In the early hours of the morning, Mindi White carries out her daily ritual of stopping by downtown before heading to work, ensuring that a feral cat named Theo is fed.
“Just because they’re feral doesn’t mean they don’t deserve to be taken care of,” she asserts, reflecting on her four-year commitment as a member of the group T-Town TNR.
T-Town TNR, entirely composed of volunteers like Samantha Polen, who founded the organization in 2011, is making a profound impact on Tulsa’s stray cat population.
“A lot of times people go, ‘Well I don’t know who’s feeding it, it’s starving.’ You may not know who’s feeding it but they know where they’re eating,” Polen explains, emphasizing the importance of their efforts.
Feeding cats is merely one aspect of their comprehensive approach. Kelly Hines, another dedicated volunteer, frequently engages in trapping operations to ensure that stray cats are spayed or neutered.
“How many cats have you caught over your cat catching career?” she’s asked. “Over 3,000,” she proudly replies.
The trapping, neutering, vaccinating, and returning process is pivotal in reducing Tulsa’s stray cat population, with remarkable results noted since 2014.
“The number of incoming stray adult cats has been reduced by 67% I think since 2014,” Polen states, highlighting the tangible impact of their work.
With the recent milestone of their 10,000th cat processed through the program, the volunteers express their sense of fulfillment in being part of a solution that positively impacts their city.
“It’s an insane number of cats,” Polen remarks with a laugh, acknowledging the significance of their collective efforts.
For these compassionate volunteers, it’s not just about controlling the stray cat population; it’s about ensuring that these animals are cared for and provided with the support they need to thrive in their environment.
“Like they’re completely taken care of, they’re just living out here which is all they know,” White observes, reflecting on the importance of their mission.
As T-Town TNR continues to make strides in their efforts, they welcome others to join them in their mission to compassionately address Tulsa’s stray cat population.
