Neighborhood Cats, 244 Fifth Avenue Ste 2222, New York, NY (2025)

01/29/2025

GET READY! TNR Online workshop this Saturday
https://register.gotowebinar.com/rt/5162202024417496160
Neighborhood Cats
TNR Certification Workshop
Saturday, Feb 1, 2025, 2 - 4:30pm ET
(or watch the recording)

Become part of the solution for feral and stray cats in your neighborhood! Learn how to do Trap-Neuter-Return at our popular virtual training. We'll teach you what TNR is, why it's a great idea and how to do it. Topics include dealing with neighbors, all aspects of trapping, and basic colony care. By the end, you'll know how to safely and effectively get your colony cats fixed.

Instructed by Bryan Kortis and Susan Richmond of Neighborhood Cats, hosted by the Community Cats Podcast and sponsored by Tomahawk Live Trap. Participants receive a Certificate of Attendance and animal control officers are eligible for Continuing Education Units from the National Animal Care & Control Association. $10 course fee.

Can't make it live? To become certified, register for the February 1 session and view the recording by February 8. Follow the link above to reserve your spot today!

01/28/2025

Two ferals are missing from their Staten Island colony. Both are black domestic shorthairs. If you have information about their whereabouts please call or text Diana at 347-262-6701.

01/27/2025

Yay Willie! Our Amtrak kitten is doing great
https://donate.neighborhoodcats.org/give/655177/ #!/donation/checkout
Remember Willie, the tiny, sick kitten who was found last summer on the Amtrak train tracks in the Bronx? A terrible virus had destroyed his left eye, leaving the baby half-blind and struggling with constant, ever-worsening infections. A few weeks ago, when Neighborhood Cats heard about Willie’s plight, he was dangerously weak and in urgent need of surgery. With no time to lose, we turned to you to save him.

Today, we have not one, but TWO happy updates to share! First, thanks to your outpouring of support, Willie has had his life-changing surgery. The damaged eye has been cleaned and sealed, and the cruel infection that plagued him is gone forever. Now, for the first time in his young life, Willie can just be a kitten. The eight-month-old wakes up every morning eager to tackle another busy day of chasing toys, climbing his cat tree and diving into his new favorite pastime: splashing in a brimming cup of water, sending showers flying everywhere.

Second... Willie has just been adopted! He’s home now with his new family in the Bronx. Training them is a big job - they need to learn what time breakfast should be served, which meow means “brush me please” and more - but Willie’s getting it done. Mom and Dad are already head-over-heels in love.

To all the amazing friends who turned a hurt baby’s life around, THANK YOU for your incredible kindness. Your generosity has made a lasting difference. You will always be heroes to Willie!

Missed Willie's original story? Check it out here:https://mailchi.mp/neighborhoodcats/willie?e=5b70ad143d

01/16/2025

The ONLINE CAT CONFERENCE is just around the kitty-corner!
https://www.communitycatspodcast.com/events/online-cat-conference-jan-2025/

DATE: January 25, 2025 & January 26, 2025
TIME: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm EST

Are you ready for the 2025 Online Cat Conference? Hosted by the Community Cats Podcast, this virtual event has something for everyone who cares about community cats. Just $75! Check out the program and register today.

This year's conference includes GLOBETROTTING WITH NEIGHBORHOOD CATS, an in-depth look at the international work being done by Neighborhood Cats, presented by Bryan Kortis. See what community cat management looks like in Australia, Indonesia and Kenya (hint: they don't use traps in Indonesia!)

Can't make it live? Register and you'll get access to the recordings of all sessions. Follow the link above to reserve your spot today!

01/03/2025

How to build an emergency cat shelter
https://www.neighborhoodcats.org/how-to-tnr/colony-care/feral-cat-winter-shelter
When a bad storm or sudden cold snap is arriving soon and time is of the essence, use the design described here to quickly build an adequate temporary shelter. You'll need a cardboard box (cardboard is actually good insulation), duct tape, shredded newspaper, a pair of scissors and either a plastic drop cloth that's 3 millimeters thick (a common item in the paint department at Home Depot or a hardware store) or contractor trash bags at least 3 millimeters thick. To assemble:

(1) Take the cardboard box and tape all the seams shut with duct tape.

(2) Wrap the box completely with the drop cloth or trash bags, cutting the plastic as necessary while making as few seams as possible. Secure onto the box with duct tape, liberally and tightly wrapping the tape around the sides of the box and sealing any seams in the plastic. This will make the shelter waterproof.

(3) Cut a doorway in one of the shorter sides of the box approximately 6 inches by 6 inches, leaving the bottom of the doorway a few inches above the bottom of the box to prevent flooding. Use duct tape to secure the loose plastic around the opening onto the cardboard.

