With holiday season upon us, it is time to take a break from our busy schedules and spend time with loved ones. For many of us, those loved ones include very special animals who have done so much to enrich our lives.

This year during the holidays, Barbara Simerson of Memphis will make sure that her cat Rusty gets plenty of long, luxurious belly rubs. Barbara and Rusty share a bond made even stronger because of the circumstances that brought them together.

When Barbara’s beloved orange and white tom cat BB died, she was heartbroken and certain that no other cat could ever take his place. Barbara’s health issues required that she use a wheelchair and she doubted that she could ever find another cat who wouldn’t be skittish around it. But, when friends urged her to just visit Mewtopia Cat Rescue, she reluctantly agreed.

Meanwhile, Rusty’s situation was rapidly changing. A six month-old, bright orange tabby, Rusty was born outside to a feral mother. Rusty and his family had just become part of Mewtopia’s Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program in which feral cats are humanely trapped, neutered, and returned to their familiar environments. Stray cats and kittens young enough to be tamed are adopted into loving homes. This is the only effective, humane method of decreasing feral cat populations. Rusty and his family were monitored by volunteers and provided with food and water.

It’s rare that feral kittens older than two or three months warm up to people and become socialized enough to become pets. In fact, three of Rusty’s siblings now live on a farm, monitored and provided for, but not pets. Rusty, however, showed signs of enjoying the indoor life and began to warm up to Lisa.

The tide really turned for Rusty when he was placed in Barbara’s lap that very first day. He didn’t run. As Barbara spoke gently to him, Rusty began to purr. Rusty went home with Barbara that night and instantly befriended Spanky, Barbara’s eight year old lab/chow mix dog. As Barbara says, “It was a great day for me and a great day for Rusty when we found each other.”

In her time with Mewtopia Cat Rescue, Lisa Weaver has found the bond between feral cats and their caregivers to be strong and rewarding. One such bond formed between Mr. Harwell, an elderly man on a fixed income and Mini, a female feral cat who was living under his house. When Mini had her second litter of kittens, a worried Mr. Harwell turned to Mewtopia. He was concerned that he could not afford to feed the steadily growing feral colony. When Lisa explained TNR and promised to provide cat food, Mr. Harwell was overjoyed.

Lisa and other Mewtopia volunteers carefully trapped Mini and her kittens and brought them to a veterinarian to be neutered and vaccinated. The second litter of kittens was young enough to be socialized and adopted into loving homes. Mini and her older kittens were returned to their home outside Mr. Harwell’s house. Mr Harwell, with help from Mewtopia, makes sure they have food and fresh water. “The cats,” Mr. Harwell says, “give me a reason to get up in the morning.”

“Stories like these,” says Lisa Weaver, “really make what we do worthwhile.” This holiday season, why not remember your animal loved ones by volunteering with a rescue group or by making a donation of food, bedding or other supplies?

To learn more about TNR and organizations near you, please visit Alley Cat Allies, the national feral cat advocacy group, at www.alleycat.org.

For a list of organizations by state go to: Alley Cat Allies

To learn more about Mewtopia Cat Rescue please visit www.mewtopia.org or call (901)503-9328