First Lost Dogs, now stray cats! Our tail begins earlier this summer when a 10C staff member spotted a skinny but obviously nursing tuxedo cat sunbathing in PJHQ’s parking lot. Conveniently, one of our other employees volunteers with Alley Cat Project, a local non-profit organization dedicated to humanely reducing Seattle’s feral cat population, and a gameplan was quickly set.

Placing multiple cameras around the building plus on-foot scouting missions were our first steps in scoping out the situation. How many stray cats are we dealing with? Are there any observable health conditions to be aware of? Where is their ‘home’? Is anyone else already taking care of them?

After a few weeks of observation and feeding, the same sunbathing Mama cat, 2 Dad cats (more on this later) and 3 kittens were confirmed as our neighbors. A quiet, outdoor home base was quickly set up and with it, a consistent feeding schedule.

The next goal was to trap each cat. Splitting shifts between Alley Cat Project volunteers and staff at HQ, the priority was trapping Mama and her three kittens. With no way to predict their movements, the stakeouts went on for weeks - sometimes feral cats make patterns, sometimes they don’t. Spontaneity is certainly an intrinsic value of this feline family! Luckily, patience is one of ours (no matter how much these kitties attempt to test it).

By mid-August, Mamasan (Mom Cat) and her 3-boy litter were individually trapped and brought to a safe, cool, and quiet space inside HQ. After a few days checked into Hotel PJ and consulting multiple TNR experts, it became apparent that Mamasan’s instincts were too feral to comfortably transition to indoor life. Once spayed, vaccinated, microchipped, ear tipped and recovered, Mamasan was released back to the same place she was initially trapped. Her procedure was a reminder of this work’s necessity. Aged only a year old herself, she was already in the early stages of a new pregnancy (hence the two tom cats hanging around).

https://youtu.be/yXUWKFT3DCw

Now all microchipped, neutered, and vaccinated, Mamasan’s trio of kittens - Dark Matter, Gremmie, and Bugs - will continue to enjoy their stay at HQ until they’re ready for adoption through Alley Cat Project! In the meantime, they’re socializing daily with all walks of life at the warehouse.

As for the two male cats, our efforts to trap them are ongoing with the goal of getting them fixed, healthy, and then likely released. To do this, collaboration between team members and volunteers in maintaining a reliable feeding station continues, too, with the added bonus of Mamasan occasionally stopping by and the reassuring knowledge that her kitten factory days will be no more.

The unfortunate reality is that there simply aren’t enough foster homes for the backlog of animals in need — which is how our office ended up doubling as Purrl Jam HQ! If you’re in the Seattle area, you can make a direct impact by fostering, volunteering, or adopting through Alley Cat Project. No matter where you are, you can help by donating or sending wishlist supplies. And if you see unfixed community cats in your neighborhood, please reach out to your local TNR organization right away. Every action makes a big difference for cats like Mamasan and her family.

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