(4) Place shredded newspaper inside the box, filling it up to the bottom of the doorway in front and a little higher towards the back. The cats will gain added warmth by burrowing into the newspaper.

For added insulation and warmth, start by placing a slightly smaller cardboard box inside a larger one. Fill the gaps between them with rolled-up newspaper. You can also lay newspaper on the floor between the two boxes and between the two tops. Then proceed with steps 1 through 4, above, being sure to cut the doorway through both boxes.

For longer term solutions, click the link above to visit our Feral Cat Winter Shelter page.

01/02/2025

Online TNR workshop this Saturday, Jan. 4
https://register.gotowebinar.com/rt/5162202024417496160
Neighborhood Cats
TNR Certification Workshop
Saturday, Jan 4, 2025, 2 - 4:30pm ET
(or watch the recording)

Become part of the solution for feral and stray cats in your neighborhood! Learn how to do Trap-Neuter-Return at our popular virtual training. We'll teach you what TNR is, why it's a great idea and how to do it. Topics include dealing with neighbors, all aspects of trapping, and basic colony care. By the end, you'll know how to safely and effectively get your colony cats fixed.

Instructed by Bryan Kortis and Susan Richmond of Neighborhood Cats, hosted by the Community Cats Podcast and sponsored by Tomahawk Live Trap. Participants receive a Certificate of Attendance and animal control officers are eligible for Continuing Education Units from the National Animal Care & Control Association. $10 course fee. Follow the link above to reserve your spot!

Can't make it live? To become certified, register for the January 4 session and view the recording by January 11.

01/01/2025

To all our Neighborhood Cats friends...

Thanks and purrs for making our Holiday Drive a success. When we started 25 years ago, we were a few neighbors on the Upper West Side of Manhattan helping a single colony of cats. Today, because of your support, we're having a positive impact around the world when it comes to the care of feral and stray cats.

We look forward to sharing more of our stories and triumphs with you in 2025! Happy New Year!

12/31/2024

WHY DO WE WORK WITH FERAL CATS?
https://donate.neighborhoodcats.org/give/645108/ #!/donation/checkout
Why work with ferals? It's a question we're often asked. There's so much wrong in the world today, why choose to work with animals who are fearful and you may never be able to touch? Who must be trapped to get them medical care, and handled carefully so you don't get hurt? Whose babies, if you catch them young enough to tame, are often sick and require a great deal of time and attention?

Because they have lives with value. Because they feel want, pain and, yes, love, like everyone. Because they need us. And because you want us to help them, something you make clear every time you donate.

Won't you make a generous year-end gift and make it possible in 2025 to save more of these precious lives?

12/30/2024

LIVING OUTSIDE DOESN'T MEAN LIVING WITHOUT LOVE
https://donate.neighborhoodcats.org/give/645108/ #!/donation/checkout
Larry is not a pet - although there are many who look forward to seeing the tabby and white boy when he stops by. He's used to coming and going as he pleases, climbing trees and walls, roaming backyards and sleeping nestled against his feline friends. He may have been born to a feral cat or abandoned as a kitten. Either way, he learned early on to be wary and keep his distance from anyone he doesn't know and trust.

But while he doesn't have a roof over his head or a couch to curl up on, Larry still needs food, shelter, medical care and people to watch out for him. That's where Neighborhood Cats comes in.

To keep cats like Larry healthy and safe, our Spay/Neuter Assistance Program (SNAP) pays for surgeries and vaccines. We provide winter shelters below cost, hold food drives and arrange for urgent veterinary treatment for sick and hurt cats. We train caretakers how to manage their colonies and send expert trappers to assist when extra help is needed. Working with rescue partners, we place tame cats and kittens into forever homes whenever we can.

Please help us keep improving the lives of the many cats who live on our streets. Donate to our Holiday Drive and be the difference for the cats we love.

12/29/2024

HELPING THE PEOPLE WHO HELP THE CATS
https://donate.neighborhoodcats.org/give/645108/ #!/donation/checkout
It's not easy taking care of a colony of feral cats. They're waiting for you at meal time, rain or shine, in the heat of summer or freezing cold of winter. The funds for their food come out of your pocket even when money is tight. Many of the cats, after they accept and trust you, will warm up and rub against your legs, but others will always remain at a distance. Some neighbors are kind and helpful while others misunderstand and are resentful. Often, you act alone.

Every day, colony caretakers overcome these challenges because they love their cats. Supporting these guardian angels is a key part of Neighborhood Cats' mission. We offer training on trapping and colony care, assistance with capturing hard-to-catch cats, financial support for serious medical cases, warm winter shelters, and food to help ease the costs of daily care.

Today caretakers need us now more than ever. Your gift will let us continue being there for them throughout the year. Please donate now - there's only three days left for your 2024 gift!

