Make a difference in the lives of homeless cats!

AGAWAM, Mass. (Mass Appeal) - The weather is getting cold but it's even colder for our feline friends who don't have a place to call home.

Agawam Friends of Homeless Cats is more of a calling than a concept, but the idea is to not only see to it that homeless cats in and around the Agawam area are fed, spayed, or given homes where possible - but also that the idea spreads to other localities and towns where we all do our part to make sure these animals aren't suffering needlessly.

In too many cases, people abandon their adult and young cats simply because they don't want to, or can't, take care of them. Instead of reaching out to a shelter, or trying to find homes, these people simply walk away from the responsibility, assuming that the animals can "take care of themselves."

The reality is much the opposite, and very sad to see. These animals have no shelter but what they can find on the streets, in alleys, dumps, abandoned places that are dirty or dangerous. If they are lucky, the places they find will be warm in winter, and cool in summer. However, many die from exposure and illness.

Since cats are very good at hiding, are generally cautious of humans, the true extent of the feral and abandoned homeless cat population is not known, but can be guessed that the numbers are astonishing. Statistically, one female cat can produce multitudes of kittens in a relatively short period of time, and each of those cats will grow and multiply exponentially if nothing is done about it.

And the more people who don't bother to neuter or spay their cats are only adding to this problem. Their cats impregnate others, or have litters of kittens that will only find permanent homes if they are lucky - or if their humans don't toss them out the door, as very sadly, does happen a lot more often than most of us would like to believe.

It's not simply just rescuing a cat from a shelter that helps solve the problem. Much more can be done, and so many volunteers are needed in order to keep up with the ever increasing population of strays.