Cat's Cradle

Cat's Cradle was founded in 1998 by Pat Rossi, a woman determined to provide no-kill alternatives for stray cats. Her idea was simple, but powerful. She worked with a few generous local veterinarians to provide sterilization and vaccines at a reduced price to anyone who had found a stray cat and was willing to keep it. It wasn't long before the org... anization found itself fostering some cats and kittens and finding homes for them. Word of a no-kill organization spread quickly, and people began flocking to Cat's Cradle when they had cats or batches of unwanted kittens they had to give up. While rescue and adoption were not the main focus, the organization responded to the need. Cat's Cradle volunteers became adept at rescuing neglected and abandoned cats and kittens, getting them the veterinary care they needed, and finding homes for them through outlets like PETCO and PETsMART, as well as through the Internet. Despite Cat's Cradle's considerable contribution in foster and adoption, just as many cats that could not find homes quickly were being put down in local shelters. Furthermore, colonies of free-roaming cats, most of which are feral and un-adoptable, were being put down en masse when merchants or citizens called Animal Control with complaints. Intake at our local shelters was increasing each year. In 2001, Cat's Cradle board members devoted two days to defining our vision for the Shenandoah Valley. We realized we needed to focus on spay/neuter and Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) efforts. It was the most effective way to address overpopulation, and no one else in the community was doing this. Cat's Cradle volunteers began trapping colonies of cats, working with cat colony caretakers, and caring for some colonies on an on-going basis themselves. Still, it wasn't enough. A program using local veterinarians did not furnish enough appointments to bring down the population of unwanted cats. A local high-volume spay/neuter solution was needed. While continuing to help the public directly, Cat's Cradle spearheaded the ...Read More