When I returned home this past summer, a cat and her kitten caught my eye from across the street. The two were confident of their surroundings as the mother sat like royalty on my neighbor’s front lawn. Both were strays, of course, and stayed at this neighbor’s lawn for the food and water they received in dinner bowls. In Houston, stray cats are a common sight across the city, yet their livelihood is often overlooked and even ignored. The problem is so dreadful that shelters are not always the best option. The life of a stray cat is full of uncertainty and danger. They are subject to wandering the streets for food, hiding under cars for shelter and getting stuck in between fences. I personally believe the handling of stray cats is essential not only for the well-being of animals, but also for the development of a caring and understanding neighborhood. Many people may see them as part of the neighborhood scenery, but they raise important concerns about public health, community responsibility and animal welfare.

I first noticed the kitten in May, upon my return from school and tried to approach her and her mother. Naturally, I was met with hostile hissing and glares of irritability. The mother was not keen on my offering of food, while her daughter closely inspected it. She took a few bites, then ran back to her mother to hide behind the bushes again. I had done my research and made sure to buy wet food that was healthy and appetizing. Human contact was not something they were used to or even were anticipating. I would always leave the food and walk away, so they could complete their meal without fear. Over the next month, I began sitting with the kitten while she ate. Slowly but surely, she began to trust me. After two months, she let me pet her. She was obviously motivated by food and knew she could get her next meal from me if she stayed near my garage during meal time. I also knew it was time to get her professional medical help. I borrowed a trap from my next-door neighbor and trapped her so I could take her to get spayed and vaccinated. Trapping her was not the complicated step in the process, but making sure the vet was available was. Due to a recent flood in the state, the first shelter I took her to could not spay her because they had taken in dogs that were stranded from the flood and did not have the appropriate resources to spay strays. I scrambled to find another clinic that had a trap-neuter-return program (TNR), and was lucky enough to find one that could book an appointment within the next week. 

TNR has been proven to be an effective and humane form of stray cat population control. Future stray litters are successfully avoided, and I did not want this kitten to suffer her mother’s fate of being distrustful of humans and worried about her next meals. Taking care of stray populations, commonly referred to as colonies, has benefits for humans in the community as well. Larger populations can easily spread fleas and ticks that affect not only house pets, but also humans. Although not common, they can also spread other notorious diseases, like rabies, through parasites they may carry. Additionally, strays disrupt local populations of native birds and smaller wildlife by constantly preying on them and contributing to the degradation of ecosystems. 

Shelters often struggle to do this work alone in cities where stray populations run rampant. Individual responsibility plays a big role in curbing the stress and resources shelters use for house animals. Fostering cats, donating supplies or TNR makes a big difference in the community. I used to think that only TNR experts could participate in mitigating the issue, but I realized doing research and careful planning were key to making it a reality. Currently, my mother continues to feed her and watch over her as we look for potential adopters. I was lucky that I was able to help this kitten over the summer, as I know it is not possible for everyone, but it gave me a sense of purpose in my community.