NYC Eartips: Summer 2010

Lucy's Cats

by Melissa Burgos

I have always been an animal lover. After I took the "Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR): How to Manage a Feral Cat Colony" workshop, I began working on my neighbor Lucy's colony right away.

It all started a few months ago when we were told about a neighbor across the way who had been feeding a colony of cats in her yard since 1980. We were told that the cats were not being spayed and neutered and Lucy may want to be involved in this. My boyfriend Hector and I decided to take some TNR brochures and go ring Lucy's doorbell. Lucy explained to us that she and two other people had been feeding the cats since 1980. By 1995, however, she was the only feeder on the block.

Lucy has established feeding times and makes her own food, and even provides winter shelter. She knows her colony well and has names for each cat. Over a period of time, Hector and I, along with Lucy and her family, TNR'd ten cats. Towards the end, the last few cats were difficult to catch, so a drop trap had to be brought in. Two cats were trapped by Hector on a Friday night. Hector went back the next day and, while he took a bathroom break, the target cat went under the drop trap and Lucy pulled the string. It was exciting, rewarding, and a beneficial learning experience to work with Lucy and her colony.