Wild About Cats of Cumberland County expanding its lifesaving efforts for local stray cats after winning a $5,000 national prize.
President Cindy Hughes said community members and friends advocated for the rescue. Hughes said the national recognition provides a significant financial boost that allows the organization to maintain its focus on reducing the local kitten population.
“Man, it took a lot of pressure off of us so that that way we could continue spaying and neutering, especially for the community cats,” Hughes said. “We help a lot of community cats. Community cats can be owned cats that live indoor outdoor, and we make sure they get spayed neutered vaccinated then they can go back home.”
Hughes said the rescue frequently deals with cats that have been abandoned by owners who moved away or can no longer afford their care. Hughes said the organization prioritizes finding permanent homes for these animals while ensuring every cat of age is fixed to prevent further overpopulation.
“Anybody who calls us we try and get them in on one of those vet appointments so that that way we can help them and it’ll help reduce the number of kittens that are born that nobody wants because we have way too many kittens.”
Hughes said the cost of veterinary care can reach several hundred dollars per cat when discounts from local clinics are unavailable. Hughes said she intends to stretch the prize money as far as possible to cover these routine costs, provided the rescue does not encounter emergency medical situations, like broken limbs.
“I try and take in everybody that I can and get them a good permanent home because that’s what we need to do but we gotta stop and spay and neuter everybody that’s of age,” Hughes said. “They all need to be fixed, dogs and cats.”
Hughes said the organization is currently working to finish their “catios,” specialized enclosures that will expand the capacity of the rescue’s kitten room. Hughes said a volunteer is constructing the top and bottom units to allow the facility to house more animals.
Hughes said the rescue also operates a “Senior for Senior” permanent foster program that places older cats with senior citizens, with the guarantee that the animals will return to the rescue if the owner can no longer care for them.
“That way they’re not sitting in the rescue,” Hughes said. “We’ve got four of those currently and they’ve been in homes for a couple of years and these seniors know if anything happens to them those cats automatically come back to us. I will always take our cats back. Not a lot of people will do that.”
Hughes said she never expected to run a rescue or win a national contest, but she finds fulfillment in watching feral kittens bloom into loving house pets. Hughes said certain cats like Half Pint, a talkative calico born at the rescue reside at the heart of their mission.
“It’s something that really touches my heart to where I know I have accomplished something,” Hughes said. “It’s like a finished product still in the works because once they go home to their forever home and they know they’re in a forever home, they blossom. And it’s really great to hear how they do once they are in a home.”
The organization won in the Petsense Celebrates Pet Heroes Sweepstakes followed a nomination process.
