We would never dream of pitting cats and dogs against one another in a metaphorical battle over which one really is the favorite pet, however, according to the 2015-2016 American Pet Products Association National Pet Owners Survey, there are 85.8 million pet cats versus 77.8 million pet dogs living in the U.S.
The true answer is, both animals make fantastic companions, each with their own unique personalities and attributes that make them great pets for different people.
Sadly, as much as America loves cats, it seems that we just can’t get it right when it comes to the treatment of feral cats.
Feral cats are by definition: free-roaming, outdoor cats that are made up of a mix of kitties who have been lost or abandoned and ones who have lived their entire lives outdoors. As animal lovers, it’s very tough to see these cats, who aren’t so different from our housecats, take shelter from the rain and snow, drink from puddles instead of fresh water, and sometimes, get into conflicts with other feral cats in the area.
What’s even tougher is when you learn that people within the neighborhood don’t find these free-roaming cats quite as endearing as you do.
However, when one feral cat colony on Coram, Long Island was set to be destroyed by a building superintendent with malicious intentions, Guardians of Rescue stepped up to the plate to try and give the cats a better life. The risk for these feral cats living around the area of an apartment complex was a little bit too real.
Their shelters and feeding stations had been completely destroyed, forcing the cats to take shelter from the cold anywhere they could. Car engines and wheel wells are just two of the places that outdoor and feral cats like to hide when it starts to get chilly. And so, Guardians of Rescue sent two men — retired NYPD officer Billy Hale and Guardians of Rescue President and investigator Robert Misseri, to help save the feral cats that the landlord and tenants of an apartment building wanted to get rid of.
Former NYPD officer Billy Hale lead all of the negotiations with the superintendent of the apartment complex. Along with Misseri, the duo went ahead and trapped a total of 11 feral cats.
They then transported all of the cats to a brand new place where they would be safe: Happy Cat Sanctuary, a safe haven for cats from all walks of life.
These tough-looking guys sure don’t fit the stereotype of what most of us would imagine a “cat lover” looks like, however, it’s because of them that these cats are safe.
It took a lot of time and patience to ensure a good and suitable future for the feral cats, who didn’t understand that Hale and Messini were on their side.
And there is even more good news — according to Guardians of Rescue, the superintendent who threatened the cats with harm has been fired from his position!
Some might see the presence of feral cats as some kind of a nuisance, but like us, these animals are just doing their very best to survive. We’re happy and relieved that these cats were saved and they will be fed and cared for the rest of their lives.
To learn more about Guardians of Rescue, the organization that made the rescue possible, visit their official website. To donate to the cats’ new home, visit the Happy Cat Sanctuary official website.
Lead image source: Guardians of Rescue/Facebook
