NYC Eartips: Spring 2009

The Odyssey of J. Gramps

by Evon Handras, Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals

A wise rescuer and friend once told me the following and I never forgot it: "The most feral kitten or cat is really just the most frightened one." As I go from TNR project to TNR project, I keep this adage in mind as I survey the "volunteers" (as I like to call them) lined up in their traps after their induction into what will be a life of newfound freedom from the hardships associated with keeping their species going in full swing. Most are truly feral and are scared because they are unaccustomed to humans. Most.

This story began in the dead of winter. I was told there was a tiny kitten at a marina in Queens so I went to check it out. I found no kitten, but I did find a kind soul feeding quite a few adult cats. We spoke for a few minutes and I got him on board with getting this colony spayed/neutered. I gave him my card and asked him to call me. Months went by and…nothing. Then, a frantic call: "Ya gotta help me! I think they're pregnant!" Gee, what an unusual turn of events! Anyway, the caretaker turned out to be a great guy and, with some training, an even better trapper. He and some members of the NYC Feral Cat Initiative (NYCFCI) helped me trap a total of 17 cats. The colony is now a seemingly happy little bunch, frolicking in the spring grass and stopping to smell and eat the flowers.

But this is not what the story is about. I am writing to tell the story of one of the cats who was trapped on first go, whom I named Jonas and whose foster caretaker (Mayor's Alliance staffer Barbara Tolan) now affectionately calls "J. Gramps." What I initially observed was a really weathered-looking cat who hissed and spat the most out of the entire lineup of cats in traps sitting on the table in the rented garage awaiting their spay/neuter appointments. Every time I walked past him, I heard a menacing, guttural growl and some impressive hissing, spitting, and swatting coming from behind the trap cover. For some reason that I cannot quite articulate, I had a gnawing feeling he was once someone's pet. Maybe it was because he looked so disheveled? Perhaps there was something in the way he looked at me when I removed the cover just to sneak a peek to make sure he was okay? ESP?

Jonas was neutered and was left to recuperate for a few days, and then it was time for him to go back to the place he called home. Debi Romano of SaveKitty Foundation accompanied me to release the cats, as there were quite a few. We arrived at the marina on a blustery spring afternoon. Again, we lifted the trap cover to have one last glimpse and wish him well. Debi and I hesitated. We looked at him, looked at each other, and covered him up and closed the car door. We agreed he looked scared more than anything else, so we decided to bring him to the vet to be examined and tested for FIV/FeLV, and allowed to relax for a few days to see how he would do.

The practice manager took an interest in Jonas as he looked so sad. She began talking softly to him during her rounds. To her astonishment, he responded by kneading and purring and coming closer to her. She called me and told me with great excitement that Jonas was "making biscuits." We were both overjoyed!

My colleague Barbara agreed to foster Jonas, so she brought him home for a weekend. Two days later he was sitting on the couch with her — watching TV, nuzzling her non-stop, and following her everywhere! She said he was almost "too, too friendly"!

This poor cat had been dumped with nowhere to take shelter but the rocks at the shoreline. I later found out from the caretaker that he had been out there for a year. Jonas was most likely showing Barbara his undying gratitude for no longer being cold, hungry, and scared.

Friendly cats are always in great danger once they are left on the street or in a park to fend for themselves. Feral cats are born into the environment and learn to survive (as best they can) from birth. Not so for the abandoned and lost cats. You see, TNR is not only about feral cats, so when one supports the NYCFCI and the groups that perform TNR, one is helping cats like Jonas as well — cats very much like those with whom we share our homes. Within every colony, there is likely an abandoned soul who found his or her way there in a difficult journey to find food, water, camaraderie and, perhaps, a kind heart who will help them in their struggle to survive on their own after knowing the comforts of a real home. Helping those cats takes time and money, but the TNR folks go to these lengths, as it is unsafe to return a friendly cat to the streets. Those cats just don't have the skills to survive.

Jonas is an awesome cat. His foster family says he's perfect for anyone looking for a cat who will sit by you for as long as you want him to — and beyond. Within days of being in his foster home, he was attached at the hip to his new people. He wanted nothing more than a warm bed, some food and water, and the love of a gentle and kind human once again. Jonas is available for adoption — perfect for anyone who is looking for a "too, too friendly" cat!