New Jersey's ‘Catman’ Is A Single Dad Changing The World

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Maybe it’s a slight misnomer to identify 39-year-old Newark resident Jerry Spilatro as the city’s “Catman.” After all, he’s also spearheaded adoption efforts for local dogs and can frequently be seen around the city walking his canine companions.

But for the past three years, the single father has contributed to his community in a unique, inspirational way: helping to trap, rehabilitate and adopt out dozens of homeless felines in New Jersey’s largest city.

Spilatro, a father of two teenage sons who currently works for Amtrak as a material control supervisor, is used to hard work. Until recently, he burned the candle at both ends, working 40 hours a week at Kmart and another 16 hours at the Field Station: Dinosaurs location in Leonia, in addition to seasonal employment opening and closing swimming pools.

But the task of trying to trap, rehabilitate and adopt feral cats in Newark is an entirely different challenge, he told Patch in a recent interview.

CATS, CARS AND CARING

Like many inspirational tales, Spilatro’s has roots in the tragic. He told Patch that his grassroots rescue operation began when he moved to his current apartment in Newark three years ago.

“I saw cats getting hit by cars on my street,” Spilatro sadly recalled. “After burying three, I knew I had to do something.”

He got his first experience with animal rescue when he came across three homeless adult cats and about 18 young cats/kittens.

“I was clueless and did what most people do and turned to Facebook rescue groups, asking for help,” Spilatro said. “But after several no-shows, I realized I was going to be the one that had to fix this problem.”

It wasn’t something that came easy.

“My first attempt at trapping went horribly, and I was scratched and bitten by the oldest of the cats,” Spilatro recalled.

It took some hard work and on-the-fly learning, but over the course of that first summer, Spilatro was able to catch each cat and kitten, have them vetted and adopt them into homes … all except the oldest.

“I felt she needed to be relocated to a farm since she would have been all alone,” Spilatro said.

Spilatro said that – dozens of successful adoptions later — he still experiences the same sort of pride each time a cat he rescues finds a forever home.

“One of the things I love is getting updates from the adopters,” he told Patch. “Most of the cats that I take in need some sort of rehabilitation since they lived outside most of their life. I find it very rewarding to see their transformation from scared and aggressive to a friendly, loving and trusting animal.”

PAY IT FORWARD

Spilatro said that for now, he’s intentionally keeping his rescue efforts small-scale.

“I try to limit my numbers of how many cats I work with at one time to three or four,” he explained. “This is very important so each cat gets the right amount of care and attention. It’s also very important so there isn't any spreading of disease or parasites.”

But that doesn’t mean Spilatro doesn’t feel bad when he comes across an animal he can’t help.

“One of the hardest things that I've come across is turning down an animal in need, but I set limits and try to stick with them,” he said.

Spilatro has set up a YouCaring online fundraiser to help defray vetting costs such as spaying and neutering, which can be seen by clicking here.

But money isn’t the only way that people can help. Animal lovers who hear his story and want to help have only to open their eyes to the opportunities to do good that are right in front of them, Spilatro told Patch.

For example, people can look into fostering and adopting from a local shelter, he suggested.

“If you can’t foster or adopt, volunteer,” Spilatro said. “If you can’t volunteer, donate. If you can’t donate, share a Facebook post of an animal in need. Any little bit helps.”

Send local news tips, photos and press releases to eric.kiefer@patch.com

Photos: Jerry Spilatro