“I have cared for the feral cats in my neighborhood for many years. A couple of years ago, a little tuxedo guy started showing up for breakfast every morning. That was Mickey the Mouser. He is much smaller than most of the other cats and very friendly. Over the years, he came to trust me, so that with the help of GNHCP we were able to trap him. I especially wanted to trap him, because he was severely injured and was limping badly. I also decided that I would adopt him. GNHCP took Mickey to a vet who tended to his wounds and neutered him. She also gave him his Rabies and FVRCP (Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis/Calici/Panleukopenia) vaccinations. In order to help his wounds heal, he was given antibiotics and confined until his wound healed. As Mickey continues to heal, he is adapting to living inside and appears to be liking this major change in his life. He is a very sweet, gentle little guy, for whom I have GNHCP to thank. They really do a wonderful job with cats and for those of us who care about them. I am happy to support their work and to continue to advocate on their behalf.”

Herold (Francis’ parent)

Late summer 2024 I began encountering a small tabby cat hanging around the perimeter of my yard. As the weather began getting colder, this mystery tabby hung around more and more, coming a little bit closer to the house. Eventually I would find the kitty I now referred to as “Francis” taking shelter under some shrubbery in my front yard. By Christmas Francis was waiting for me to get home each evening, greeting me at a distance and waiting for a handout. Shortly after New Year’s I noticed Francis had some injuries to his head and face, and abruptly stopped eating. For a few days, he hardly came out of his little cat house, and it was so cold I was afraid he would freeze or starve. Not knowing if he was feral, or sick and feeling ill equipped to handle the situation, I began looking for rescuers who may be able to help. I found the Greater New Haven Cat Project on one of my Google searches and filled out the online form. I was happy to receive a call from Cheryl the very next day. She came to my house the day after our phone call to try to trap Francis. I thought for sure he was going to run off and hide, but in less than ten minutes Cheryl and her colleague had Francis in a trap and were taking him off to receive care.

Cheryl took care of him while he was being medicated, keeping him safe and warm. When he was well enough, she took him to be neutered. Once recovered, Francis was brought back to my house. With it unsafe for him to be outside, we were able to set him up in a room separate from the rest of the house where he could recover peacefully. Francis continued to be very afraid of people, hiding but coming out to eat and sleep in a warm soft cat bed. After about a week, Francis decided we humans weren’t so bad after all. He greeted me with little meows and allowed me to pet his head. This progressed in just a few hours to full on head butting, and rubbing, and even purring. It became clear that Francis was feeling much better physically and his emotional wounds from whatever had happened to him were also healing. As of last night, I had Francis sitting in my lap purring, relaxed and happy.

If it hadn’t been for the help of Cheryl and The Greater New Haven Cat Project, Francis may not have survived his injuries let alone would he have the opportunity to know love and warmth.

(March 2025)

susan & Harvey (socks’ parents)

Our new cat arrived this past September. He was feral, and began to visit our deck in the rear of our house on a regular basis. He had found the food we usually leave out for cat visitors. A month later we installed a cat shelter for him, and he moved in. He would enter at night and come out in the morning. All was well until early January when we noticed he was limping, and the limp was getting progressively worse. An intervention was called for and we contacted the Greater New Haven Cat Project. This is an organization that provides help for stray cats, and those cat/providers who also become additionally involved. The GNHCP sent a volunteer who trapped our grey tabby, and took him to the veterinarian. The wounded leg was treated, he was neutered and vaccinated. Then he was returned to us.

At that time we made a decision. Instead of returning him to the wild, we decided to see if he might take to domestication. We set up a spare room for him with food and water, and litter box. Initially, he stayed under the bed, coming out only for food and the litter box. This lasted for 4 weeks. The alternative would have been to release him to subfreezing weather, uncomfortable even with his heated cat shelter. In the 5th week, he started to come out to investigate his surroundings, leaving the safety of his room. We are into the 6th week now. And despite still being a bit skittish, Socks as we now call him, takes treats from our hand, plays with the usual cat toys, and sleeps on the bed when he feels like it. He is becoming more trustful of humans, although he still has a way to go.

The Greater New Haven Cat Project is out there doing good. Feral and stray cats have a distinct advantage at living longer and more successfully when an initial intervention by GNHCP is made. Whether or not the animal can be domesticated is later predicated on opportunity, perseverance, and patience. Hopefully, our domestication experiment will prove successful, and Socks will become a rather spoiled and happy member of the family.

(March 2025)