The Amazing Adventures of…Undercat?

June 30, 2009 by Humane Society Silicon Valley
Adoption and Rescues

This article is from Humane Society Silicon Valley by Elena Battles, COO and Undercat Super Fan

Ever heard of Underdog? Of course you have! Maybe you thought of a flying cartoon canine. Or perhaps you thought about the NY Giants in Super Bowl XLII. Now how about an undercat? Nothing comes to mind? Allow me to introduce you to a few.

Homeless cats, also referred to as feral cats, don’t often get a fair shake. Some people consider them a nuisance. Others don’t notice them at all. They’re the cats that have been abandoned by their owners or those have grown up outdoors with little human contact. As a result, they face an uncertain future: scavenging for food; dodging fast cars, loose dogs, and unfriendly humans; living without proper medical care. The undercats.

Here’s the good news. There is a lifesaving solution. It’s called TNR (trap-neuter-return). We're always been known for adoptions here at HSSV. Since moving to our new Animal Community Center, we can save more lives than ever before. But the truth is we're working for the undercats too- we even made a documentary film about them. Thanks to a generous donor, HSSV has teamed up with Peninsula Fix Our Ferals (PFOF) to offer monthly TNR clinics just for this special animal population. PFOF provides the volunteers and humane trapping mojo (homeless cats are smart but the PFOF pros are smarter!) and HSSV provides the medical staff and clinic space. MEOW- a perfect match!

As a result of our first clinic this past Sunday, 31 undercats are now safely back in their environment after being spayed or neutered, microchipped, and vaccinated. 31 undercats who can be fed and looked after by a volunteer caregiver. 31 more undercats who are not contributing to the homeless feline population by producing unwanted litters of kittens. What better way to wrap-up Adopt-A-Cat Month!

This is Sandi. She was an undercat back in the day. Shy, but not so unsocialized to humans that she couldn’t be rehomed. Because of HSSV’s TNR program, Sandi’s now living indoors with a family who loves her. And because of the HSSV-PFOF partnership, the other Sandis out there will have their chance at a healthy life as well.

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