Feral and abandoned cats prowl the streets of New York City in the tens of thousands. Because the City can’t handle this problem, hundreds of dedicated, volunteer rescuers have come to their aid. Our film focuses on four of them in the borough of Brooklyn.
With thousands of stray cats multiplying at an astronomical rate in New York City, five selfless individuals take on the issue of rescuing and neutering them all throughout Brooklyn, dramatically reducing the population over time. Since the government has yet to address the issue, providing solid funding for rescue organizations, the volunteers spend their own money on traps, vet bills, medication and food for the animals. Some of the rescuers reported spending over $500 monthly on supplies needed to rescue the animals without help from any outside resources.
The majority of the animals were abandoned by their owners due to many reasons, like not enough apartment space or being able to afford them any longer. Because the animals were never spayed or neutered, they continue to mate, having tons of litters every year that will be out on the streets. Many areas like Borough Park, Kensington, Bedstuy, Canarsie and Sunset Park are just some of the areas that have been reported to have an intense population of strays living wherever they can; abandoned buildings, backyards, basements but because of a lot of construction with newer buildings, many of the cats will eventually have nowhere to live. Sadly, many of the animals brought into rescue sites are put asleep due to deteriorating health and no one being able to afford the vet bill.
The dedication and time it takes to rescue animals are mind-blowing. Some of the people have been volunteering their time for over nine years, interfering with their family and social life, which most don’t seem to have. They stalk cats for years in several neighborhoods, getting to know which female is reproducing and who she is mating with. Waking up as early as 4 am to feed and trap them to be spayed to housing up to 30 indoors waiting for someone to adopt them, their passion is simply undeniable.
As a cat lover I absolutely loved this documentary, it is informative and displays so much compassion for animals by people who actually take action to solve the problem. I never knew there was such a grave issue with strays around the city and it’s so difficult to believe that in the U.S. there are 40 million abandoned and feral cats in the streets with only 2% neutered. Now educated and inspired, I am definitely going to find a way to help out. For more information on how you can contribute please visit www.catrescuersfilm.com.
Available to stream on most major platforms October 15th
