About us and what we do
My name is Brogan, and I am the self proclaimed “Tweed Cat Lady”.
I started Friends and Ferals in 2021 as sort of a “hobby” to try and help reduce the stray cats in my neighborhood. Since then, with the help of my community and other willing hands, I have been able to help over 325 cats and kittens.
My main goal for Friends and Ferals is focusing on TNR (Trap, Neuter, Release) services for the feral cats of Tweed and surrounding areas. I spay and neuter as many stray cats as possible and find homes for the ones that are adoptable.
I rely on donations to raise the money to fund spays/neuters, for food and other veterinary costs that come associated with running a rescue.
I will always continue to advocate for feral cats and do as much as I can to help the many felines in our community.
Friends and Ferals is always looking for fosters, adopters, and donations of ANY kind (not just monetary). Any and all support is greatly appreciated.
For any inquiries, or if you would like to make a donation, emails or e-transfers can be sent to friendsandferals@outlook.com
Stray vs Feral
One of the main focuses of Friends and Ferals is controlling the stay and feral cat population.
For those that don’t know the difference between a stray and feral cat; a stray cat is a cat that likely had a home at one point, or has had fairly frequent human interaction during its life. A stray cat may appear feral at first, being very scared and maybe even a little aggressive, but within a day or so they come around. They can easily be “tamed” and are happy to be indoors and in human contact.
A feral cat is one that will typically never be “tamed”. Chances are they were born outdoors, likely from another feral cat, and are not used to human interaction. Sadly these cats, no matter how much you try to love them, just aren’t meant to be indoors. They only know life outside, and forcing them to stay inside against their will, is just cruel.
This is where TNR comes in.
What is TNR?
TNR is the acronym for Trap, Neuter, Release. At Friends and Ferals, we are huge supporters of TNR and in the new year will be looking to focus more of our efforts doing TNR projects.
TNR is done with the one main goal in mind; controlling the cat population and reducing the suffering of unwanted/unowned kittens.
Live traps are set, the cat(s) are trapped, covered for the night, and typically taken into the vet the following day for spay/neuter. We treat any wounds or parasites necessary, as well as SNAP test for FIV/FELV so as not to spread to other stray/colony cats. We allow time for the cats to heal from their surgeries and once they’ve had enough time to heal, they are released back to the location in which they were trapped. *We only release cats back to their trapped location if we know they have proper shelter and someone who provides consistent food and water. If the location is not ideal for releasing, we do our best to find a relocation option (which is not an easy process).
Ear Tipping
Another thing we do for our feral cats is ear tipping. Although it sounds mean (we promise it’s not), while they are being fixed, a good portion of the tip of their ear is clipped off and cauterized. This is a clear sign to anyone in the cat community- this cat has been fixed. Otherwise, we’d be retrapping the same cats over and over just to find out they’re already fixed.
We are dedicated to spreading awareness about the feral and stray cat issue that is very quickly becoming out of control in our communities. Stay tuned in the new year as we are hoping to hold a class or workshop to try to encourage others to get involved!
Friends and Ferals Cat Rescue 