As someone who has worked on animal protection issues for years I find this video filled with what I would call “loving, but cat loony folk” (a term, I realize, that is not very scientific nor respectful).

As a lover of cats, mother of two kits, and godmother to many more that I’ve physically rescued from the street, these women don’t represent me or anyone I’d like to be. Finding homes for animals is wonderful, but turning it into a fetish or having more than any person can care for is disturbing, Situations are particular of course, but these ladies seem like are they treading deeply into “hoarding” territory.

Many animals need homes, but turning them into collector items is not the solution.

http://www.nokilladvocacycenter.org

Having provided TNR services for almost 10 years and after running a 5 year feral and barn cat s/n program none of the above is true about outside access cats, feral or barn cats. If cats could not successfully live outside on their own we would not be over run with outdoor cats world wide.

I find it an insult to the “cat” that they are treated like children who can not care for themselves. Cats do very well in very warm weather outdoors since they were originally desert animals. Cats survive in the south pole and other ice covered land masses. Cats are resourceful, seek out warm dry spots to sleep and will buddies in large groups to keep all members of a colony warm. Our supplemental feedings just make a little easier for them.

Taking feral and barn cats off the land and holding them hostage and stressed in doors is cruel and just wrong. They also steal others cats.
TNR ladies.

I know we cannot take care of them all, but even if we just adopt one or two, have them altered, we have accomplished something to be proud of.

I would like to see the rest of the film too.

However, 150+ cats looks like irresponsible hoarding to me. I understand the will to save all those cats, but that’s not what is archieved when you put all those cats in a small space. I won’t draw the line at a number, but I’d say: when you can’t name each of your cats, it’s hoarding. It’s much more horrible than regular hoarding, because it’s about living beings, but it’s also something I can understand more easily, because I also want to save suffering cats.

The biggest disppointment was the ignorance of one of the ACOs who was foolish enough to claim that it was better to leave the cats outside then to rescue them and give them a home. Hasn’t this man ever read the literature on the death rate of feral cars. They have short life spans due to getting hit by cars, car fights, poisoning, starvation, freezing to death, etc. This man calls himself a professional? I think better training is needed here.

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That being said I’ve got 3 kitties and a dog (all rescues) and might have more if my husband would allow it … though I’ve come to realize you just can’t save them all. I live in a partly suburban/ partly agricultural community and we have a lot of feral cat colonies. We also have a lot of people who are totally ignorant about how to treat animals (eg, lots of dogs who spend their whole lives in a backyard). I’m about to start donating time and money to care for the ferals, but realize their suffering is not high on most peoples’ agendas.

Just came across this post…thanks so much for your interest in the film!

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Thanks,

Cat Lady Erin