DJ Q&A

TED: On July 1, 2014, my indoor cat, Sammy, decided to go exploring when he got out on the back deck, and I never saw him again. I’d walk around the neighborhood at night, calling for him, and discovered there are many cats roaming at night, just trying, often unsuccessfully, to find food, water and shelter. They really are grateful for some humane help.

AMY: Starting at age 18, I’ve always been involved with some sort of animal volunteer program, including kitten programs and fostering through San Francisco Humane Society and Peninsula Humane Society. There is something about helping animals that fulfills my soul.

DJ: How many of the types of cats you help ... community, feral, left-behind, lost … are there in the mid-Peninsula?

TED: There are a variety of cats roaming the streets, some feral and some domesticated, most just trying to survive day-to-day. Other terms include Street Cats and Homeless Cats. No single term describes the multitude of cats and their unique stories. I estimate there are about two homeless cats (excluding people’s outdoor cats not missing) per block. On some blocks, it is not uncommon to see a half dozen homeless cats. In total, just along the mid-Peninsula, there must be several thousand homeless cats.

DJ: What does your organization, thelostcats.org, do?

AMY: My position in our little nonprofit has me helping people dealing with different cat situations, whereas Ted deals with the colonies. People contact me for all kinds of help. A man took in four hoarding cat victims and was in over his head, one lady’s cat started attacking her and her infant out of nowhere, one woman had a stray cat coming into her house (he is currently at my vet) and the list goes on. I’ve met so many people and cats, through Nextdoor mostly, and it’s been wonderful!

TED: We feed and provide water for several dozen cats nightly on the streets of North San Mateo. There used to be up to 60 cats in the same feeding areas a few years ago, but we’ve trapped virtually all of them (except for a few newcomers), and had them fixed, vaccinated, blood tested and microchipped. Most are returned to where they were trapped, except for those adoptable as indoor cats or those in an unsafe location, threatened by mean people, fast cars or predators. In the latter cases, we seek a caretaker to adopt them as an outdoor cat. We also look for local domesticated cats reported missing.

DJ:  Do you have animals living with you?

AMY: I have four cats and a dog who probably believes she’s a cat. Plus, a foster kitten, and usually a cat or two out in the custom made catios. They all have stories and, most importantly, they all get along. The different personalities crack me up. I love them. Even the stinky ones recovering from the “fixing.” I think of all of them as little love beams.

TED: I have three indoor cats and two back deck cats. Two were to be euthanized because the shelter deemed them unadoptable, one was a street cat in an area where several cats were poisoned to death, one had not been adopted after being available for a year, and the other one I adopted from PHS because we bonded at first sight.

DJ: What organizations assist your group?

TED: Peninsula Humane Society and Nine Lives have helped with spay/neuter services and medical issues. Homeless Cat Network has helped with trapping and financial support.

AMY: I recently had to email a friend and director of the kitten program at PHS due to a very pregnant feral cat that was refusing to enter our trap. PHS is great, and always ready to help when needed.

DJ: What can people do to help?

AMY: We need trappers and feeders at the moment. Donations are coming in and, most importantly, cats are getting adopted, fixed and taken to vet appointments. If you’d like to help but don’t have time, we welcome donations. Our animals in our neighborhoods and communities really, really need us.

TED:  Please visit thelostcats.org to help with feeding, trapping, and fostering, and we also have a donation page. We’ve been supported by countless generous local cat-loving people!

 This interview has been edited because of space considerations.

Susan Cohn is a member of the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle and the American Theatre Critics Association. She may be reached at susan@smdailyjournal.com.