Pawsitive Change for Kitsap Cats

12/04/2025

11/23/2025

THIS!! SO MUCH THIS!! Cats you are spot on!

The state of feline welfare has reached a tipping point—and in many communities, we’ve already fallen over the edge. The convergence of multiple factors has created what is rapidly becoming the “new normal.” Economic pressures, veterinary costs, the reduction or closure of low-cost spay/neuter clinics, a shortage or lack of trained and paid or volunteer trappers and TNR advocates, ever-changing shelter intake policies, and the growing population of community cats—all contribute to a system that is failing the very animals it was meant to protect.

When did No Kill morph into what it is today? The emphasis on No Kill, while initially well-intentioned, has revealed major cracks in the system. No Kill policies, without resources and creative leaders committed to animal welfare and not numbers, struggle to prevent the ongoing suffering of cats and all animals in our communities.

Despite studies that question the effectiveness of mandatory spay/neuter policies, the solution lies largely in making sterilization accessible to all community cats. Free or low-cost spay/neuter programs—supported and prioritized by municipalities—can dramatically reduce shelter intake in the first place, decrease the number of kittens born into precarious situations, and alleviate suffering on the streets.

The key is shifting the focus from “No Kill” to “No Births.” Instead of struggling to manage populations after kittens are born, the emphasis should be to address the problem at its root. If cities and decision makers recognize that cats are here to stay one way or another -sterilized or not, breeding or not- but that we CAN reduce their impact through sterilization and TNR- and that they are sentient beings and more than a source of complaint—they could explore creative funding mechanisms and allocate resources more effectively.

Nonprofits already providing low-cost spay/neuter services and individuals dedicating countless hours to trapping, managing, and caring for community cats are critical partners in this effort. TNR is the largest rabies vaccination program in existance. No other entity or organization contributes more to rabies control that those involved in TNR. Valuing their work, supporting their programs, and expanding access can create measurable, lasting change.

Moving Forward:
Prioritize Prevention: Municipalities, shelters, and community leaders must treat sterilization as a fundamental strategy. Support low-cost or free spay/neuter clinics for all community cats.

Support the Frontline: Recognize and fund the individuals and organizations already performing TNR, community cat management, and care. Paid trappers and TNR advocates could vastly increase efficiency and impact. We're all on the same page- we all want fewer cats- but let's work together to accomplish this humanely.

Shift the Conversation: Move away from the slow-moving No Kill debates toward proactive population control. Promote the approach as the path to lasting welfare improvements.

Innovative Funding: Explore grants, municipal budgets, and public-private partnerships to support sterilization programs, rather than relying solely on donations or volunteer labor.

Community Engagement: Educate the public on the benefits of spaying and neutering community cats, and encourage neighborhood-level participation in TNR programs. When opportunities to vote in elections arise, ask candidates specific questions regarding their views on feline and animal welfare.

While much of the national conversation has focused on strategies that often overlook the root cause, we’ve never wavered. Adoptions are important, yes of course, but preventing those births in the first place, even more so. In 1997, when Shadow Cats was formed, we believed TNR—and spay/neuter—was the solution. Nearly three decades later, in 2025, that belief remains unchanged. Despite well-meaning national and local detours and shifting trends in animal welfare, one truth remains clear: spay and neuter is the most effective way to prevent suffering, reduce overpopulation, and give community cats a fighting chance.

11/19/2025

You may be making a difference and never know it. Keep educating!

Educate Every Chance You Get 💬🐾

When you’re out doing rescue, do you take every opportunity to educate when possible? Sometimes it might feel like it falls on deaf ears… but other times, you truly make a difference.

You know how people say, “I’m turning into my mother”?
Well, in my case - I’m turning into my mentor. And I’m totally okay with that! ❤️ (and my mother which is equally okay with me!)

I remember she used to stop and educate every single chance she got when I first got involved with TNR. I remember thinking, “Okay already, let’s just trap the cats and go!” or “Let’s grab those kittens and move on!” I didn’t always understand why she spent so much time talking to these people.

