[Vision2020] Breaking the cycle one adoption at a time

[Moscow Cares]

Courtesy of today’s (December 5, 2017) Moscow-Pullman Daily News with a high-five to Peg Hamlett.

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Breaking the cycle one adoption at a time
Through her nonprofit, Moscow woman rehabilitates feral cats

Peg Hamlett has always loved animals.

As director of fitness and wellness at the University of Idaho, Hamlett interacts with students, faculty and staff rather than cats and dogs, but she said helping animals in need has played a part in her personal wellness.

"You cannot be your physical best if you're not balanced in your life," Hamlett said. "Giving back to the community does balance your life, and also having a pet is stress reduction - at least for me."

To give back, Hamlett started to provide food and shelter for feral cat colonies living on the UI campus and in the Moscow area. She said she saw there was a need in the community even before the UI's campus veterinarian euthanized seven stray cats in 2016.

"I just started doing stuff on my own, and then I realized it was bigger than just what I could do on my own," Hamlett said. "There's several colonies on campus, and there's several colonies that are just out in the apartments, around where all the students live."

That's when she decided to found a nonprofit, Animal House Ferals, which gained recognition in January.

"I wound up connecting with other people who were doing the same thing," Hamlett said. "They were out feeding the cat colonies in town and trying to build shelters for some of the animals."

Hamlett said caring for feral cats - providing shelters and food, and spaying and neutering them - is more cost-effective than other methods.

"Having a university community, we are probably always going to have a feral cat problem," she said. "Oftentimes, young people move away, they leave cats, the cats get left outside or they run away or get lost, and so we always have cats that are being left behind."

By making sure the cats are healthy and sterilized, it prevents disease from spreading and more litters of kittens from being born, Hamlett said. It also allows volunteers to identify whether a cat is truly feral or if it can be adopted.

"Some of the ferals we can actually rehabilitate, and they become pets again," Hamlett said. "There are other ones that wind up being the second generation, maybe their mother was a pet of somebody who lived on campus, and they got abandoned, and now there's been a litter of kittens. If we can get them spayed and neutered, that problem doesn't continue."

At Animal House Ferals, Hamlett said there are plenty of opportunities for interested people to donate their time, money or food to help out. Currently, Hamlett said they are working on rehabbing a camper to house some of the litters of kittens they've rescued, and they also accept totes and blankets to help build shelters.

Hamlett said the best thing pet owners can do to benefit the feral cat colonies during the winter time is prevent the cycle from repeating by taking care of their own cats.

"It's just reminding people that if they have cats, it's so important to get them spayed and neutered, and to keep them inside and keep them warm," Hamlett said.

Hamlett said it also helps if community members contact AHF through its Facebook page or website to report lost or abandoned animals. Unlike other shelters, AHF accepts donations instead of traditional adoption fees for the rehabilitated cats, though it still screens adopters.

"We want to make sure the cats go to the right people," Hamlett said.

Despite the headaches of caring for a community of feral cats, Hamlett said the unique bond humans share with animals makes the struggle to rehabilitate them worth it.

"I have a dog and a pile of cats, and there's something about that unconditional love, where no matter what's happened, your animal is happy to see you," Hamlett said.

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Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .

"Moscow Cares" (the most fun you can have with your pants on)
http://www.MoscowCares.com
  
Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho
  
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