Once upon a time (2002), in a large apartment complex on the South Shore of
Long Island, a small group of dedicated residents came together and used
their own funds to conduct Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) for the community or
“feral” cats who lived there. And there were many! Then, this group noticed
that the public housing complex next door had community cats too. So, they
did the same there. Out of this, Kindness for Kitties was born in
2004.
Always a small operation, we like to think we’ve made a difference in our
little corner of the world. Over the years, we’ve had over 100 adoptions, TNR’d 325+ cats, managed several colonies, hosted three free spay/neuter
clinics, advocated on behalf of community cats and educated many people.
But, one by one, the few volunteers who held us together moved away or
burned out. Something else happened too. Call it a revelation…it went
something like this:
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“Tell me and I will forget.
Show me and I will remember.
Involve me and I will understand.
Step back and I will act.” |
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Okay, it may not be original, but it’s true! We can reach so many more cats
if we teach and support TNR rather than if we always do the actual trapping
ourselves. And, the good news is that TNR is not hard. It just requires
knowledge of some basic guidelines and a humane trap. But, more than
anything else, it requires some patience and some time. Check out the
Trap-Neuter-Return” tab for step-by-step instructions and then ask us your
questions.
We do not maintain a physical shelter and are not able to provide assistance
with placing cats or kittens. If you are interested in being a foster home
which will allow us to rescue and socialize kittens born in feral colonies,
please click on "Volunteer".
Kindness for Kitties is an independent project of
PeaceSmiths,Inc., a nonprofit, tax-exempt, registered 501(c)3 organization
focused on community activism and social change based in Long Island, New
York and founded in 1972.