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My name is Nicole Schoepflin.
I am deeply involved with a non-profit organization committed to the humane management of homeless feral cats utilizing the TNR program (trap/neuter/release) and assist and educate the public about homeless feral cats. I feed and care for +/- 80 cats a day, fostering cats and kittens that are suitable for adoption as family pets. Most of the kittens I take in need immediate medical care. Many are anemic from flea infestation, have severe diarrhea from contaminated food or water sources, are malnourished and/or dehydrated. It is amazing what a little love and care can do for these throw-away animals.
What are feral felines?
Feral felines are domestic cats turned wild. Some were born and raised feral. Some began life as family pets but, abandoned by cruel or ignorant people, were forced to survive on their own.
How do they live?
Males roam across dangerous highways in search of mates. Females spend their lives pregnant and unable to care for their young, watching their babies die year after year. If even a little food can be found, they will reproduce, and many more kittens are born into a world that cannot sustain them. Ferals no longer desire human contact. They sleep in the cold rain, huddled together for warmth. In the hot sun, they constantly search for food and water. They exist in colonies anywhere food can be located—near dumpsters, parks, or farms. This is the life of the reclusive feral cat.
Why save feral colonies?
The feral cat populations provide an invaluable service to humans. Without them, snake and rodent populations would become unmanageable. Friends of Feral Felines (FFF) recognizes the necessity of feral cats, and values their existence. We attempt to stabilize feral colonies through sterilization, rather than eradicating them outright.
Feral facts
- An estimated 60 million feral cats live in the USA
- A pair of breeding cats can exponentially produce 420,000 offspring in a 7-year period
- Thousands of feral cats roam along the NC/SC border
- The mortality rate among kittens can reach more than 50% as the sick and weak perish
- Most ferals are born, suffer, and die without anyone ever knowing of their existence
If you would like to help homeless/abandoned cats, you can donate to Friends of Feral Felines (Friends of Feral Felines - Charlotte NC), or if you would rather donate to a animal caretaker/rescuer, you can donate directly to me.
Thank you for your kindness.
Nicole Schoepflin
nicole.schoepflin@gmail.com