Free-Roaming Cat: A cat that is not physically constrained; thus, is free to roam at all times. This term may apply to feral, semi-feral, stray and domesticated cats that spend all of their time outdoors, but is not typically used to describe domesticated cats that spend time both indoors and outdoors.

Abandoned: The owner or caretaker has forsaken a domesticated cat entirely or has refused to provide care and support of the cat.

Caretaker: Any person who provides food, water, shelter or otherwise cares for a cat.

Ear Notching/Ear Tipping: The internationally recognized method for identifying members of a feral cat colony that have been TNR’d. This method involves either notching or tipping the LEFT ear of the cat while under anesthesia for sterilization. A notched or tipped cat is easily recognizable and prevents unnecessary anesthesia and risk to a cat that has been TNR’d if the cat is trapped again.

I have been feeding colonies for years. Most of my locations are places where the cats are just barely tolerated at best. Many places people routinely throw away my bowls and shelters. Some places I even get mean notes or nasty things yelled at me from cars. I had never experienced having a colony that was actually wanted until two years ago.

I was on my way home from the vet’s office one afternoon and as I was driving down my street, I saw a mother cat with a kitten in her mouth cross the road in front of me. This was about four houses down from my house and I, who am always on the lookout for unfixed cats, had never seen her before in my life! I parked the car and followed her on foot from a discreet distance to see where she would go.

She had chosen a vacant house in the neighborhood as her, and her family’s, new home. No one had lived in this house for at least five years so it seemed a good spot for her. I got some cat food and bowls from the car and put them on the porch. She was hesitant but came to eat after she stashed her baby in the bushes and I had moved away to a safe distance.

I started stopping by the new "colony" every day. There turned out to be four kittens, about 6-8 weeks old. They were very feral although mom started getting closer to me with each visit. After the kittens were twelve weeks old, I trapped the whole family and had them fixed. I gave them a warm shelter for the winter and they seemed happy to be cared for.

About one year after I first saw them, the house was finally sold. The new owners did not really want the cats hanging around, but agreed to give me time to move them down the street. I checked with my immediate neighbors and they said they would be okay with my plan. It did not take long before the family was happily eating at a shelter set up in my neighbor’s yard.

Now, they frolic in our yards in the evenings. I see people trying to pet them or just sitting on the stoop and watching them. They are definitely the most spoiled ferals ever because everyone is always taking them little treats or canned food throughout the day. We take pictures of their antics and share copies. We stop at the mailbox to talk about them. We have a couple of new additions since the move but these have been TNR’ed, too, and no one seems to mind.