Documenting the World of Feral Cats: New Rockland Group Fundraises for Filmmakers

A new documentary on feral cat colonies and the people who try to manage them through Trap-Neuter-Return work will be getting some support Saturday in New City from a new group formed to advocate for this tried-and-true way to control feral cats.

Cats may have taken over the Internet, but there's someplace else where their proliferation isn't so cute or funny. That is, everyplace.

There are about 90 million feral cats in the USA — about as many as there are pet cats. Cats roam in every village, town and city, in backyards, near restaurants, along ports, under boardwalks. They are everywhere but mostly invisible — and many communities think to control cat populations by killing them.

The makers of "Catnip Nation" explore the dichotomy between beloved, cherished pet cats, and the equal number who live on the streets or the 1.4 million who are euthanized in shelters annually – at a rate of 70 percent.

A newly formed group, Community Cats Initiative in Rockland, will host a "Catnip Nation" House Party Fund-Raiser Feb 4 in New City to help defray the film's production costs. The CCI is comprised of folks from Hi Tor, two local TNR groups, and others with an interest. Overall, their mission is to educate, and to make government understand that laws are needed to facilitate TNR because it is the way to reduce feral cat populations.

Visit the 'Catnip Nation' website to learn more or to donate. Watch the 'Catnip Nation' trailer: