Caring for feral colonies can be stressful. There are times when you won't see a certain cat and worry (I do this as if it's my job, this worrying). There are times when a cat is limping or you notice a bout of mange spreading. There are times when it's raining and the cats won't be there and you worry. There are times when you see kittens and know that a (formerly) pregnant cat has joined a colony and now there are kittens and a fertile female to worry about.
But it can be so rewarding. When that mange infested cat heals, when those kittens are still friendly enough to be adopted out, when that female is no longer fertile, when you form a relationship with these beautiful creatures. It can be so rewarding. I look forward to the days when my fiance and I can make our way to the most rough and tumble areas of Orlando that I have ever been to and look into the faces of these beautiful cats. Just pouring the food into their bowls and watching them run up and eat: happy, carefree. It makes everything worth it.
There are so many misconceptions about feral cats, from "aren't they rabid?" to "but they're wild! They're not like house cats." Oh, but these things are so untrue. These cats are feral, but they aren't homeless. The outdoors is their home and thanks to groups like Alley Cat Allies, they are able to live their full lives happily.
Being a feral friend with Alley Cat Allies has changed my life. I have learned so much and in turn, I have loved so much. Each little cat scampering through the woods or the back alleys of Orlando has a piece of me with them always.
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