UPDATE: Anonymous Donor Finances Care for Feral Cat Colony

UPDATED (4 p.m.)—An anonymous donor decided to finance the spaying and neutering of all the animals at the feral cat colony. 

Local cat lover Jennifer Carr volunteered to trap the animals and after reading the article on Edgewater-Davidsonville Patch, the anonymous donor contacted Carr to finance the effort with Cats “R” Us.

"She contacted me through the article and offered to pay to have them spayed and neutered," Carr said. “All the puzzle pieces came together." 

Cats “R” Us trapped three of the animals Sunday night along with the help of local man who was feeding them for awhile, Carr said.

In March while taking photos of a beautiful sunset over the South River by the , I heard a rustling in the brush followed by the faint sound of a “meow.”

At first, I thought I was hearing things, but I learned that I had just stumbled upon a cat colony of about 10 felines. Several tin foil plates were scattered around the area, evidence that someone probably was feeding the animals.

The cat colony was new to me, but after speaking with local cat enthusiasts and a nearby businessman, I learned that the cats have lived in that spot for years.

“We see them all the time,” said Quentin Ryan, a manager at .

Ray Wills, the cofounder of Cats “R” Us, a feral cat rescue organization in Anne Arundel County, said he’s quite familiar with that specific group of cats.

“We’ve had people tell us about them before,” Wills said. “That’s a long-standing colony there. They’ve probably been there several years.”

Usually when people discover cat colonies, they can either pay for the animals to be trapped, spayed and neutered if they don’t want to do it themselves, Wills said. But sometimes, people don’t always take the time, or donate the money to help ensure the cat population stays under control.

“It’s unbelievable how many cats are out there,” said Carr, a local cat enthusiast and environmental advocate. “It’s kitten season during this time of year, too.”

Carr said she’s worked specifically with the cat colony by the and and that she’s personally trapped, spayed and neutered some of the cats there.

“I was able to trap, spay and neuter the mother of the litter. She had already had two litters,” Carr said.

Sue Beatty, executive director of the SPCA of Anne Arundel County, said the trap/spay/neuter process is completely humane and ensures that animals are cared for properly.

Carr said she wasn’t sure if people are feeding the cats, but said she’s willing to take care of feral cats, if and when local citizens find colonies in the area.

“If someone is willing to pay for the cat to be spayed, I’ll take care of the finding and trapping them,” Carr said.

If you find a feral cat and are willing to pay to have it spayed and neutered, Carr said to contact her at her email address of jnc5000@gmail.com.