Neighborhood Cats

10/31/2026

👻 Happy Hallloowweeen 🎃

Trying to find a home for a friendly black cat? One common problem is black cats are hard to photograph well. Here’s some tips to overcome that:

- Lighting: use diffuse natural light, like near a large window on an overcast day. Avoid using a flash. Create contrast by using a lighter background.

- Focus: lock focus on the eyes and make sure they’re sharp. Use Portrait Mode on your smart-phone to blur the background and further emphasize the eyes.

- Exposure: adjust manually instead of going automatic. Auto often overexposes the dark fur. Do a Google search for how to set exposure manually on your phone (it’s easy!)

- Positioning: don’t shoot from above, but get eye level with the cat.

10/30/2026

Handwarmers… Old tires… Wet food… Styrofoam…

What do all of these have in common? When used creatively, they’re items that can help ensure your outdoor cats get the hydration they need, even in the coldest of climates.

Access to fresh water daily is always important at any time of year, but freezing temperatures make it a real challenge during the winter. So time for some tips and tricks!

Explore unique ways to keep fresh water flowing at: https://www.neighborhoodcats.org/stop-freezing-water

10/27/2026

Kittens are cute but they’re probably the last thing you want appearing in your colony. But getting affordable spay/neuter services can be a real challenge.

Good news: in most parts of the U.S., low-cost services are available. Explore national and state databases to find a provider in your area who will support your TNR efforts:
https://www.neighborhoodcats.org/low-cost-spay-neuter

Helpful tips:
👉 Call the clinic ahead of time to make sure they still provide the services listed.
👉 Confirm that they accept cats in traps for TNR.
👉 Get an estimate beforehand of all services to be provided.

10/24/2026

For the cats!

10/23/2026

Don’t head into winter without prepping for your colony’s cold weather care! ❄️

Join us tomorrow at 2 pm ET for our “Ask Us Anything” event about all things winter and community cat. From warm winter shelters to keeping water bowls freeze-free, we’ll cover everything you need to get ready for before winter sets in.

RSVP now and tune into the Facebook Live event tomorrow: https://www.facebook.com/events/1394278325900281/

P.S. Have a question for us? Drop it in the comments!

10/22/2026

Hot off the press from novelist and TNR advocate Michelle Lerner!

When a frantic call sends Harvard-trained lawyer Michelle Lerner to rescue a neurologically impaired squirrel, it is only the beginning. Her household becomes home to Monster, the squirrel with an operatic voice; Lamby, a disabled sheep who demands blue corn chips and herds cats; Shire, an injured police horse whose courage helps inspire Lerner’s animal-law work; and a sprawling cast of rescue dogs, cats, chickens, and other unforgettable creatures.

Warm, wickedly funny, and deeply moving, A Series of Opinionated Animals is a memoir about grief, family, resilience, justice, and the astonishing relationships that grow between species—and how the lives we change often change us even more.

A bonus for community cat trappers and caretakers - the book includes a chapter on how Michelle launched a TNR program in her own town.

Order your copy now at https://shop.bancroftpress.com/products/a-series-of-opinionated-animals Enter the code NC10 at checkout and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Neighborhood Cats ($10 for hardcover, $5 for e-book).

A warm, wickedly funny memoir by animal-law pioneer Michelle Lerner about rescue animals, family, grief, justice, and compassion.

10/21/2026

Don’t wait for the snowflakes to fall! Now’s the time to prepare winter shelters for your outdoor cats. Here are a few different ideas for keeping the felines warm and dry:

- MAKE a DIY shelter out of a Styrofoam box.

- USE a storage bin for the outer shell and line the interior walls with sheets of Styrofoam.

- BUY a cold weather-designed shelter from Feralvilla or The Kitty Tube.

Learn more about these options and more, plus get detailed DIY instructions at: https://www.neighborhoodcats.org/winter-shelter

10/20/2026

Meet Sparkles, our October Community Cat of the Month. ✨ Sparkles is a senior cat and has been part of her colony in Hawaii for years—but she still makes her caretaker, Lenny, smile every day.

For starters, there’s the way she greets Lenny at suppertime. She comes running at a gallop, then stands on her hind legs for a pat on the head.

Half the size of her colony mates, Sparkles elbows the big boys firmly aside, insisting on being first at the food bowls. After that, she takes a slow, careful bite from each dish as if she were a food critic dining at a new restaurant. 😂

When the meal is over, Sparkles daintily washes up, tells Lenny “thank you” with a cordial head bump, and slips into the shadows. Another night of adventures begins!

Here’s to all the spunky community cats like Sparkles and the compassionate people who care for them like Lenny.

📸 Want a cat you care for to be our next ? Send their photo and story to us at [email protected] for your chance to be featured.

10/20/2026

Most of us don’t think much about natural disasters and what we would do until right after they happen or are almost upon us. But how we respond isn’t only about us, but also saving the animals we care for, including those that are left outdoors like community cats.

On November 19, National Programs Director Bryan Kortis will join seasoned animal disaster experts for an online panel discussion, “Ready, Respond, Recover: Animal Disaster Response in Practice,” hosted by Justice Clearinghouse.

They’ll share real-world lessons from recent major disasters. What do agencies often overlook, what does an effective response look like in the first 24–48 hours, and what should happen after the initial intervention?

Free to watch live. Register now 👉
https://www.justiceclearinghouse.com/webinar/ready-respond-recover-animal-disaster-response-in-practice

10/18/2026

Chilly days are coming… and, if you’re up North in a cold climate, your colony cats will need extra care when the temperatures drop! 🌡️

Join us this coming Saturday, October 24, for a Facebook Live event to talk about all things winter care—from DIY shelters to stopping or slowing water from freezing to winter trapping.

RSVP to get notified when the event starts: https://www.facebook.com/events/1394278325900281/

Drop your questions ahead of time in the comments below and we’ll be sure to answer them during the event.