Feral Feline Friends seeks help as it cares for Knoxville's fluffiest, scruffiest kitties

Seeking a fluffy new companion? Unsure of what to do about a feral cat living in your neighborhood? A Knoxville nonprofit specializes in solving kitty conundrums like these.

Feral Feline Friends of East Tennessee, which has operated for 20 years, is a volunteer-run organization committed to humanely reducing the local feral cat population.

Initially, the organization was much less structured, said adoption coordinator Susan Pasko.

What began as a group of women feeding, caring for and spaying and neutering Knoxville's feral cats grew as they realized many of the cats were adoptable, Pasko said. She often refers to the cats that Feral Feline Friends adopts out as "homeless" rather than feral.

"We’re the ones protecting them and making sure they have a future," Pasko said.

How does the process work?

Volunteers regularly check in on the feral cat colonies around the area, feeding them, combating overpopulation through TNR (trap, neuter, return) and providing medical care for sick or injured cats. Those needing special care or that are potentially adoptable are placed in foster homes.

"We don’t walk away just because it’s going to be expensive," Pasko said. "We’re all they have."

Feral Feline Friends is frequently contacted by the community with intake requests for feral cats and kittens in Knoxville and its surrounding areas. Right now, it's kitten season, Pasko says, which is one reason the organization's intake has been at a higher rate than usual.

Cats and kittens suitable for adoption are brought into one of Feral Feline Friends' 38 foster homes, where they are cared for until they find permanent homes, Pasko said. Feral Feline Friends doesn't have its own facility so the volunteers who foster the animals are essential.

The cats that are available for adoption have been spayed or neutered, microchipped, treated for fleas, ticks and ear mites, tested for feline leukemia and FIV and received rabies and FVRCP vaccines if the animal is old enough and weighs enough to be vaccinated..

A challenging season for Feral Feline Friends

The nonprofit has recently seen an increase in the number of intake requests, and all Feral Feline Friends foster homes are currently at or above capacity, Pasko said in a text to Knox News.

From June 3 to July 3, the Young-Williams Animal Center, which handles animal control for Knoxville and Knox County, operated under emergency-only intake status, though it did not close intake for cats. Pasko says Feral Feline Friends felt extra pressure during this time, also citing the pace of intake at shelters in neighboring counties.

The group aims to never turn away from a cat that needs help, though. "They’re all precious to us," Pasko said.

How can you help?

Feral Feline Friends cats can be adopted at the PetSmart on Morrell Road from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturdays and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Sundays, and at Scruffy's Cafe on North Broadway. Visitors to the cat café can book a session online or by walking in. Sessions cost $10.92 on weekdays and $13.11 on weekends, according to the website.

Feral Feline Friends can be contacted directly to help match adopters with pets.

Adoption fees are $125 for kittens and $100 for cats over a year old, according to the Feral Feline Friends website. Adopting two cats costs $200. The fees are the only source of funding for Feral Feline Friends, aside from grants and donations.

Pasko described a group of kittens recently trapped behind the Walmart on Walbrook Drive that are currently available for adoption. "One’s more adorable than the next," she said.

"They make wonderful family members, because we’ve given them all we have to give."

Feral Feline Friends also benefits greatly from donations, which it uses to cover medical care and supplies such as food and litter. In addition to donating or adopting, you can assist by carrying out TNR for feral cats in your area.

Feral Feline Friends recommends you do this by picking up a humane trap from Young-Williams, taking the cat to Young-Williams for a free or low-cost spay or neuter to be performed, and then returning the cat to the location it was originally seen.

Young-Williams asks that you call before picking up the trap and that you make an appointment with Spay/Neuter Solutions prior to trapping the animal, which helps to manage scheduling.

Pasko emphasized the importance of returning a feral cat to its territory, as the cat has learned how to survive in that specific area.

Hayden Dunbar is the storyteller reporter. Email [email protected].

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: It's kitten time in Tennessee, and Feral Feline Friends needs your help