Feral Cat Colony in Chinatown gets a Temporary Reprieve

The eight feral cats living in the historic St. James Church in New York’s Chinatown are far more fortunate than their feral feline counterparts, recently ousted by Loews Orlando, Florida Hotel chain.

According to Out of the Cage, the Blog of the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals, the small feral cat colony will be fed and cared for during a trial period of sixty days.

The innovative idea of a cat colony trial period was reached during a meeting of representatives from the Mayor’s Alliance for New York City's Animals, the Archdiocese of New York, St. James Church, and the New York City Feral Cat Initiative (NYCFCI).

In a statement, NYCFCI said, “The church is setting a fine example of leadership by example with this compassionate and humane consideration for these cats abandoned to the street through no fault of their own. Though not completely resolved, we are confident this will be a win-win for the cats and St. James Church.”

The St. James Church feral cats will be given appropriate shelter and an adequate feeding station. Adding to the scheduled care, they will also get a litter box. To assure that all the routines necessary for the prudent care of the feral cat colony meet the approval of all concerned, to iron out the details, caretakers and the church pastor got together.

The meeting included a strong and lively discussion about the value of Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programs, along with stressing the importance of assuring that the cats are fed regularly, in order to preserve the stability of the feral cat colony. Also discussed during the meeting was the need for responsible pet ownership education, in hopes of preventing more cats from being abandoned onto the city streets.

Since Chinatown has a rat problem, having tame neutered cats in the neighborhood is a huge boon, according the post.

Keep up with the breaking news and learn more about the St. James Church feral cat colony on the New York City Feral Cat Facebook Page.

Anyone wishing to thank the Archdiocese of New York City for giving the St. James Church feral cat colony a chance, may do so by  contacting Joseph Zwilling, Communications Director at communications@archny.org or calling him at (212) 371-1011 x2997

Let’s hope this “win-win” situation becomes a permanent solution and the St. James Church feral cat colony remains intact. Leave your comments of support.