Help TNR mama cat and six kittens in Greenfield

A few weeks ago, a few new visitors stumbled across our patio - a mama cat and her five young kittens (as of 9/30/22 we found out it's actually 6 kittens)!

We began feeding them and reached out to local cat rescuers to see how we could help this sweet family. They are not ear-tipped so we need to get them trapped, spayed/neutered, vaccinated and into foster care as soon as possible.

We are calling this family the "spice cats" -- we have mama Poppy and the kittens are Juniper, Caraway, Sage, Saffron, Nutmeg, and the Clove and they are super cute (see photos at bottom of description here). Mama Poppy comes to our house every day at mealtimes. The kittens are a bit more intermittent because Mama keeps them safely tucked away in a secure location on cold and rainy days. But we see them regularly, and they are absolutely adorable. They are at the age when they are playful and curious so we are engaging them with toys and slowly winning their trust.

We reached out to our friends who connected us with local cat rescuers through Oakland TNR and Pittsburgh Cat Folx . With their help, we have a plan in place to trap everyone, get them spayed/neutered and vaccinated.

We need your help to raise the funds! It is an investment in controlling the homeless cat population in our neighborhood.

We need to raise about $800 to cover all the spay/neuter vaccinations, testing, microchipping, etc. Anything extra will be used for other cats and kittens in need of similar procedures. Both Oakland TNR and Pittsburgh Cat Folx are 501c3 organizations. Pittsburgh LGBTQ Charities is the name of the nonprofit organization that manages the Pittsburgh Cat Folx projects along with other projects. Additionally, you can donate directly to Oakland TNR Donate Page.

The vet appointments are set for Thursday September 29th, 2022 so if we can turn this around quickly, that's better for everyone. I'll be working with the trappers today and tomorrow. But I need your help to get this accomplished.

Every penny matters. Please share with all of our neighbors in Greenfield and nearby communities - post in Facebook groups, NextDoor, Twitter, Instagram, wherever you can connect with folks!

Each community cat can have an average of six kittens per year, so TNV(R)ing which stands for Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate and (Returning) this family will reduce the number of homeless kittens born in our neighborhood by at least 36 (more for males) as well as giving them a chance at a decent life. Just think about those 36 potential kittens having another 6 kittens each the following year and you can see the literal value in controlling the population by TNVR.

The kittens should be okay to be placed into foster care through Oakland TNR and mama will likely be released back to Greenfield. We've committed to feeding her each day and keeping her shelter secure. We are also now working with another neighbor who is already taking care of an existing colony in Greenfield. She;s done an excellent job keeping the cats TNVRd and stabilizing the colony. We will be working closely with her moving forward.

*If* Mama Poppy is social or friendly, our rescue partners will do their best to find a foster slot for her, but it is a challenge to find people willing to foster adults - kitten season is in full throttle even this late in the year.

Thank you for helping to make Greenfield and our entire community a healthier neighborhood.