March 28, 2024

Volunteers Working to Help Animals

Rehoboth Ramblings

Posted

Rehoboth has a feral cat problem. This should be obvious to anyone who has seen the many cats roaming around his or her neighborhood. The best way to get a handle on the problem is to prevent cats from producing litter after litter of kittens that will soon have kittens themselves. Cats can start reproducing well before they are a year old, so you might say that cats breed like rabbits.

A group of dedicated local volunteers is working to help control this problem with a Trap, Neuter, Return program for feral cats. Rehoboth Animal Advocates has worked with a number of local residents on this problem. I wanted to find out more about this organization so I visited with four RAA volunteers recently and got a look at how their project works.

Rehoboth Animal Advocates is an all-volunteer, non-profit group that also seeks to promote awareness of the feral cat population’s effects on the animals, environment and local residents, to promote the care and support for abandoned and neglected animals, and to support and help promote shelter animals. RAA works closely with Rob Johnson of Animal Control, though it is a separate organization from the town’s Animal Control office. The RAA does not receive financial support from the town. Karen Frenier is RAA president and Beth Kendrick is secretary.

Eleanor and Esther Menz do most of the “cat trapping” and have created a safe and secluded area in their barn where neutered cats can recover under close supervision after their operation. Eleanor explained that the program is now called “Trap, Neuter and Return” rather than “release” because the cats are returned to the property where they had been living. They cannot just randomly be released elsewhere.

Usually, how it works is the RAA gets a call from a local resident who has been providing food and some form of shelter for feral cats in their neighborhood. Then Eleanor and Esther go to the location and set humane Havahart-type traps for the cats which they entice with food. The “cat trappers” then have to watch closely and cover the wire cages quickly when a cat enters the trap. Esther said that cats usually settle down once the cage is covered, though she has a pair of falconer gloves for handling feisty felines.

The cats are taken to be neutered at R.I. Community Spay-Neuter Clinic, Pet Partners of Fall River, or The Catmobile, a traveling Massachusetts spay-neuter clinic. Karen said that last year RAA was able to neuter 82 male and female cats from all over Rehoboth. Esther said that she and Eleanor get started in April and so far this year they have had success with 33 feral cats.
While at the veterinary hospital, the animals get a small nick on the tip of their ear to mark them as neutered. Just as importantly, the cats get medical care, including shots to protect against rabies and distemper. They are checked for ear mites and given preventatives against fleas and ticks, along with antibiotics and de-worming, if necessary.

Both Esther and Eleanor say they try to catch every cat within an individual colony, but it is inevitable that a wily cat here and there will escape being trapped. The RAA members know that it is probably impossible to totally control the feral cat population. “We’re just touching the tip of the iceberg,” Beth remarked.

The RAA volunteers do not handle pet adoptions or fostering, but if a cat seems particularly friendly, they will take it to the Rehoboth animal shelter for adoption. Eleanor said, “The shelter is a great help to us by socializing the kittens and adopting out the kittens and friendly cats that we bring them.”

As you can imagine, expenses for the animals’ care in the TNR program can mount up quickly. The volunteers say that individuals can help the RAA with donations and by supporting their fundraisers. They welcome new members and new volunteers. Regular meetings are held the second Saturday of the month at the Senior Center at 10 a.m. Membership dues are $15 for individuals and $25 for family, and additional donations are always welcome.

Volunteers are always needed to help with laundry, trapping, transport, and meeting local residents who have been caring for feral cats on their property. Anyone with experience in public relations, fundraising, and writing grant applications would be very welcome too. You can find out more information from their website RehobothAnimalAdvocates.org. To reach a RAA member, you can email RehobothAnimalAdvocates@gmail.com or call 774-991-1942. You can also find them on Facebook.

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