Imagine a storefront garden on a side street in downtown
Feral cats are cats that are either born into the wild or were once pets, but have been living in the wild for a long period of time. NCR traps and neuters these cats, tests for feline immunodeficiency virus and leukemia, vaccinates against rabies and ear notches for identification purposes. They are then returned to where they were trapped. This is called a “trap-neuter-vaccinate-return” program, and it is designed to decrease the population of feral cats on the
Although the “Claire Murray Cats” are adults and do not necessarily live in the wild, the store’s manager was concerned that they would multiply or possibly harm a customer. Could they be moved? Not likely. Typically, feral cats will return to a consistent food source (employees of an adjacent restaurant had been feeding these cats); consequently, even if they were relocated, chances were good that they would find their way back. So after the cats were tested, altered, vaccinated, and notched, NCR staff returned them to the shop’s front yard.
Today, the “Claire Murray Cats” are very popular and add to the culture of Nantucket; a local newspaper has featured their story; a six-year-old summer resident raised $500 to build them a feeding station and many visitors come to the store just to see (and photograph) the cats. This is one store “return” that has paid off for everyone!
