Trapping Kitties to Save Them
Christy Doherty
50plus Magazine
The world would be a darker place without souls like Karen Jealous. Day in and day out, she quietly does the miraculous. If you follow her (PDX Cat Trapper) on social media, you’ll see the adage “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” made real in the often-unforgiving world of feral and community (stray or abandoned) cats. Sadly, many friendly, abandoned cats are found among ferals. In such cases, fosters are sought. Most volunteers have cats in their homes, but more fosters are desperately needed.
Ferals typically live in colonies, keeping to a limited area. Through TNR, these cats are Trapped, Neutered/spayed, and Returned to their territory, preventing population explosions. Found community cats and kittens young enough to be socialized are eligible for better, safer lives through adoption.
Both 2023 and ‘24 exceeded 1000 cats trapped and spayed/neutered. Some individual cases are staggering: 350 cats at one mobile home park, 200+ at another, “and there’s so much left to do,” Karen says.
This year’s mild winter meant a longer breeding season, with kittens born as early as January. Since Covid, feral colonies of 10 are now up to 30-50. Inbreeding is common, resulting in more, less healthy kitties.
Wait lists for spay/neuter at The Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon (FCCO) can be as long as 4-5 months. Karen partners with veterinarians to provide low-income owners not eligible for help from FCCO with discounted spay/neuter surgeries, vaccines and flea meds.
Up to 90% of low-income people helped are either elderly or disabled. “It’s a lot of work, but it’s important work,” Karen says. “We do a lot for ‘invisible populations.’”
“Seniors may not have a big social circle, so their cats are family. If their cats are breeding out of control, we do what they can’t do by themselves.” One household had four females, all producing multiple litters. Another had six actively breeding females. “People can’t afford the surgery, and don’t realize cats will breed with their siblings or offspring.”
For managed colonies, spay/neuter is critical to ensuring they don’t outlive their caregivers, leaving them without a safety net.
“Sometimes we feel like we aren’t making a difference,” Karen laments. But then victories come, like someone finally agreeing to spay after 10-14 litters from her cat.
Every coin — and can — donated matters. “We scramble for funding; we can mail or deliver coded blue bags for cans and bottles. The money goes into the PDX Cat Trapper account. There’s a lot we do to squeak every bit out of donated dollars.”
“We have quite a team,” Karen says. Requests for help through the website are managed on a spreadsheet where trappers and fosters are scheduled. “An army of combined efforts makes all this happen.”
“They are all sweet kitties,” Karen says. “Kitties that have been through the unimaginable.”
How to Help
Donations are tax deductible and desperately needed.
Send to: PDX Cat Trapper, PO Box 33109, Portland OR 97292, or via Facebook or Instagram.
Volunteers are likewise in great need and truly treasured. To learn about helping with transport, trapping, fostering, and more, visit pdxcattrapper.org