Colder weather raising concern for younger community cats and kittens

With mild winters becoming commonplace, there is no such thing as kitten season anymore, and the Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL) continues to see a steady influx of community cats and kittens from outdoor cat colonies throughout Massachusetts – and with colder temperatures settling into our area, younger cats and kittens will become more vulnerable and in need of help.

ARL is seeing an influx of community cats and kittens.

To date, ARL has taken in nearly 800 community cats and kittens from all corners of the state, and the organization’s Community Cat Program shows no sign of slowing down heading into winter.

With colder temperatures jeopardizing the health, safety, and possibly the lives of young cats and kittens, ARL is ramping up its efforts to take in as many of these animals as possible and get them the help they need.

Current data estimates there are approximately 700,000 community cats living in communities across Massachusetts, 70,000 in Boston alone.

ARL is committed to caring for these animals and reminds the public to be on the lookout for community cats and kittens.

If you come across these animals, it’s important not to attempt to move them, instead contact ARL Field Services for assistance at (617) 426-9170 (option 1).

Once the cats and kittens are rescued, ARL provides a wide range of veterinary care, including vaccinations and spay/neuter surgery, and the cats are also assessed behaviorally to determine adoption potential.

Adult cats who are truly feral and do not want to rely on humans for care are returned to the field.

While community cats are incredibly resilient, kittens born outdoors are extremely vulnerable to fluctuating weather conditions, predators, illness, among others, and sadly many don’t survive.

Community cats and kittens can be found literally anywhere – under decks, in basements, woodpiles, dog houses – anywhere a mother cat can provide relative safety and warmth for her offspring.

ARL cannot do this work alone and needs help from residents who share concern for the welfare of these vulnerable animals.

For more information about ARL’s Community Cat Program please visit Community Cat Program (arlboston.org)

ARL collaborates with community cat feeder to save homeless kitten’s life

A 5-week-old homeless kitten who was recently found cold to the touch in Berkley, MA, on a brisk November morning when temperatures dipped below the freezing mark, is getting a second chance thanks to the quick actions of a community cat feeder and the Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL).

The former homeless kitten, now named Applesauce, was discovered amongst a cat colony by a resident who monitors and feeds the colony and was very alarmed when the kitten was found cold and listless.

The finder took the kitten inside, contacted ARL’s Field Services Department, and did their best to warm up the kitten, by using blankets and providing sugar water.

ARL responded to the home and transported the kitten to ARL’s Dedham Animal Care and Adoption Center.

Upon intake, the kitten’s temperature was just 93F – a cat’s normal body temperature is typically between 100.5-102.5F.

Applesauce in foster care.

Applesauce in foster care.

Applesauce in foster care.

Bath time for Applesauce!

ARL’s veterinary team used a heated blanket to help increase the kitten’s body temperature and closely monitored him.

Over the course of several hours, the kitten’s temperature had risen to 98F, and he was starting to perk up, indicated by a voracious appetite. Aside from being nearly frozen to death, the kitten was otherwise in good health.

With the kitten stable, ARL placed Applesauce into foster care, where his foster family reported that for the first 24-36 hours the kitten was lethargic and spent most of his time curled up in a blanket sleeping.

However, by the third day in the foster home, Applesauce rebounded, being very vocal, attention-seeking, and purring for hours on end!

At just 7-weeks-old, Applesauce is still too young to find his forever home, however, ARL is thrilled that after the quick actions of the finder, he will have the opportunity to find a family and live the life he deserves. He should be available for adoption in a matter of weeks.

ARL and Community Cats

ARL is the only large animal welfare agency in Massachusetts with staff specifically dedicated to community cats.

ARL’s Community Cat Program rescues hundreds of community cats annually to help slow the cycle of homelessness among cats, providing medical care, vaccines, spay/neuter surgery, and determining whether each cat will be returned to the colony, returned to their owner if microchipped, or admitted to an ARL shelter to be put up for adoption if they are friendly.

There are an estimated 700,000 community cats and kittens residing in Massachusetts, 70,000 in Boston alone. ARL encourages anyone who discovers cats living outdoors to contact ARL Field Services at (617) 426-9170 x563.

Cat from cat colony receives critical surgery upon return to ARL

When a three-year-old cat was recently trapped from a cat colony in Boston, the organization scanned the animal for a microchip, and turns out the cat was adopted from the Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL) when he was just a kitten.

Snapple peeking out of his kennel.

The male cat, now named Snapple, had been seen around the colony for about a year, so it’s likely he was abandoned at some point in his young life and showing off his survival skills, found and integrated with the colony to be with other outdoor cats.

When he was identified as an ARL alum, he was transported to ARL’s Dedham Animal Care and Adoption Center where he received a thorough veterinary exam, and while he was slightly underweight, the more pressing issue was entropion – a condition where the upper or lower eyelid is inverted and if left untreated can cause corneal abrasions, severe pain, and in some cases eventual blindness.

Both of Snapple’s lower eyelids were inverted, and ARL’s shelter medicine team performed a surgical procedure to correct the issue, saving the cat a life of pain and possible blindness.

Going Home

With the surgery completed and having a few days to recover, the next step for Snapple was to find the permanent and loving home he deserved.

Despite spending an unknown amount of time on his own in the outdoors, Snapple showed to be an incredibly social cat, often leaping into the arms of anyone interacting with him in his kennel.

To no ones surprise, when Snapple was made available for adoption, he quickly found his new home and has already settled in and is thriving with his new family!

About ARL’s Community Cat Program

Community cats face many challenges living outdoors.

Without proper shelter and care, they are at risk of illness and injury.

Additionally, without spay/neuter surgery, these cats can produce many litters and continue the cycle of large colonies of unowned cats.

As part of ARL’s Community Cat Program, the organization’s Field Services agents will respond to the call of residents who report a colony of cats, investigating the colony to determine the number of cats and kittens residing in that area, the cats’ overall health status, and whether or not a local resident is feeding them regularly and can continue.

After the initial assessment, a TNR (Trap-Neuter- Return) plan is formulated for that particular colony.

TNR is one of the most humane and effective ways to stop the cycle of homelessness among cats.

Spay and neuter surgeries are low risk and proven to improve the safety and health of these cats as well as the community as a whole.

The plan also includes vaccines, and whether each cat will be returned to the colony, returned to their owner if microchipped, or admitted to an ARL shelter to be put up for adoption if they are friendly.