This article was featured in WYDaily on 7/19/24
Pesky mice, moles, voles, rats, insects and more don’t stand a chance against a calculating feline. Discover what local breweries, wineries, warehouses, farms and other businesses already know — how a special group of Career Cats at The Heritage Humane Society have quite the legacy of being Mother Nature’s most cost-effective pest controllers.
What is a Career Cat?
Most people have heard of a barn cat. Often they come with stories of a stray cat looking for shelter, a lone male or even a pregnant mother who has her litter there and who ends up living there. Eventually, they stick around and the barn ends up being the closest to an indoor home they are comfortable having, free of confines.
A Career Cat is also an outdoor feline who feels unsuited for indoor living. The cats in The Heritage Humane Society’s Career Cat Program are often unsocialized, having not learned at a young age that humans can be their friends. As a result, they tend to be shy and fearful around people.
The gift of a Career Cat
While nervous around humans, Career Cats have a lot to offer. Instead of endless head scratches or catnip-tinged toys, Career Cats prefer “working” as nature’s pest exterminators. They are most comfortable being on the prowl for pests. For businesses, such cats can protect their facilities and supplies from costly destruction. Vermin can wreak havoc on structural items such as walls, insulation, plumbing and electrical wiring, on supplies including food and textiles, along with landscaping, gardens and crops. This also protects businesses from disease and contamination that can result from pests.
In exchange for a second chance at life and the fulfillment of getting to “work,” Career Cats are free to adopt at The Heritage Humane Society. They simply ask for shelter from the elements, fresh water and food, and veterinary care.
Meet the current workforce
Every year The Heritage Humane Society adopts out many of these workers to area businesses and even residences. There are currently twelve Career Cats available for adoption. Just like all of the adoptable pets at the shelter, each has been spayed or neutered, received basic feline vaccines, had FIV and feline leukemia testing, is microchipped and received initial flea and tick prevention. Unlike most other shelter pets, Career Cats are also ear tipped, which lets people know they have been spayed or neutered.
Career Cats currently available for adoption include Tapatio, Creamsicle, Lady Grey, Boo, Barcode, Anderson, Twix, Alex Frank, Hissin, Pino, Stoney and Will Feral.
Like everyone, they each have their own story
Beyond their Career Cat image of being round-the-clock mousers who often shy away from people, every Career Cat also has their own story. Such is the case of Will Feral.
Lisa LaLonde, Will Feral’s finder, shared that the kitty had been living in the area around her family’s house for about three years, gradually becoming more social over the past six to seven months. He started as a frightened stray in their neighborhood. Over time, with consistent feeding and many patient interactions, Will began to trust the family, eventually allowing them to pet him and even interacting with their dog, Chaz. The family recently had to move and due to allergies, they had to make the heartbreaking decision to not take Will with them. The persistent fella even found his way into pictures of their home that were taken for house listing. Although they had to leave Will, they miss him and realize he became an integral part of their daily lives.
The LaLonde family brought Will to the HHS shelter, where he now resides in the Cat Colony room, hoping to find a home where he can be an indoor/outdoor cat. Despite living outside all his life, he has slowly become more comfortable around people and approaches them at the shelter. One of Will’s biggest supporters is the current HHS Auxiliary President, Deborah Jane Wells, who visits him regularly as he awaits his new chapter as a Career Cat.
Adopt a Career Cat or any of the many other shelter pets
Nearly 250 dogs, cats and small pets are currently in their care. Adoptable pets are available to meet during The Heritage Humane Society’s visiting and adopting hours from 12 to 4:30 p.m., Tues. through Sun.
To learn more, visit HeritageHumane.org, call 757-221-0150, or visit The Heritage Humane Society located at 430 Waller Mill Road, Williamsburg, VA 23185.
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