When a feral cat named BeeGee gave birth in their backyard, a group of Cleveland neighbors came together to trap, neuter, and care for the feline family—turning heartbreak and hesitation into a shared act of compassion.
When a feral cat named BeeGee gave birth in their backyard, a group of Cleveland neighbors came together to trap, neuter, and care for the feline family—turning heartbreak and hesitation into a shared act of compassion.
Shown here, BeeGee’s surviving kittens, Pico de Gato on left and Black Bean on right.CLEVELAND, Ohio – Her silky black hair and piercing eyes draw your attention. She loves backyard gardens and expansive decks. She’s a foodie and hard to satisfy. She’s fiercely independent. She’s a feral cat, and we call her BeeGee. Our little city block is currently home to about five roaming cats, a mix of abandoned and lost pets and wild ferals. They survive by their own means and the generosity of those who care for such animals. Wherever we have lived, they find us. Perhaps drawn by our own indoor cats or some inner sense that tells them we can be trusted. We met BeeGee at the beginning of the year. She had found the heated water bowl we offer all winter. She was so skittish we couldn’t tell if her eartip was clipped, the universal sign of a cat who has been trapped, neutered and released. TNR programs are a humane approach to controlling and even reducing feral cat populations if enough people participate. When spring finally came, BeeGee started showing up more frequently and her belly wasn’t so thin. Oy. Kitten season was here. It was too late to stop another litter from arriving. In early May, I discovered BeeGee and her three newborns hiding in the protective shade of our backyard daylily clump. The chaos of cleaning the garage later that day scared BeeGee into relocating her babies. After no sign of the kittens for weeks, we started telling our distraught selves a happy tale of how some kind people took the kittens in. The next week mama and kittens were in our backyard once again, the little ones pouncing on anything that moved, like their mama’s tail, the daisies and coreopsis bobbing in the breeze, a waving piece of grass. Even though we have cared for neighborhood cats for years, we had never had to trap any for neutering. Most were lost or abandoned pets we could win over with food, take them for vet care and then rehome them. A couple times we ended up becoming the new home. Judge as you wish, but trapping seemed daunting and scary.. They explained how their TNR program worked. The first available appointment was three weeks out and there were no more loaner traps. So we bought our own and it felt like progress. A few days later, a mom and her young teen daughter were in our neighbors’ backyard, hovering near the bushes by our garage. Introductions helped us all realize we were BeeGee’s support team. They and the mom’s boyfriend, who owned the house one over, were desperate to take mama and kittens to the vet. With good reason. That morning, they had held one of BeeGee’s kittens as it died after being hit by a car in front of their house. No wonder they were holding out treats, calling softly, trying to woo the remaining two kittens out of hiding so they could grab them. It was such a relief to realize we weren’t the only ones concerned about the same little cat family, but the sadness was real. Cat lovers understand. It takes no time to bond with even the wildest ones. Teamwork helped bear the pain and make the effort to TNR more doable and less scary. Since feral mamas raise feral babies, those kittens were never going to just let themselves be grabbed. It was time to try the trap. Trapping can injure kittens, so we set up a security camera to capture the capture. First caught was the remaining black kitten. Our neighbor was ready and took the trap and kitten to his first floor office, which they had converted into a lovely cat room with a litter box, food dishes, blankets, hiding places and cat toys. The next day, we reset the trap, hoping BeeGee and her silver gray kitten would just walk in together.And that’s exactly what happened.The intake staff were very efficient and kind. We felt successful. When the call came at about 2 p.m. that afternoon requesting pick up, we found out the kittens were females. Our little team had already discussed what would happen next. Our neighbors went from thinking they might keep one of the kittens to definitely keeping both kittens, now named Black Bean and Pico de Gato. BeeGee, as we all agreed, was released to be our shared backyard cat -- unless we find someone able to patiently house a wild mama. There are many different views about controlling community cat populations. Some are harsh. Some are heartfelt. We did what we felt best, what we saw as our responsibility and will continue to use TNR programs which are very effective in controlling feral cat reproduction. Finding homes for those adoptable takes some off the streets. Feeding ferals reduces songbird loss, but for us, it’s the means to the end. We’re glad to be part of the humane approach of trapping, neutering and releasing. All cats are welcome here.A grandmother’s protest and promise for sustained defiance: Leslie Kouba My close call with a highway walker made me reflect on our fight for democracy and the dangers of dissent: Leslie Kouba If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation.and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our
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