Feline overpopulation results in needless suffering. We realize that we cannot rescue every wild kitty and domesticate them, but collectively we can prevent further rampant population growth! What we can do together:

We are searching for homes that are away from busy roads. In return for saving the lives of undersocialized cats, they will provide a natural solution for rodent control.

Please call us at 707-963-7044. We will help assess your needs, find the right cats for your situation and deliver them directly to your residence.

We realize not everyone wants to take on the responsibility of tending to a feral cat colony 365 days a year or participate in trapping cats for spaying/neutering. Other ways to help include the fllowing:

If you know of a feral cat colony in need, you can contact We Care Animal Refuge. We can provide "have-a-heart-cat-traps", a humane solution for catching wild cats. Once trapped at no harm to the cat, he/she can be transported to a participating veterinarian where their health is assessed and they are spayed, neutered and prepared for release. If you know of a feral cat colony in need please don't turn your back on their suffering. We are here to help! Please see our articles link for more information on Ferals. Please see our Happy endings page for a wonderful success story.

Bill, The Garden Cat

By Duane Campbell
Illustration by Sandra Brooks Mathers

Bill walked in about eight years ago. He marched over to the food dishes, ate his fill, threw up, and fell asleep.

The cat that moved into our house that day would have been thrown out of any respectable barn. He was nothing but skin and bones and appetite. His coat was appalling; mange comes to mind, but that is somehow inadequate. Chronic tooth problems gave him breath that could strip paint, and when he washed himself, the stench permeated the whole room.

Why keep such a pet? We really weren’t consulted. Our other animals, normally fiercely territorial, welcomed him instantly as part of the family. Besides, we quickly discovered a purr that could rattle the dishes in the cupboard along with a sense of . . . I’d guess you’d call it humanity.

Bill became my garden cat. As I stooped over a bed, I would prepare myself for the thump as he landed gracelessly on my back, where he would stretch out and rest a damp chin on my shoulder, watching to make sure I did everything to his satisfaction. Supervision was his forte, but he was not above lending a paw where he saw the need. He took a special interest in fertilization. All cats love the loose, freshly spaded soil of a seedbed.

So for many years, my first assignment every morning was a walk through the garden, a cup of coffee in one hand, a small shovel with a very long handle in the other. For many years, Bill joined me very morning, strolling at my feet—drooling and belching, purring and coughing—but no longer.

Bill died this summer. He went softly, with the dignity that was so surprisingly a party of him. Oh, we’ve lost pets before, but this elderly stray was special. He was my buddy, my garden cat, and I’ll miss him.

I still make my morning walk. It is a pleasant outing. I get to greet each plant on a daily basis, inquire of its health, and enjoy the garden for a while with a cup of coffee in my hand instead of a hoe.

There are those who resent cats in their garden. As a newspaper columnist, the most frequent question I get is how to keep them out. But those people love their garden too much, and they miss a larger vision of love. If a genie appeared and offered me three wishes for the gardeners of the world, those wishes would be for a prosperous garden, a fine cat to share it with, and a good shovel with a very long handle.

Will

THE SAVANNAH PROGRAM

Bill, The Garden Cat By Duane Campbell Illustration by Sandra Brooks Mathers

Bill, The Garden Cat

By Duane Campbell
Illustration by Sandra Brooks Mathers