What do a miniature horse farm and the SPCA have in common? Cats, of course.
It all started with the SPCA’s new Working Cat Program. A staff member was looking for local businesses that might be interested in a working cat when she came upon a miniature horse farm in Clayton. During their conversation, the owners said they weren’t opposed to a working cat, but the farm already had several cats living there. Because of its rural location, the farm was a popular place for people to illegally drop off unwanted cats. The farm’s owners did what they could for the cats and made sure they had enough to eat but didn’t have the resources to get them spayed and neutered.
The SPCA’s mission is to transform the lives of pets and people through protection, care, education, and adoption. When staff learned of the situation at the horse farm, they knew this was an opportunity to see that mission in action. They had an opportunity to help not only pets, but also people by spaying/neutering these cats.
It took a few weeks and several trips, but as of today, staff (and one dedicated volunteer) has caught 4 adult cats and 9 kittens. The adults had grown up on the farm and had no desire for human interaction. Those cats, all females, were spayed and released back on the farm.
One Particular Kitten
One of the adults that was trapped, spayed, and released on the farm, had one young kitten. He is living in foster until he is big enough to be neutered. Then he will be put up for adoption to find a family and home of his own. He has been named Caspian.
At first, Caspian was too young to eat kitten food. His foster mom used a syringe to feed him a mixture of water and paté cat food. A short time later, he began eating the mixture on his own from a small dish.
And Then There Were Five
About one week after Caspian came to the SPCA, the farm owner moved a bale of hay and found five young kittens. A staff member picked them up and brought them to the SPCA. They were infested with fleas but staff and volunteers jumped in to help. One at a time, each kitten received some SPCA TLC. One person bathed, another picked fleas out of their fur, one person dried, and another syringe fed them kitten formula after their baths.
Four of those kittens went to the same foster home. To give Caspian some company, the fifth went to live with Caspian. Just a few days later they were cuddling.
The SPCA is still working with the owners of the farm to trap the remaining cats. Those that are social will be spayed/neutered and then put up for adoption. Those that are not will be spayed/neutered then released back on the farm. Your donations made the Working Cat Program possible. Your donations made it possible to jump in and help these kittens when they needed rescue. Your donations are making a difference in the community.
If you would like to make a donation to help us continue this life-saving work, click here.
Summer is one of our busiest times of life-saving work, but often the time of year where we see fewer donations. Your donations are crucial to helping us through the summer. Consider giving a life-saving gift today online.
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