An estimation of around 70,000 puppies and kittens are born each day. That is about 27 million each year. Unfortunately, millions of companion animals are put down and euthanized in shelters. Overpopulation is the number one cause of death in healthy cats. Cat’s Cradle speaks on the problem with cat overcrowding and what they are doing about it. 

Cat’s Cradle was founded in 1998 and was formed as an organization to help with spay/neuter assistance and reduce overcrowding and overpopulation while offering funding for fosters. 

Kristin Rhodenizer is Cat’s Cradle’s adoption and volunteer coordinator. She believes that with being a part of this organization, she can make a bigger change one on one in the community than she can in politics, which she originally went to school for. 

“I kind of stumbled into this job because I love cats. There’s a lot of social and human welfare to the job, and that’s what I was doing in school getting a social work degree. I kind of feel like a cat social worker here.” Rhodenizer said. 

“Our main points for the organization is we constantly fundraise for spay/neuter assistance,” Rhodenizer said. “We spay/neuter about 3-5,000 stray cats every single year through our funds. People call us and we help pay for their surgeries so that the animals aren’t repopulating the area.” 

Cat’s Cradle takes a large part in fostering and volunteering. They also partner with local shelters nearby. 

“Our fostering system is pretty awesome, we partner with local shelters so when they’re overcrowded or ask for help, that’s when we pull cats from them, and then put them in our foster homes. We pay for all the medical care so it’s just our fosters owning their cat and being in charge of day to day care, like food and litter.”

Female cats can have up to four litters a year starting from the age of 4 months.

“A lot of people don’t spay/neuter feral cats They either keep their pets indoors or decide not to and let them out. If you had a  momma having a big litter of kittens, they’re constantly reproducing within the same family system. Some of what we do is we go and set traps, take them in for spay neuter appointments, and then release them. That way, at least the population is not reproducing.”

“The most unique thing about Cat’s Cradle is probably the community. We’re mostly women in the organization, so it’s a nice inclusive environment. Our fosters are also amazing and I love working one on one with our volunteers. My favorite memories are when fosters get adopted. It’s the best day ever for me, because they’re so sweet. Anytime they go home, it’s the best time ever.”