12/11/2024

Feed a hungry NYC cat today 😻 Join our Holiday Food Drive!
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/330LEM4N5USEE?ref_=wl_share
Caretakers of feral and stray cats in New York City face many challenges. One of the biggest is being able to afford their colony's daily food. You can help by donating an item off the Neighborhood Cats Chow wish list on Amazon.

Sending food is quick and easy! Click the link above to go to the Neighborhood Cats Chow wish list and log into your Amazon account. Choose from a selection of cat food and donate with just a few clicks. Amazon will ship your gift directly to us (for free if you have Amazon Prime) and we'll distribute it to local colony caretakers.

Whether it’s a bag of crunchies or a case of canned food, your donation will keep community cats in New York City healthy, happy and well-fed. And bring a smile to their caretakers' faces. Thank you for making their wishes come true!

12/05/2024

TNR Workshop! Online this Saturday 12/7!
https://register.gotowebinar.com/rt/5162202024417496160
Neighborhood Cats
TNR Certification Workshop
Saturday, Dec 7, 2024, 2 - 4:30pm ET
(or watch the recording)

Become part of the solution for feral and stray cats in your community! Learn how to do Trap-Neuter-Return at our popular virtual training. We'll teach you what TNR is, why it's a great idea and how to do it. Topics include dealing with neighbors, all aspects of trapping, and basic colony care. By the end, you'll know how to safely and effectively get your colony cats fixed.

Instructed by Bryan Kortis and Susan Richmond of Neighborhood Cats, hosted by the Community Cats Podcast and sponsored by Tomahawk Live Trap. Participants receive a Certificate of Attendance and animal control officers are eligible for Continuing Education Units from the National Animal Care & Control Association. $10 course fee.

Can't make it live? To become certified, register for the December 7 session and view the recording by December 14. Follow the link above to reserve your spot today!

12/04/2024

THANKS FOR A GREAT GIVING MEWSDAY!
So many cats will be helped with your support ❤️

To all our friends who made this year's Giving Mewsday such an amazing day, we'd like to send lots of head bumps and purrs! It's been yet another long, hard year but that hasn't stopped you from showing up for the cats. Whether heading out to feed your colony, trapping a cat for your neighbor or donating to Neighborhood Cats, you've been there when it matters most.

We're so grateful to be part of such a compassionate community. 2025 is just around the corner, so let's keep helping more cats together!

P.S. Too busy and missed Giving Mewsday? Not to worry - you can still make a gift: https://donate.neighborhoodcats.org/give/645108/ #!/donation/checkout

12/03/2024

Join the global day of giving 😻
https://donate.neighborhoodcats.org/give/645108/ #!/donation/checkout
Today Neighborhood Cats is participating in Giving Tuesday, the global day of unity and giving. Or as we like to call it, Giving Mewsday. As you know, our organization is dedicated to improving the lives of the millions of cats who live on our streets and supporting the compassionate people who care for them.

But we can’t do this without you.

Not only do we need your support, we need your help to spread the word. Please tell your friends and family why you believe in our work and encourage them to support us, too.

Thanks for being part of the Neighborhood Cats team!

12/03/2024

Today is about helping cats like Wally..It's Giving Mewsday!
https://donate.neighborhoodcats.org/give/645108/ #!/donation/checkout
Wally is a feral cat. No one owns him. He has no bed to climb into at night, no person to snuggle against and no basket full of toys. During winter cold spells, there's no clanking radiator to keep him warm. But like all cats, Wally deserves a meal every day, a safe place to sleep, and to be loved.

That's why Neighborhood Cats trapped the big orange tomcat, brought him to a clinic to be neutered and vaccinated, and returned him to his backyard colony. His caretaker, who we trained, never misses feeding time no matter the weather. We also arranged for Wally to have an an outdoor cat shelter so he and his feline buddies are toasty even in frigid temperatures. And if he should ever need us again, we'll do whatever we can to keep him prowling the fences and enjoying his life as a feral.

Your support today on Giving Mewsday means more cats like Wally can be saved. Whatever you can give is greatly appreciated. Thank you for lending a helping paw!

12/02/2024

Saving lives in the Maui wildfire burn zone...
with your help we got the job done
https://donate.neighborhoodcats.org/give/645108/ #!/donation/checkout
On August 8, 2023, on the island of Maui, hurricane-force winds knocked down a power line which in turn sparked a smoldering fire hidden in a gulch. Hours later the fire erupted and spread rapidly through the historic and densely populated port of Lahaina, reaching temperatures so high streams of melted aluminum flowed from incinerated cars. 102 people died and five and a half square miles of houses, apartment buildings, malls and shops were reduced to rubble and ashes.

