It isn't that we don't want to improve the lives of these cats, we just know that there is no quick fix and each situation is different. We also find that few people are willing to get personally involved with the project because it often takes a large amount of time, planning, and work. Urban Cat League is a small, volunteer organization so we must rely on the involvement of the person asking for help. A perfect example of our ideal situation was a recent project in Williamsburg.

Maggie had a group of cats living and multiplying in her backyard. Neighbors had been feeding them but the situation was not great, especially with multiple litters of kittens running around. From the beginning of the project, Maggie was willing to spend time to learn the basics of TNR and ended up performing a large portion of the work (planning, transportation, recovery, etc.) on her own. Urban Cat League lent her supplies and personally assisted with the initial trapping, we then took the kittens for socialization while Maggie continued her trapping efforts. She also helped us with fostering and adoptions for several of the kittens.

Not all projects must be identical to this particular colony, we often find situations where more involvement is required and other times we see that good advice does the trick. We are thrilled when anyone is interested in learning how to tackle the issues facing feral cats because one of Urban Cat League's main goals is education. The real constraint for everyone involved is the time commitment, so any project where people are willing to pitch in and get involved will have a much higher rate of success, as you will read in Maggie's story.

Maggie's Story

I live next door to a feral cat colony that has occupied my elderly neighbor's backyard for many years. The past two summers I watched female cats nursing their litters and saw their kittens grow up in the colony. Sadly, most of the kittens eventually disappeared, which I never liked to think about since I knew they probably died from poor health, an accident or weather conditions. I always felt helpless - these cats were wild, but how could I help them live a more comfortable existence? I decided this past May that I could not discover more kittens or watch poor females cats suffer by constantly being pregnant and worrying about protecting their litters. I also wanted to enjoy my own backyard, but hardly spent any time in it since the feral males constantly sprayed the backyard with urine. I came to the realization that the only way the feral cat colony population would be under control was to take action and do something about it.

I was overwhelmed with the prospect of how to spay and neuter my feral colony. I felt that the Trap Neuter Release (TNR) approach would be the most effective and humane way to control the colony. I found Urban Cat League in Manhattan, whose members assisted me by loaning cat traps and coming to my neighborhood to walk me through the whole trapping process, plus show me how to take care of the cats before and after surgery. My first trap was a female and her litter of four kittens. Without UCL's assistance, I would not have been able to confidently trap on my own and realize that with a little planning, the whole TNR process is easy to do. In a two month period, I trapped five females, three males and eight kittens. Cost was a dilemma for me since I had to fix the cats out of my own pocket, but I learned from UCL about www.muffins.org , where I obtained low cost spay/neuter certificates. The certificate covered the surgery and the office visit, easily saving me $150+ per cat. UCL also took the kittens I rescued and worked with several volunteers to get the kittens healthy and find great homes for all eight kittens. (read the next story about one of those eight kittens.)

The biggest reward from the whole TNR process are seeing the cats that live in my colony every day, anxiously waiting for me to serve them their evening meal. I sleep better at night since my colony has the best life a feral can have, by having a reliable food source and a safe place to call home.

Maggie Doyle
Willamsburg, Brooklyn

Billy Bobcat: One Colony Cat's Story

When we first set eyes on Billy Bobcat, he was so frightened his pupils were narrowed to the size of pencil lead and, aside from his white boots, nose, and throat, he was a single striated blaze of shivering reddish-blond fur. We later learned he’d been in four separate homes in his brief six-weeks of life.

Although we were warned it might take a few weeks before Billy Bob relaxed enough to explore his new home or to allow us to touch him, within twenty-four hours, he allowed Andy to hold and pet him, and we discovered to our delight, that when stroked he has the loudest purr of any cat we have ever known. Needless to say, with such positive reinforcement, Billy Bobcat’s human pets quickly learned to provide for his needs, providing him with fresh food and water, cleaning his litter box regularly, bringing him toy mice and birds, and above all, grooming and stroking him hour after hour.

Soon Billy Bob proved a true descendant of the great tawny cats and began racing across the great plain, I mean, great hall (over fifty feet), vaulting over cliffs (i.e. hassocks, chairs), sunning himself on ledges, showing himself in full command of his pride.

Unless the alarm sounds and outsiders come in. Then our little boy vanishes into one of several hiding places he’s discovered, until he’s assured that the danger is over. Overall, Billy Bob has settled into our lives, with few reminders of his past. But he keeps teaching us: avoid sudden moves, especially if carrying the mail or newspaper; avoid violent or loud television programs; meet people halfway; and always, always, season with affection.

Andy & Sonja Weiner
Upton MA

Postcard from Los Angeles and more help for victims of Hurricane Katrina

Please remember to help the animal victims of Katrina. We have listed various organizations that need your help on our Help the Animal Victims of Katrina page.

Mike Philips recently convinced the Los Angeles Opera to include an editorial encouraging shelter adoptions in their 20th anniversary souvenir program and also to encourage cast members to help the Hurricane Katrina animal victims with substantial donations.

