Atascadero has a large feral cat population, with many cats living near the creek. The Friends of the Creek Cats help control the number of feral cats while helping them live their best lives.
Cat Advocate with Friends of the Creek Cats, Heather Shireman, joined the organization eight years ago when only five of the then 50 creek cats were fixed.
“There were easily about 50 cats and kittens of various ages running around. It was a very daunting thing to walk into,” Shireman said.
She and a dozen or so volunteers befriended the creek cats, pooling their resources to provide food, water and TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) services for the felines.
“Atascadero has a high population of community cats," Shireman said. "The majority are born out here. People have historically dumped in this area, and that’s been going on for decades.”
Neutering the cats ensures their population doesn’t continue to grow and the feral cat problem stays under control.
“They’re able to live wild and free… kind of their best life,” Shireman said.
It’s the cats’ resiliency Shireman admires most.
“I really enjoy, odd as it sounds, building relationships with these cats. I’ve been out here for eight years and I’ve had to say goodbye to a lot of them. They don’t want to be out here having babies, fighting, and that’s what TNR is about, is lowering the population that is born out here,” Shireman said.
Eryk Nappi saw the cats when he began working for the Atascadero Chamber of Commerce.
“I noticed just an influx of kitties just running around, just lounging, being cats,” Nappi said. “Of course, me being a cat lover, I had to figure out what that was, and that's when I figured out [about] that TNR program and that they feed them and just take care of them and try to take care of the population,” Nappi said.
While volunteers consider themselves friends of the cats, the term "friend" may be a misnomer, as feral cats don’t usually trust humans.
“They don’t wanna be your friend. I mean, think of them as wild creatures," Shireman said. "Most of them are only habituated to the idea of people as food resources. They don’t want to go home and be your kitty pet.”
In order to make sure Atascadero’s cat problem stays under control, Shireman asks that you avoid dropping off cats near a feral colony and opt for a shelter if need be.
“New cats generally don’t move in, as cats are incredibly territorial and that’s another risk that happens when people do dump cats in unfamiliar locations,” Shireman said.
If you’d like to donate to Friends of the Creek Cats, you can reach them by email at heather@friendsofthecreekcats.org.
