Encounters in the Night
Not everyone welcomes their work. Over the years, Thelma and Louise, who always travel together for safety, have been blocked in by cars, confronted by angry property owners, and even robbed. Some people don’t tolerate community cats; instead, they feel they are a nuisance. They often get angry at the caretakers and sometimes directly at the cats by throwing things at them or chasing them away and frightening them.
Tonight, as they are pouring food, a man approaches. Thelma and Louise brace for yet another confrontation, ready to defend the feline friends. Instead, the man surprises them.
“It hurts to see these animals abandoned,” he says.
“It hurts us too. That’s why we do this,” Louise replies.
“Bless you for your work,” he says before walking away.
They stand in silence for a moment, and both breathe a sigh of relief. “Well, we don’t hear that very often,” Louise finally says.
Rescues Along the Way
The next stop is an apartment complex, where a resident reported a tiny kitten hiding near an air conditioning unit. Louise bends down and gently coaxes him out. He’s scared but not feral.
“I’ll take him in and get him into a shelter for adoption,” she says. Another life saved.
As the night continues, they visit more colonies. One location was at a car dealership that once had 20 cats but now has only two left, an indication that TNR is working.
The Last Stop
Two hours later, their car rolls into an apartment complex — their last stop of the evening. Thelma shakes her head.
New cats have appeared, likely abandoned by former residents.
“We were making so much progress,” Thelma sighs. “We almost had this colony under control. We’ll have to trap and sterilize these new ones.”
Thelma and Louis begin planning what days they will come out to the apartment complex and trap these new cats to get them spayed/neutered. They introduce themselves to the local residents who come out when they see them and say they want to help. Thelma and Louis ask them to talk to other residents about not abandoning their cats.
Two hours after their journey began, they head home—tired but knowing they’ve made a difference. There are no days off, and they wish for more volunteers to step in, even just once a week, to lighten the load. Until that day comes, they will continue—every night, without fail.
How You Can Help
Thelma and Louise—and thousands of community cat caretakers like them—feed and check on cats every single day. They use their own money for food, vet care, and supplies. Many even help pay for some of the cost incurred for spaying and neutering them. But these individuals can’t do it alone. They need help from the community.
🐾 Volunteer: Help a caretaker with feedings when they need a break or vacation.
🐾 Support TNR Programs: Learn how to safely trap, neuter, and return cats to reduce the stray population.
🐾 Donate: Donate food, medical care, or supplies to local TNR groups so caretakers don’t have to carry the burden alone.
Caring for community cats means managing the population, preventing suffering, and giving these forgotten animals a chance at a better life. If you’d like to help, reach out to a local TNR group and become a hero for the cats in your community.
