It appears that the cats featured in the March 8th issue of the Ellenville Journal are friendly, healthy, and now in the process of being taken to the Ulster County SPCA's neutering/vaccination clinic in Kingston by Susan Clarke, local animal lover and cat rescuer.

"It seems that when the Homowack was closed the cats were left behind by the employees," says Clarke speaking of the cats shown in the issue's back page spread. "For the past 6 months the group of cats was being fed by a woman who lives nearby," she continued.

Since last fall the cats, twenty-seven in all, have been living on their own in what was once the staff housing units at the Homowack Hotel in Spring Glen. Having been regularly fed helped the cats make it through the winter and some have even put on weight, says Clarke.

Susan first heard about the group of felines from a friend who saw them gathered at the abandoned hotel. She then called Susan, desperate for help. "When I got a call from my friend asking for help I went over to the hotel to see them. I trapped several that day and took them to the clinic." So far Susan has trapped ten of the twenty-seven cats and will continue making trips back and forth until she has caught them all.

Susan, who has been trapping, rescuing, and finding homes for stray and feral cats for the past five years says that this particular group is special. "This is not the typical group of cats I normally find. These animals are not feral but friendly and healthy. They will come right up to you and start purring," says Clarke. Several of the cats are now in foster homes and Susan hopes that the cats will be adopted into loving homes. When caught, each cat is brought to the Kingston SPCA clinic, by Susan, where they are tested for FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus), neutered, and vaccinated. The Kingston shelter is no-kill, meaning that the cats will stay there until they are adopted into a home. The clinic is both low cost and open to the public. "The clinic is absolutely wonderful," says Susan. "They are the reason why I am able to do this," she added.

Clarke describes her work with animals as being "very rewarding." She and her good friend, Carolyn Peters-Baker, began capturing feral cats in the Cragsmoor area and taking them to the Kingston clinic once a week. Eventually they began getting calls about groups of feral cats in the Village of Ellenville and it has snowballed from there.

"I usually get one call a day from someone who has a group of cats nearby that they have been feeding and need to be helped," she says. Susan estimates that she has neutered more than 1,300 cats over the years. "A female cat has three litters a year. This can quickly add up to many cats," she mentions.

Susan, who owns her own business, uses a portion of the money she makes from sales to support this cause. She usually pays the clinic fees out-of-pocket, though on occasion she will receive donations. Although there is no end in sight Susan will continue to trap, neuter, and find homes for feral cats. She feels that already she has made a difference in helping to control the cat population in the Ellenville area.

To contact the Kingston SPCA or to make a donation call: (845) 331-5377 ext. 16.

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