How to Help a Feral Cat

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA HAS BECOME A SAFE HAVEN FOR FERAL CATS. THE ANIMAL ADVOCACY GROUP FOR THE LOVE OF CATS ESTIMATES 50,000 FREE-ROAMING AND FERAL CATS LIVE IN COLLIER COUNTY ALONE. YOU MIGHT WANT TO STEP IN AND HELP IF YOU SEE IT, KITTY, IN DISTRESS. BUT AS WGCUS CULTURE AND CONNECTIONS. REPORTER ELIZABETH ANDARGE REPORTS THAT MAY NOT BE WHAT'S BEST FOR THE KITTEN. >> AND VOLUNTEERS AND PET OWNERS PACK NORTH COLLIER REGIONAL PARK FOR A CRASH COURSE IN KEEPING KIDS ALIVE. PATTY BAKER, HUMANE SOCIETY, NAPLES AND COLLIER. DOMESTIC ANIMAL SERVICES BROUGHT IN HANNAH SHAW KNOWN TO MILLIONS ONLINE AS PEOPLE CALL ME THE KITTEN LADY TO TEACH TO HANDS-ON WORKSHOPS BECAUSE I WORK WITH NEONATAL KITTENS AND >> THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I STARTED DOING 17 YEARS AGO WHEN I FOUND MY FIRST KITTEN IN A TREE, I HAD NO IDEA HOW VULNERABLE KITTENS WERE IN SHELTERS AT THAT TIME. AND SO I SCOOPED HER UP. I AT FOSTERED HER AND ULTIMATELY I ENDED UP BEGINNING TO HELP A LOT OF KITTENS IN MY COMMUNITY. SHE IS NOT MOST MOST PEOPLE BEING RELEASED JUST SAYS. >> THE ONUS KITTENS FACED THE STEEPEST ODDS. >> AND NOT WAS A TARGET OF SATURDAY'S TRAINING. WHAT WE SEE IS THAT KIDS WHO ARE 8 WEEKS AND OLDER ARE 5 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO SURVIVE IN A SHELTER THAN THOSE WHO ARE UNDER 8 WEEKS. SO IT'S REALLY ABOUT 0 TO 8 WEEK POPULATION THAT WE NEED HELP WITH. >> MANY SO ALWAYS UNDERBELLY. PEOPLE HAVE JUST PROBABLY DIDN'T DO THE WORK. SHE'S A GIRL. AND ALL I DO IS FULLY IN SO. >> THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY IS TRAINING PEOPLE HOW TO BOTTLE FEED THESE KITTENS, HOW TO GET INVOLVED IN FOSTERING AND HOW TO GET INVOLVED AND STERILIZING COMMUNITY CAT. SO WE JUST HAVE FEWER OF THEM ENTERING SHELTERS TO BEGIN WITH. >> SO WHAT DO YOU ACTUALLY DO IF YOU FIND A KITTEN ALONE OUTSIDE LOOKING AT THEIR AGE, LOOKING AT THEIR CONDITION? >> AND THEN ASKING YOURSELF IS THE SITUATION THEY'RE IN SAFE OR AT AN UNSAFE SITUATION. WHAT WE WANT TO AVOID IS SCOOPING UP KITTENS THAT DO HAVE A MOM AND BRINGING THEM TO THE LOCAL SHELTER BECAUSE UNFORTUNATELY, KITCHENS AND SHELTERS SOMETIMES DON'T HAVE THE BEST OUTCOMES THAT THE MORRIS CEO OF PATTY BAKER, HUMANE SOCIETY, NAPLES SAYS. >> THE TIMING WAS NO ACCIDENT. SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. >> KITTEN SEASON REALLY DOESN'T END HERE. BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN THE HEIGHT OF KITTEN SEASON. WE ARE SEEING HUNDREDS OF KITTENS COMING INTO OUR SHELTERS EVERY DAY THAT NEED ADDITIONAL SUPPORT BEFORE THEY CAN BE MADE AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION. >> MORE TRN FOSTERS AND VOLUNTEERS NOW MEANS FEWER CANS IN CRISIS LEADER FOR WGCU NEWS