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Shelter a lifeline for homeless cats
Cindy Ingram, founder of Casey’s House—a shelter for stray cats—estimates that there are at least 3,000 to 4,000 homeless cats in Clarke and Loudoun counties.Looking back to the founding of Casey’s House in 2006, Ingram said, “I thought I was going to take care of this problem by providing these cats with a place to go, but I quickly realized I would need a place the size of Virginia.”
Ingram—who ironically is allergic to cats—said she was first motivated to provide for strays when her neighbor, an owner to 40 cats, lost her home and was unable to care for the animals. Ingram already owned two cats of her own at the time, but was able to adopt eight from her neighbor.
Today, Ingram cares for over 100 cats between Casey’s House—a large house-like shelter—her home, and four outdoor colonies. She also facilitates kitten adoptions and regularly brings strays to nearby clinics for neuter/spay services.
“The goal of Casey’s House is to end the overpopulation of outdoor cats,” said Ingram. “I would love to put us out of business.”
To reduce overpopulation, Ingram and her volunteers use the TNR tactic—trap, neuter, and return. At least twice a month, they bring strays to nearby clinics where the animals are spayed or neutered. These feral, or wild, cats are then released.
Richard Royer, a resident of Berryville and volunteer at Casey’s House, believes the TNR tactic has been successful. “They [cats] multiple so rapidly,” he said. “If they’re not fixed, it’s a continuing problem. Now that they’re fixed, they won’t be reproducing [in the wild].”
The TNR tactic also reduces cat interbreeding, which Ingram believes to be a significant problem. “With interbreeding you start having abnormalities,” she said. “I lost a previous kitten [that had been interbred] and her front legs had no paws, just a single claw. [Although] the kitten could get anywhere the other kittens could, she became the victim of a virus because she was interbred and wasn’t able to fight off the virus.”
While Casey’s House is currently at full capacity, Ingram encourages locals to contact her about finding homes for strays, adopting a cat, or obtaining neutering or spaying services. Casey’s House also welcomes volunteers.
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