Update 8/23:

Things are already looking up for the Candlewood Lake Cats, thanks to your generous support, the amazing help of volunteers, two great local vets, and media coverage.

Today (8/23), the Candelwood Lake cats and their compassionate caretaker, Linda Samuelson, made the front page story of the News Times.

To date, 21 adult feral cats have been spayed/neutered, vaccinated and returned to their colony; six kittens have been rescued and brought into our program where they await adoption, including a 3 1/2 week old orphaned kitten Linda found crying in the bushes. Special thanks to Mill Plain Veterinary Clinic & Animal Hospital and The Cat Clinic, both in Danbury, for doing all the exams, surgeries and vaccinations.

Our initial estimate on the number of feral cats in this colony was 25. However, now that we've started trapping, we believe the number is closer to 35-40 cats in the neighborhood. So we're going to keep on keepin' on, as they say.

Many thanks to all of you who contributed. We can’t do our work on behalf of the animals without you.

Original story:

Life on Candlewood Lake isn't all barbecues and water skiing for a group of more than 25 homeless feline lakeside residents, but this month The Animal Center is making the lives of this colony of stray and feral cats  who have made their homes by the lake a lot better.

Volunteers in our Feral Cat Assistance Program are working non-stop with local residents to humanely trap these cats to get them to local veterinary hospitals for vaccinations, routine vet care, deworming, adoptability assessments and—most importantly— spay/neuter to stop the endless cycle of breeding.

How did this colony start? No one knows exactly which abandoned cats started this lakeside colony, but we do know how it got so big so fast: on average female feral cats produce 1.5 litters per breeding season, with an average litter size of 4.1 kittens! As feral kittens suffer an estimated 75% death rate prior to six months of age, the prevention of additional unwanted kittens in this already overcrowded colony is a important contribution to feline welfare.

Caring residents want to help, but have grown discouraged after finding dying kittens, injured cats and an ever expanding number of felines, season after season. That's where we come in.

Our Feral Cat Assistance Program is providing trapping equipment and assistance as well as covering veterinary expenses to make sure that each and every cat is examined, neutered and vaccinated before release. Kittens and friendly adults will be adopted into good homes, while cats too wild for adoption will be returned to their territory. Lakeside residents have committed to providing food and shelter for the cats year round.

Your donations are making it possible for us to help colonies like the Candlewood Lake Gang this summer. Thank you so much for your continued support of our rescue and spay/neuter work.

Donations to help with the this rescue effort can be sent to The Animal Center, attn: Feral Cat Assistance Program, PO Box 475, Newtown, CT 06470. >>Click here to make a donation securely online via Paypal