildlife Center in San Diego County. Most of them are likely to be permanent residents of our animal care facility, which now includes an HSUS pet shelter.

Last week we dedicated a special outdoor habitat for these cats at our Ramona, Calif. facility. Working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Navy, and other government groups, we saved these cats from certain death—they would have been euthanized if The HSUS and the Fund for Animals didn’t step in to provide them with a permanent home.

The new habitat was constructed thanks to the financial support of DoGreatGood.com and the cats are thoroughly enjoying their new territory (I’ve included a few photos below as a testament). Some of the cats gave birth soon after capture so their kittens are being socialized early to ensure they’ll be adoptable—12 kittens housed in our indoor cattery are friendly, social, and ready for adoption.

While trap-neuter-return is still the most effective and humane option for feral cats, in some areas with threatened or endangered species, alternatives are needed. Removing the feral cats from San Nicolas Island will benefit several native species, including the unique San Nicolas Island fox and the federally threatened island night lizard—a topic I wrote about in August.

At The HSUS, we work to protect all animals and we believe in paving new ground to explore what’s possible. The success of working hand-in-hand with multiple state and federal agencies shows what can be achieved when we debunk the old methods of elimination and come together in the spirit of life-saving collaboration to protect all animals. As Betsy McFarland, our senior director of companion animals said, "This project is a testament to the commitment of multiple agencies to find common ground and develop solutions for feral cats in areas with threatened or endangered species."