Are there a few cats in your neighborhood that you think could benefit from a few weeks on Jenny Craig? While you’d like to believe these cats are just loved too much by adoring humans who can’t say no to their cats purring for treats or table scraps, the fact is these overweight lovelies probably are pregnant and homeless.
For any number of unfair (yet often resolvable) reasons – moving, someone has allergies, a baby has arrived – a family cat now finds itself alone in the outdoors. Domesticated cats do not easily adapt to living on their own and many do not survive. Interactions with wildlife can be dangerous and unforgiving and there are threats from uncaring humans as well. Disease among community cats is another cause of suffering and often death.
Many of these forsaken pets learn to fear humans and will hide throughout the day, only coming out at night when there are few people and cars around in search for food and shelter. Some of the ones you see have been able to adapt to this new life of “living on the edge.” Compounding the problem, each year these cats will reproduce, bringing more unwanted cats into the world, and so the cycle of suffering continues.
How You Can Help
Cats litter gestation is 9 weeks (63 days). If you see a Fat Cat or if you see a cat becoming bigger and bigger over time; take action. Call your local cat rescue immediately. Tell them where you last saw the cat. If possible, offer to meet the volunteer to show the location. Provide as much information about the cat and its activity as possible. The goal is to get to the cat BEFORE its litter is born, spay it and then return it to an area where you or someone can continue to feed and monitor it.
Set a Trap, Neuter and Return (TNR) program implemented will stop the reproduction process and prevent cats from having more and more litters. Even one litter is too many. Where community cats are unable to reproduce; the cat population decreases.
Your actions today will stop this instinctual mating and thus, prevent the enormous suffering occurring throughout our community. Spread the word, community FAT CATS are not good. Ultimately, if you are really lucky, sometimes these cats will slowly learn to trust humans again.