Frequently Asked Questions

I've always wanted to write a FAQ and now seems like the time to do it.

1. What is this?
A website. More specifically, a blog about a feral colony.

2. So, you, what? Catch cats?
Yes. And get them altered (neutered or spayed as the case may be) and return them to where they came from.

3. Why?
Because there are 350,000+ stray and feral cats in the Phoenix area alone and when they are caught they are euthanized. Why these cats? Because my apartment complex wanted them gone, so I negotiated TNR instead.

4. Can you help me with my feral cat problem?
No, but there are organizations across the country who can. If you're in the Phoenix area, check out Altered Tails. If you're elsewhere, visit Alley Cat Allies.

5. How are you managing this?
Fantastic help from Altered Tails, generous donations from friends, family and utter strangers, hard work and patience.

6. Can I help?
Sure! Click on the 'donation' button on the main page.

7. How do my donations help?
The vast majority goes to Altered Tails for the spaying/neutering of these cats (and others.) The money also goes to pay for food (the colony goes through an 18pound bag of dry food roughly every 2 weeks), for vet bills for any emergencies (such as if I found one of my colony injured), and currently for the care of a foster kitten taken from the colony (and potentially 2more, if I can catch the little buggers!) which includes vet care and food and such.

8. . Why don't you update more often?
Because, alas, this is not all I do.

9. Why don't you find homes for these cats?
See question #3. These are feral cats who, in most cases, could never be tamed. They are distrustful and scared of humans.

10. Why don't you let the Humane Society (or other organization) deal with them?
Because they would kill them. Humanely, I suppose. But they'd still be, y'know, dead. And that seems incredibly unfair and unethical.

11. Aren't the cats messy and smelly and loud?
Sometimes, but aren't you, too? More to the point, they're a lot less messy, smelly and loud after they've been altered. Also, my neighbors' dogs are a lot more messy, smelly and loud. So, it's all relative.