Adoptable cats will be available for those wishing to adopt a four-legged friend on May 14 at Modern Pet in the Bay Terrace mall. (Photo courtesy of Meowsquadnyc.org)
MeowSquad NYCa non-profit organization dedicated to rescuing cats and putting them up for adoption, will host an adoption event on May 14 at modern pet in the Bay Terrace Mall. Established in 2019, MeowSquad NYC aims to reduce the city’s feral and stray cat population through the use of trap-neuter-return (TNR) techniques and working with the community to find homes for them.
TNR involves entire colonies of community cats who are too shy and fearful that people will be suitable for adoption. They are trapped, sterilized, vaccinated, preformed and returned to their home territory. It stops breeding and many troublesome behaviors associated with unneutered cats, such as meowing, fighting, and marking territory. The management of the colony is also taken into account to ensure the well-being of the cats and their peaceful coexistence with the rest of the community. This also helps to avoid overcrowding in the city.
According to Diana Alvarez, event organizer and MeowSquad NYC volunteer, this will be the organization’s third adoption event of 2022 and Modern Pet’s first since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020. In addition to trying to find homes for these cats, Alvarez hopes to also bring attention and awareness to the organization’s cause.
“We’ve rescued and helped cats throughout the pandemic,” Alvarez said. “We helped 300-500 cats in 2021 and currently have over 120.”
The organization’s volunteers also act as foster parents for the cats they rescue. Alvarez, who credits the cat’s adoptive parents with being a life force for MeowSquad NYC, is currently supervising 20 cats herself at her home. MeowSquad NYC hopes to eventually raise enough funds to acquire holding spaces for the cats, where potential adopters can meet them. It would also provide more space for cats.
Since the arrival of the pandemic, meetings between potential adopters and the cats they are interested in are virtual rather than physical. Alvarez notes that they cannot arrange meetings at foster homes due to health issues for both parties.
“These adoption events provide the opportunity for people interested in adoption to physically interact with cats, which is really important right now,” Alvarez said. “Later, we hope to have a truck for an adoption event that can accommodate up to 20 cats.”
