Lee and Mary change the world for community kitties

FOR THE KITTIES: Lee Priday (left), with Phoebe, and Mary Mason, with Pip, say it's good to make a difference in the lives of even just one cat.

Two Featherston women are taking on the town's feral cat population one de-sexing, kitten adoption and cuddle at a time.

Lee Priday and Mary Mason have formed Featherston Community Kitties, a project to help reduce uncontrolled breeding of stray and wild cats by practising the Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) method. TNR involves catching wild cats in a humane trap, de-sexing by a vet, and returning them to where they were found.

This method, endorsed by overseas animal rescues as the most effective for controlling feral cat colonies, also improves quality of life for cats -- preventing a lifetime of litters for females, and reducing fighting behaviour and the spread of disease in males.

Any kittens Lee and Mary catch are hand-reared, socialised and adopted by new families. Since starting Featherston Community Kitties last year, Lee and Mary have trapped and returned over 30 cats and re-homed 13 "neat little kittens" -- with support from California-based rescue START, which funds the cat de-sexing.

All other expenses, such as vaccinations, flea treatments and food, come from their own pockets.

"It's a real thrill to know a couple of crazy cat ladies are making a difference for these kitties," Lee said. "We may be only a drop in the bucket, but every little bit helps. You can't change the world, but you can change the world for one cat."

Lee, who relocated from Sydney in 2013, said she was shocked by how many stray cats she saw in the Featherston town centre. She had heard of the TNR method being used in Australia, and ran the idea by new friend and fellow South Wairarapa Rotarian Mary who, at the time, was rescuing kittens from home.

They were donated a trap from RD1 Featherston, and had 17 cats de-sexed by South Wairarapa Vets.

"Then we realised our pockets weren't that deep," Mary said.

Their financial worries were relieved when START, which rescues dogs from high-kill shelters and to which Lee had been donating, pledged $5800NZ towards neutering 100 cats.

"That was a real boost," Lee said.

They have also since secured donations from Rotary and Featherston's Own Charitable Trust, and have started a Givealittle Page.

Lee and Mary have found and drop-fed 10-day old kittens whose eyes have barely opened, climbed under strangers' houses to retrieve trapped kittens, caught cats neighbours have threatened to shoot and helped soothe skittish cats with cuddles.

"When we find them, they're in a terrible state -- riddled with fleas and worms," Mary said. "Luckily, the vet nurses are fantastic, and let us bring them straight in."

So far, Lee and Mary have been able to find "wonderful" homes for the kittens -- given nicknames such as Phoebe Foo, Smudge Burrito and Pretty Boy -- who Lee has helped socialise by climbing into their crates and petting them while they eat.

"It helps if they associate cuddles with a good feed," she said.

There have been some heartwrenching stories -- such as bonding with "lovely" cats diagnosed with feline immunodeficiency virus and put down.

"We had one who'd had a litter of seven and had such a nice nature - and we were so excited to release her.

"But, she was too sick and they had to put her to sleep. It's so sad.;

However, one of the most rewarding things is making life that little bit bearable for Featherston's "street kitties", Lee said.

"They just breed so fast -- you see cats who are barely kittens themselves having big litters. It feels good to know these cats aren't spending their whole lives giving birth, and the kittens we re-home aren't out there fending for themselves.

Support Featherston Community Kitties at www.facebook.com/featherstoncommunitykitties, or www.givealittle.co.nz/org/feathykitties.