The Cats

LFFAC believes that every cat deserves a life free from thirst or hunger, distress and fear, injury, pain, discomfort, or disease. Cats that are at risk for these problems are our responsibility to care for. We know and love our community cats. Our mission is to rescue our local community cats—our dream is that one day we won’t have to.

All our cats are special and we love them all. The LFFAC facility provides a safe place for abandoned, homeless, injured, and, abused cats in Longmont and surrounding communities. Some of our cats are abandoned pets found mixing in feral colonies (wild, untamed) cats, and were rescued by volunteers that feed and care the cats in those colonies.

Some of our cats were kittens born in the wild, then rescued, socialized and made healthy by our dedicated foster homes. Some were rescued from local cities and rural areas where they were trying to survive in the streets. Before they came to us, these cats had been discarded, abandoned, left to fend for themselves.

Regardless of whether cats are in homes or not, outdoor cats are the leading cause of cat overpopulation in communities and can pose a conservation threat to some species of the natural wildlife. In the best interest of cats’ health and welfare, it’s important people make the right decisions.

Managing cat populations by euthanasia is not working and should not be an option. Instead, we as a humane society need to focus on finding and implementing solutions that will work—ones that will serve the interests of all cats, wildlife, and communities alike. Shelters may consider reducing intake of healthy cats they cannot place into loving homes and can effectively use those freed-up funds to address cat overpopulation; whether that be through accessible spay/neuter programs; behavioral resources for people struggling with their owned cats; assistance with pet food, vaccines, and other services; or TNVR, and other non-lethal population control strategies.

It takes collaboration and a humane community to make change. Each community has different challenges, and there is no effective one-size-fits-all program to managing feral cats. Stakeholders must work together to create programs that address specific needs and maximize available resources in their community.

While the task ahead of us is complex, it is not impossible. Great efforts are already underway in a many cities, towns, and rural areas across the United States and the world. America’s favorite pet deserves to live a long, healthy, and humane life, and LFFAC is dedicated to making that a reality. They need and deserve our love and kindness for the rest of their lives.