Famed film Director Garry Marshall (Princess Diaries, Pretty Woman, TV's Happy Days, The Odd Couple) had written an animal friendly sub-plot into his version of The Grand Duchess which is currently playing at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in LA and UCL president Mike Phillips who is the assistant to Mr. Marshall on the production seized the opportunity to promote shelter adoptions. With friends from Best Friends, Mike successfully lobbied the opera to go one step further and provide the info to the patrons about shelter adoption in the program.

Furthermore, during the rehearsal period for the opera, hurricane Katrina occurred and the cast, crew and orchestra decided to make a group donation to the animal victims of Katrina instead of spending money on the traditional opening night cards and gifts for each other. Garry Marshall personally made a very generous donation of $25,000 to help the victims of the hurricane in the name of all of the artists at the opera. This is the picture that appeared in the program and in Best Friends magazine. The dog on the left appeared in the show but is not a trained show dog and enjoys every moment onstage. Her name is Bertha and she was a Petfinder's rescue dog just like her friend and understudy Morrie on the right in the photo.

Postcard from Israel

While working in Israel in May/June 2005, Urban Cat League president, Mike Phillips discovered a colony of cats living near his Tel Aviv hotel and volunteered with SPAY/ISRAEL to TNR (trap, neuter, return) the colony. SPAY/ISRAEL www.spayisrael.org.il directed by Adela Gertner has a clinic in nearby Rehovath and is one of many excellent animal groups in Israel. Mike went to work and quickly raised $1,000 for new trapping equipment to help their mission.

While continuing to work on that project, Mike traveled to Jerusalem with one of the stage managers at the opera, Sarah who by coincidence is also a veterinary technician. Sarah took Mike to visit the struggling Jerusalem SPCA shelter where SPAY/ISRAEL was hoping to start a spay/neuter clinic. The shelter is currently reliant on the local private clinic that can't accommodate their needs so many animals get adopted out un-neutered. Currently Israeli Vets are only neutering animals after 7 months, which means puppies and kittens leave the shelter for adoptions un-neutered. Mike put out the word and after hearing about this situation, an anonymous donor has arranged airfare for an American vet to fly to Israel to teach Pediatric Spay/Neuter at a special seminar hosted by SPAY/ISRAEL where Mike will also teach mass trapping and feral kitten socialization.

Mike was in Israel as Assistant to William Friedkin for a production of Samson & Dalila at Israeli Opera. Film director Friedkin, (The French Connection, The Exorcist) was directing the opera starring international opera superstar Gabi Sade the Israeli tenor. The fundraising project became a group affair with the opera cast and crew and these photos were taken to help get media attention to raise money for the proposed new clinic at the Jerusalem SPCA. Over $20,000 has been raised so far and construction on the clinic will be completed in October. Furnishing the clinic with equipment and keeping it running will be an ongoing fundraising challenge. To make a secure online donation please visit the donate page at www.spayisrael.org.il Snail mail donations can be sent to Best Friends Animal Society and the donation will be transferred in full to Israel.

Although there are many well cared for and ear-tipped cats wandering the streets of Israel, there are a higher percentage of less fortunate underfed animals like these two kittens who had become very ill. Working with the Cat Welfare Society of Israel directed by Rivi Mayer, these kittens were vetted and cured of their eye problems now live with their devoted mother in the CWS sanctuary thanks to Revital and Judy at CWS of Israel!

CWS recently suffered an arsonist attack at their sanctuary in Even Yehuda and is struggling to rebuild things. Donations are welcome through www.cats.org.il CWS has also been working tirelessly rescuing the hundreds of animals left behind at the west bank settlements after the evacuation.

With lots of persuading by Mike and email help from ASPCA shelter outreach vet Leslie Appel, the first Pediatric Spay/Neuters were performed on the kittens from the Tel Aviv colony on the Beach. This was a landmark which will hopefully lead to a new era in the Israeli battle against over-population of homeless animals. Adopting out already neutered animals will now be possible as more and more vets will hopefully agree to learn the pediatric neutering techniques. Best Friends magazine ran an article in their current issue featuring the recent work and mentioning Urban Cat League’s contribution.

New Relationships

URBAN CAT LEAGUE is fortunate to have one of the top advertising agencies in New York, Young & Rubicam, NY, taking us on as a pro bono client. On October 22 we will be hitting the streets of Hells Kitchen with a new "guerilla marketing" campaign getting the word out THE STREET IS NO PLACE FOR A KITTEN.

As anyone in the animal rescue community knows, veterinary care is on the top of the outgoing expense list and it can add up! ANIMAL GENERAL, 558 Columbus Ave. (@87th St) 212 501 9600 has gone above and beyond in helping us out recently with several of our rescues. We whole heartedly endorse them. The staff is exceptional - from the vets to reception. If you are located in their neighborhood stop in and say hi to some of the cats and kittens they have for adoption.

Do you live in BROOKLYN and want to have an impact on the street cat population in your backyard? One of our Brooklyn volunteers is interested in getting a group together to implement TNR, get the abandoned domestics in good homes and get the word out to spay and neuter. Get involved - contact us at info@urbancatleague.org.