Feral organization not only educates, but houses cats in need.
By Jennifer Hayes, Best Friends NetworkNestled on the banks of Brushy Creek, in a quiet Round Rock, Texas, neighborhood, sits a refuge for cats, a true feline Shangri-La. Within its walls are not only some very lucky cats, but also ShadowCats Founder Sheila Smith and her husband, Dr. Roy Smith.
Sheila began her rescue work in 1997, when she started catching area ferals, cats that have not been socialized to humans. Initially she had thought it possible to domesticate them, but soon became educated in TNR, the activity of trapping, neutering, and then releasing feral cats back to their original location. Unfortunately, she had kept her original ferals for a long enough time that it was no longer possible to safely re-release them. This was the start of ShadowCats.
Promoting TNR
In an effort to help others learn from her misstep, Sheila says ShadowCats strives to help educate the public about feral cats and TNR. “If trap and kill worked, why are we here decades later with so many cats?” asks Sheila. “We look to alternative ways to address the overpopulation problem.” Not only do they teach free monthly TNR classes, but the organization maintains several colonies of ferals in the Round Rock area. In addition to being responsible for having helped sterilize over 2,000 felines, members of ShadowCats feed over 400 ferals daily utilizing about 150 pounds of cat food per week. Approximately 75 volunteers for ShadowCats have dedicated themselves to caring for their colonies.
While the organization advocates the return of ferals to their original colony and the adoption of friendly strays or kittens, occasionally there are cats where neither option is viable due to behavioral or health issues. Those are the cats accepted by Sheila into the ShadowCats Sanctuary for lifetime care.
A place to call home
Walking into the Sanctuary, it is immediately apparent that each room is tailored specifically with cats in mind. In fact, Sheila modeled the living areas after the cat enclosures at the Best Friends Sanctuary.
The ShadowCats Sanctuary is divided in three main sections; Uptown contains those with health issues, Outback houses the ferals who could not be relocated and some healthy cats that are available for adoption, and Cookie’s Place accommodates the feline leukemia positive (FeLV) cats. The later hold a special place in Sheila’s heart and the room is named in honor of her beloved cat, Cookie Princess Warrior, who despite contracting FeLV in April 2004, still rules the roost. Each of these three areas not only provides all the cats an indoor heated and air conditioned space, but also an enclosed outdoor area, complete with plenty of ramps, perches, cubby holes, and furniture.
Although she has reached the limit to the number of felines Sheila feels she can maintain herself, the organization has three nannies to help care for the cats. In addition, Sheila says “We’re fortunate because we have a great volunteer base. Without them and their long term devotion to the care and health of these cats, it would be impossible to care for so many.”
The limelight for some Pahrump kitties
As an avid cat lover, with a particular affection for FeLV cats, when Sheila heard about the situation in Pahrump, she knew she had to act. She contacted Best Friends with an offer to take in a few of the FeLV cats. Little did she know that ShadowCats would be the recipient of a star.
Cover Girl, whose photograph came to represent the plight of the Nye County cats, was one of eight cats soon to become the Sanctuary’s newest residents. Best Friends’ own Juliette Watt flew the lucky cats to Texas to their new home in September. While they are still currently in quarantine from the other Cookie’s Place residents, they receive plenty of loving attention from not only ShadowCats caretakers, but have all become famous as the ensemble cast on their very own
live webcam. Talk about rags to riches, these cats now even have their own fan base.
Upcoming fundraising opportunities
However, all of this work on behalf of cats is not free. With a mainly aging and special needs feline population, the veterinary bills total about $3,000 per month, in addition to the cost of over 200 pounds of food per week between the feral colonies and the Sanctuary.
In celebration of
National Feral Cat Day October 16, ShadowCats will be hosting their third annual Stray Cat Stroll on Saturday, October 13th at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock, Texas. Participants are asked to obtain pledges for the three mile walk set to start at 10:30 a.m. Too far away and can’t take part? You can help ShadowCats by sponsoring Sylvester (a person in a cat suit), as he walks on behalf of stray and feral cats.
E-mail ShadowCats if you wish to make a pledge. In addition to the walk, there will be a booth with educational materials and a silent auction to help celebrate National Feral Cat Day.
ShadowCats also has a “Turn your love into action” campaign coming up. Their goal is to make $20,000 and you can become a
“Feral Cat Guardian Angel,” with donations of $50 or more. For every such donation,
Central Texas Cat Hospital has agreed to match it with in-kind veterinary services for the cats. In addition to the rehabilitation and medical care the Sanctuary cats require, that could sponsor a lot of feral spay and neuter surgeries!
For more information: •
ShadowCats•
She must be Cinderella, the story of how ShadowCats got together with Best Friends to help the eight special FeLV+ Pahrump cats.
• Learn that
FIV and
FeLV are not immediate death sentences for cats. Though not curable, affected cats can live for years given the proper medical care and can make for extraordinary companions. More information about FIV and FeLV can be found on the
No More Homeless Pets forum.
How you can help:• In addition to sponsoring Sylvester in the stroll or becoming a
“Feral Cat Guardian Angel,” you can help support ShadowCats and
make an online donation to sponsor a spay surgery or help to cover the cats’ medical and food expenses. They are a 501(c)(3) organization, so gifts are tax deductible.
• Learn more about
feral cats and TNR and see how you can help in your own neighborhood. Other online resources include
Alley Cat Allies and
Neighborhood Cats.
Photos: taken by Jennifer Hayes.
Lead Photo: Some of the Uptown cats at the ShadowCat Sanctuary.
Photo #2: Sheila Smith, posing with OB (Orange Boy) and Nefertiti, two of the Outback residents.
Photo #3: Earl, was trapped in a feral colony, but was found to be a friendly stray. He is available for adoption.
Photo #4: Shadow had been hit by a car before being accepted into the ShadowCats Sanctuary.
Photo #5: OB (Orange Boy) practicing his cute look.
Photo #6: Cap’n Jack is both FIV and FeLV positive. He was another friendly stray found in a feral colony.
Photo #7: Cover Girl is now comfortably recovering from her ordeal in Pahrump.
Photo #8: Diamond, another kitty from Pahrump, is not only very friendly, but playful.
Photo #9: Callie and Frescka are also Pahrump buddies, often found together on the chair.