Now, I do.

Recently, I helped someone overwhelmed with too many cats. She was told that one “unfriendly” cat should go to a barn home. But after talking with her, we learned that cat had never been outside. She wouldn’t survive in a barn. We offered to get her spayed, explained how the hormones might calm her, and how fixing the group would make a huge difference overall. The woman listened, learned, and changed her mind - that little cat wasn’t going anywhere except for her spay appointment and back home. 🏡

Another time, someone wanted to adopt out all the cats they’d socialized except for one wild teenage boy. As I watched him roughhouse and zip around the yard, I suggested keeping his buddy too - explaining how much young cats need a playmate. They agreed without hesitation. That wild boy won himself a forever friend. 🐱💞

Sometimes, a little education goes a long way. Even when it seems like people aren’t listening - often, they are.

So keep teaching, keep sharing, keep taking those extra few minutes.
You never know when what you say might change everything. 💬✨

11/16/2025

Great steps forward. We need more cities and counties to approve this kind of legislation and tax-supported programs!

A new NYC bill is looking to officially allow corner stores to keep their beloved feline sidekicks without risking fines 😻 The plan sets basic rules to keep things safe and clean, while also introducing free vaccinations for feral and working cats across the city 🏙️

There’s still another step... state regulations have to be updated before bodega cats can be fully legalized, but this proposal is a major move toward protecting the bodega cats who make every snack run better 🐈🐾✨ iHeartRadio

11/16/2025

Socialization doesn’t just mean “make it friendly”. It’s an extremely important aspect of rescue to understand.

11/04/2025

11/02/2025

https://www.alleycat.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/kitten_protection_guide_web.pdf?fbclid=IwRlRTSANzy5JleHRuA2FlbQExAAEeSTRRV8tRmBKTAqNld_oOw-UCtBNPZhQlAuO4ew92f5QEuhIEPPUJgk3rTNA_aem_4afOJB5X95O-7KJf-32MMA

10/29/2025

While it’s said cats have nine lives, we believe we can give them ten with spay/neuter. See what we’re doing to solve the cat overpopulation problem, and learn how you can get involved.

10/27/2025

This time of year, as weather starts getting nasty and temperatures drop, well meaning people feel the need to “rescue” the outdoor cats they see and feel sorry for. But most of these cats HAVE NO PLACE TO GO and are BEST OFF RIGHT WHERE THEY ARE.

Rescuers and shelters are unable to admit or house more than a few unsocialized/feral cats at any one time, and most are already full up. That means when someone traps a community cat and shows up at the shelter without an appointment hoping to drop the cat off, thet will be turned away. Then the only thing to do is either get a kennel and try to socialize the cat, or let the poor traumatized cat back out where it was just trapped.

Even if/when the shelter can accept a trapped cat, the best the shelter can do most of the time is to eventually place them in another outdoor living situation as barn cats.

Outdoor cats are overwhelmingly better off remaining in their own familiar territory where they know how to access shelter, have the safety and comfort provided by other cats in their group, and are aware of where to get resources like food and water. Cats placed in barn homes more often than not don’t make it more than a few months there.

So if you see a cat you think needs help, observe, think, and plan BEFORE you trap!
*Observe to see if the cat is a part of an established colony where it already has safety and familiar available resources. If so, leave it.
*Observe to see if the cat is healthy and looks like it is able to care for itself (and more than a couple months old). If so, leave it (injured or sick ferals and young kittens often will be accepted by shelters, so that is a bit different).

Try to interact with the cat to see if it is actually social toward human company. If so and it looks like it is struggling/is not a familiar cat to the area, it can be taken in a carrier (not a trap) to the local shelter as a stray pet. Remember, though, if you can’t handle the cat, the shelter probably won’t admit it.

But if a cat requires a trap (in danger, losing weight, all alone, etc), have a plan in place. Make a feral surrender appointment or have a ‘feral foster’ wire crate setup ready and someone willing to care for them until a spot opens up. Don’t end up with an angry traumatized cat in a trap and no place for him to go.