These three kittens fell through a loose ceiling board into the computer room in an office block at a factory. Efforts to reunite them with their feral mother failed. Fortunately, they were of weaning age and we fostered them and when they were old enough we found them homes, saving them from the hard life of a factory cat.

Feral cats and even kittens are seen by most people only generically, and in the photo above I try to convey the anonymity of these rescued foundlings. I altered the photo using a colour engraving feature in Photoscape to further suggest their anonymity. However, each anonymous kitten and cat is in fact a unique individual, as conveyed in the photo below.

Feral cat foundlings 2

One way of reducing feral cat numbers is to manage populations using a humane sterilise-and-release programme (also known as trap-neuter-release) that is coupled with an ongoing caretaking programme. Where possible cats or kittens can be taken in for fostering prior to being put up for adoption. Such programmes maintain stable or diminishing populations (as cats are territorial), where the sterilised cats are not a nuisance or a health risk, and the cats are provided with shelter, food and basic health care.

 Owners of cats should be responsible and sterilise their cats as there are far too many unwanted cats in the world, and no-one should abandon unwanted cats or kittens. For more information on homeless or outdoor cats see here where the Humane Society of the United States provides comprehensive information on outdoor cats, much of which is applicable to other countries too.

 I urge anyone seeking a pet cat or kitten to adopt a rescue cat from an animal shelter or welfare organisation. Our own pet cats are all rescue cats, rescued ferals in fact, and they are all affectionate and loving companions.

Posted in response to the Weekly Photo Challenge with the invitation to “explore the use of anonymity to express both that which is common to all of us and the uniqueness that stands out even when the most obvious parts of us are hidden”. For more images on this theme see here

Posted by Carol

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