Groups caring for cats from Parker property
Homeless Cats of Butler is hoping a recent incident will help raise awareness about the importance of spaying and neutering cats.
A Parker resident telephoned Colleen Hofstetter, an administrator for the group, with concerns about stray cats overpopulating on their property.
Hofstetter said she visited the property on Monday and found 36 kittens in need of medical attention along with around 30 adult cats, none of which had been spayed or neutered.
“It was very easy to pick the kittens up because it was a cold morning and they were lying on the cement,” Hofstetter said. “I scooped up four kittens that looked the sickest and took them home. The one kitten died overnight.”
In addition to seeking help from Frankie's Friends in New Kensington, Hofstetter alerted Butler County Humane Officer Debbie Urmann who looked into the welfare of the animals.
Urmann said the homeowner will not be charged because she only fed the stray cats.
“This is an incident where people were feeding strays out of the kindness of their heart. They didn't spay or neuter, and this is the result of it,” Urmann said. “They reached out for help. It's not like they were deliberately not taking care of the cats. This happens all over the place where colonies get out of control.”
Dr. Becky Morrow, a veterinarian with Frankie's Friends, posted a live video on Tuesday seeking the community's help. She said the clinic could use financial donations and items like kitten food too.
“They were all registering either emaciated or very thin. Starvation was a problem for these kittens,” Morrow said.
Morrow said two kittens have died while at the clinic, even with the staff taking small groups of the worst cases home with them for 24-7 care.
“There's several more that are in really critical condition,” Morrow said. “Even with doing everything right, it's still possible they won't survive this.”Morrow said the kittens aren't the only concern. The adult cats still live on the Parker property, and Frankie's Friends have plans to work with Homeless Cats of Butler to trap and sterilize the adult cats in the next couple weeks.“We're going to take our mobile surgery unit up and do that,” she said.Christine Coblentz, an administrator for Homeless Cats of Butler, said this is a special situation the group has taken on outside of their normal routine.Coblentz said the group is more about supporting and educating people.“The lesson we want people to take from this is to spay and neuter right from the get-go,” Coblentz said We can put you in touch with low-cost spay and neuter clinics.”The group also hosts Fix'n Wag'n mobile clinic one day every two weeks in Butler. The clinic offers low-cost spay and neuter at $65 a cat.“Each clinic, we can do 18 female, 18 male — 36 cats total,” she said.Coblentz said more active members in their group have also assisted in trapping feral cats and having them sterilized, which helps keep populations in check.She said to financially support their endeavors, the group hosts a lot of fundraisers, including a yard sale event from May 30 to June 3 at 359 Evans City Road in Butler.Coblentz said it is likely that a good portion of the proceeds from the upcoming event will go to Frankie's Friends. She said the clinic will need financial and other support. She said an average cost for a kitten to reach a minimum standard of health is $100, and that's if it was healthy to begin with.“There are kittens who may need both eyes removed because they are so badly infected,” Coblentz said. “Eye removal could cost $85 to $100 on its own.”Morrow said the clinic will accept any financial donations, but they will also take other items like kitten food and may need people to help foster the kittens in the future.Morrow said she is thankful for all the support they have received already and to anyone who donates in the future.“We appreciate it,” she said.
Here are some ways to help the nonprofit organizations in this article.Frankie’s FriendsVisit their Facebook page and click the “Donate” button or visit www.frankies-friends.org.Homeless Cats of ButlerTo donate or volunteer, message the group’s Facebook group.A donation of $1 feeds two cats a meal of wet food; $20 provides one 20-pound bag of cat food; and $50 pays for one TNR (Trap, Neuter and Return.)For interested volunteers, the group is looking for help in areas of Trap-Neuter-Return, transporting cats to and from clinics, fostering kittens and adults, and spay and neuter clinic help.
