If you would consider making a monthly pledge to help them purchase
this food, it would help them greatly. Here's what you can do:
Call or write advoCATS and let us know what commitment you would be
willing to make. If you live locally, you may purchase dry cat food and give it to them
directly or contribute money (check) for them to purchase the food. If you do not live
here, you may send a check directly to the feeder or to advoCATS and specify it is for cat
food. If you have a particular area you would be interested in supporting, we will try to
put you in touch with a person who feeds in that area.
We hope you will give this proposal serious consideration and extend
your generosity beyond your donations to advoCATS for spaying and neutering. Your
contribution is tax deductible.
We are trying to find people who are feeding the cats on the Big
Island who are not members of advoCATS. Occasionally our feeders will find left over cat
food or empty food containers at their regular feeding spots left by well meaning people.
This not only wastes food, but the advoCATS feeders time of going there and feeding the
cats. It also makes it hard for our trappers to trap a cat who has already eaten. The
trappers always feed the colonies after they have successfully trapped at that
location. At some of the locations, such as shopping centers, managers get angry at people
who leave behind the empty bags or cans and the advoCATS feeder gets blamed for it. Our
feeders are discreet and clean up after feeding or trapping so as not to anger the these
places. People may be well meaning, but sometimes they are making matters worse for the
cats and harder for the feeders. If you or someone you know would like to help with the
food, it's best to use our Adopt A Feeder Program. Or if you are interested in
volunteering as a feeder and or trapper, we can always use more help. Since our feeders go
out 7 days a week rain or shine, they would sometimes love to have a day off or to go on
vacation.
Here are just a few of our feeders stories...
Sandi in Kailua Kona - I've been feeding about 80 cats daily at
Old Airport park at 7 locations for the last 9 years. Most of the cats there have been
dropped off by people who don't want them, can't take them when they move, or the cat is
ill and the person doesn't know what to do or can't afford to take care of them. So many
are very friendly and love to be around people. There isn't a week that goes by that we
don't have another member(s) added to the colony.We try to find homes for as many as we
can, and the TNR program has really helped keep the population down.
~
Sara in Pahoa - At the refuse transfer station I feed about 20
cats. I wish there was some way to get the information out to people. I sometimes find
food, including dog food, at my site. This is a waste of people’s time and resources,
and not good for the cats.
~
Grace in Kailua Kona - I feed at least 100 cats at nine
different colonies at shopping centers and in the industrial area in Kailua Kona. Some
days I really don't feel like going to feed, but I know they are counting on me and I
can't let them down. I see their little faces waiting for me. I don't believe in just
feeding the cats, it needs to be done in unison with trapping, spaying and neutering to
reduce more kittens being born. TNR really works! At one of the shopping centers I feed
at, the management recently told me since I started to feed and perform TNR, she has not
seen any new kittens around.