Yet amidst all this devastation, hundreds of cats survived. Some were pets, most were outdoor community cats. We think many lived by diving into storm drains and riding out the blaze underground. When Neighborhood Cats was put in charge of coordinating the rescue of the cats, we made a promise to them - we would not leave until every one of the survivors was out.

From September of 2023 through March, 2024, we worked in the burn zone. With space at the overcrowded local shelter limited, the first task was setting up feeding stations and having them filled daily with fresh food and water. Then we prioritized trapping the neediest cases - the burn victims, kittens and identifiable pets. As room and options for placing the cats increased at the Maui Humane Society, we focused on clearing out zones. Finally, we got down to the toughest cases - the cats who evaded us no matter how tasty the bait or how much we tried to outsmart them. Time was running out as debris removal got underway, so we invented a new kind of trap and it worked! 617 cats later, we fulfilled our promise.

It took two and a half weeks to catch the very last two cats. When we captured cat #616, we approached the trap expecting a wild, ferocious creature so tough she was able to elude us for six and a half months. So you can imagine our surprise when the brown tabby just sat there, looked up at us and gave a friendly little meow! Check out the comments below to see a photo of this amazing cat.

We were able to complete this mission because of our supporters who continued to donate and keep the organization afloat. We're proud of what we accomplished and hope you are, too. Thanks so much for being part of our life-saving journey.

12/01/2024

Sidekick is fixed - thanks to SNAP in NYC!
https://donate.neighborhoodcats.org/give/645108/ #!/donation/checkout
About a month ago, Hanna asked for help trapping "Sidekick," a tabby and white girl in her backyard, pictured below. So our NYC director, Jackie, came out one afternoon with a drop trap. She waited inside Heather's place and watched through a window, holding the string, ready to pull. It wasn't long before Sidekick went under and was securely in hand. Then it was off to the vet where the spay surgery was paid for by our Spay Neuter Assistance Program (SNAP).

Sophie, another Brooklyn caretaker, was worried about the colony in her backyard growing beyond the mom and two teenage kittens already there. She took our TNR training workshop, caught Cutie, JJ and King and also got them fixed through SNAP. Likewise, Eve found two friendly, abandoned cats in her neighborhood, but needed them spayed and neutered before she could find them homes. SNAP to the rescue again!

The pandemic, among its many profound impacts, greatly accelerated what was already a looming shortage of veterinarians. For colony caretakers in NYC this meant access to free or low cost spay/neuter surgeries became much more limited. To help fill this gap, we launched SNAP with support from our partner, the Community Cats Podcast. Individual caretakers working with outdoor cats anywhere in New York City are eligible for full subsidies for their cats. In a bit over a year, we've now funded 653 surgeries and expect, with your help, to be doing many, many more.

Want information about SNAP? Check it out here https://www.neighborhoodcats.org/tnr-in-nyc/snap

11/30/2024

QUESTION: What do cats in Kenya and NYC have in common?
ANSWER: Neighborhood Cats!
https://donate.neighborhoodcats.org/give/645108/ #!/donation/checkout

Earlier this year, we were contacted by Rachel, the executive director of the Mombasa branch of the Kenya SPCA, the largest animal welfare organization in the country. She had recently attended our online TNR certification workshop (https://www.neighborhoodcats.org/learn-more/intro-workshops) and wanted to get hold of the handouts. Intrigued, we arranged a Zoom meeting and learned there's severe cat overpopulation throughout Mombasa, a city on Kenya's coast, and few resources. Still, people there love the cats and do what they can. Rachel was determined to make things better and we were determined to help.

Fortunately, Kenya SPCA-Mombasa has a skilled spay/neuter veterinarian on staff. But they only had four traps and no local manufacturers. Supported by a generous donation from Tomahawk Live Trap, we arranged for shipment by sea and air of box traps, drop traps and trap dividers - you can see the equipment in action in the photo below. We also provided a two-year grant to fund needed veterinary and field personnel (the dollar goes a long way in Kenya!) and set up regular calls on trapping techniques and program strategy.

When we heard upper respiratory illness was rampant, we funded vaccines for every cat entering the Mombasa shelter. A particularly heart-breaking challenge is the high incidence of sarcoptic mange, a condition caused by mites that slowly destroys the skin. A medication called Bravecto is transformative and cures the disease, but the shelter could only afford a few doses. We paid for enough Bravecto for a year, imported from South Africa.

Today the young TNR program is going strong with growing interest from local businesses, government officials and citizens. Our goal, as it is in our work with local partners in Indonesia and Australia, is to demonstrate the effectiveness of spay/neuter for managing cats and make it the favored approach. Your financial support is critical to our global success. Together, we'll make this a more humane world for cats everywhere!

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