08/14/2026
Many people, when asked if they would take action to prevent the suffering of a fellow sentient being, would say yes. Many wouldn’t even hesitate when answering. In fact, the answer seems so obvious, the question may bewilder some. Within the animal welfare community the answer is a resounding yes.
But yet, the community cat suffers every day. With many people turning a blind eye. With (some) local shelters denying the cat, prolonging the suffering; the cat is too sick according to new shelter policy, the cat is assessed to be too fractious after a thirty second interaction. With some people actively contributing to the suffering; allowing pregnant cats to give birth so the mother can “experience” motherhood, allowing tom cats to remain intact, literally fighting for their lives.
Why is there a network of volunteers to transport injured wildlife? Birds? Dogs? Cats from other states? But none for the community cat? Shelters and rescues across the state race to fill cages with cats from other states and countries while there are hundreds upon hundreds suffering in our own backyards.
Community cats are the most misunderstood demographic of animals in the state. They are made to be the villain in almost everyone’s story. Maine’s shelter model doesn’t account for the feral or fractious cat with some local shelters diverting their responsibility. Because of this, community cats continue to suffer and die on the streets of our communities every day. And the worst part is… their suffering is preventable.
We’ve said it many times before, the only way out of this crisis is to spay and neuter as many cats as possible and hold offending individuals/organizations accountable.
- Every pregnant cat should be spayed; every kitten born is one less resource or home for an adult cat.
- Every tom cat roaming the streets should be neutered.
- Spay and neuter services should be accessible and affordable.
- Shelters should act as a resource for their communities and lead by example.
- ACOs should answer the call and, more importantly, be supported by their municipalities and given the tools to do their jobs in a humane fashion.
- Abusive individuals should be charged or penalized. Animal suffering is inextricably tied to human suffering, after all.
Because…Every. Life. Matters.
Every day, our team sees the faces of “preventable suffering”. Every day our small team answers the call. Every day our team shows up and faces the reality that few are willing to.
Recently, our team held a five week old kitten as he took his last breath. He was severely underweight, dehydrated and was covered in hundreds of fleas. Recently, our team picked up and transported the body of a mother cat who was shot to death simply for existing. She was within a week of being trapped and offered sanctuary. Recently, our team coordinated the medical care for an elderly abandoned house cat who suffered from an aggressive form of skin cancer. He lost his life after battling to survive on the streets for weeks.
Who will rally for them? Who will advocate for them? Who will bear witness to their stories?
We will.
