Real Caregivers of New Jersey: Glenda from Jersey City

Glenda from Jersey City

Were you always a cat lover?

I love all animals but cats are definitely my favorite. I always wanted a cat when I was a little girl. Pets were not allowed where we lived so I wasn’t able to have one. I now have a cat named Khloe.

How did you get started being a colony caregiver?

I never really looked at it as being a colony caregiver. It was just something that I did. I probably got it from my mother, because I watched her for years feeding families who didn’t have food to eat. I was about 10 the first time I started feeding the birds. I would get up extra early just so I could feed them while my family was asleep. As I watched the birds eat from my window, it came to me that the other animals are hungry. From that day on I started feeding squirrels, stray dogs and cats. When I started having my own money, I would purchase dry food and keep it on me just in case I ran into them in passing.

How many cats do you take care of?  How many have been TNR’d?

I had 13 regular cats I feed dry and wet food twice a day. Onyx, Goldie, Twilight, Ancient Egypt, Ramsey, Coco, White Foot, Copper and CryBaby. Sneezy, Weezy and Lazy passed away.  Mama Grey a.k.a. Jackpot was adopted. I now have 9 regular cats.  There’s also other cats on my block that come to my house to eat sometimes…We are not supposed to feed the cats at work, but I still feed them. I don’t like anyone crying for food. It really breaks my heart.


What are the best and worst parts of taking care of your crew?

The best part is knowing they have food and a place safe to sleep. The worst part is when I don’t see one of them and I start worrying. A few hours later we look out the window and see them on the porch. They’re my babies.

How do your neighbors feel about the cats?

A few neighbors have a problem with my mom and I feeding the cats. They sometimes talk about us or  laugh and make jokes. We pay them no mind and continue feeding our cats. I don’t think they realize cats get hungry just like humans do.

How did you hear about CPAW?

My mother texted and asked me to call her. She told me a volunteer came by, because someone contacted her and said there was a sick cat in our neighborhood. The neighbors pointed her to our house because we feed the cats. She also told me our prayers has been answered, because she was going to help get our cats neutered.  That was one of our concerns because the cats kept having kittens so we had more cats to worry about.


 

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If you or someone you know is a Community Cat Caregiver in New Jersey and would like to be featured on our site, please email amandacpawnj@gmail.com.