CLEVELAND — These are hectic days along North Collinwood's Lake Erie shoreline.
"Once we get them in the car and cover everybody with a sheet, that keeps them much calmer for the ride."
Euclid Beach Mobile Home Park resident Brian Licht is talking about the cats in cages, which he has been carrying from a vacant trailer into his car.
Licht is also a longtime member of The Euclid Beach Cat Project. The non-profit formed a decade ago to help care for stray cats in the park, Collinwood neighborhood and throughout Northeast Ohio. Its trap, neuter and release (TNR) program has long helped curb the cat population. But it couldn't curb more cats being dumped in and around the park. The population, residents estimated, swelled to at least 200 at one time.
But, if nothing changes, the mobile home park will cease to exist next year. Residents have been told they will have to move out and find new homes. Some have left already, while others remain, hoping for a reprieve.
Last year, the Western Reserve Land Conservancy, which bought the property, worked to address the issue of the cats -- most of which are fed by residents. So WRLC asked the rescue to trap and then rehome the cats.
"Since January 2022 is when we worked on trying to get everybody out. And we have taken 95 cats out so far. Fifty-seven have been adopted."
Vicky Sprouse is director of EBCP. She and a brigade of devoted volunteers have worked, not just to trap the cats and get them fixed, but also to address all their medical needs, before finding them new homes.
There are cats currently in adoption locations and foster homes awaiting families. And then there are those better suited for a different kind of life.
"Mama is an older cat who has lived most of her life on the streets and she's going to have a good life on the horse farm," Licht said of one of the more vocal felines he is transporting on this day.
EBCP invited Ready Pet GO! along as they took 12 cats in all from the mobile home park to their new home in Novelty, Geauga County. These are cats that would not fare well in homes. Sprouse doesn't like to use the word "feral." She says it's overused, and often not accurate. The 12 they've transported, she says, are "working cats."
"A working cat is a cat that isn't quite a companion animal in most respects," Sprouse explained. "They don't want to live inside. Some don't even want to look at a human. Others may be semi-social."
Before arriving at the farm, all have received medical care. They've been neutered, had blood work run, received vaccinations, been prescribed medication for any ailments they may have and all underwent teeth cleaning.
These Euclid Beach Cats will spend several months acclimating in an enclosed area in the barn with places to hide and climb. They'll be fed twice a day, and cared for as they grow accustomed to the noises and sounds on the farm. Eventually, sometime this fall, they will gradually be allowed to explore.
"When the haylofts are full of 600 bales, they have lots of little hiding spots there," said Kristen Ropp, who runs Free Spirit Farm, a riding facility where nearly two dozen horses are stabled.
Ropp's passion for horses is rivaled by her soft spot for cats. When she started the riding program at the farm, stray cats were common. They had a place in the barns, among the hay bales and fields. She has never seen them as interlopers. Just like the horses, they belong here, too.
"I have the room for them. I have the time for them. I have the money for them. They can come here, and they can live out their lives," Ropp said.
This is the second group of cats from EBCP to find a home at Free Spirit Farm. Ropp knows all by name. Their mannerisms and characteristics. They come when she calls or shakes a bag of cat treats.
Sprouse is grateful for Ropp's help.
"She not only gives them canned food, dry food and fresh water, she also sometimes shares her ice cream cones with the cats, even the ones that aren't warm and friendly. As you saw she shakes treats. She's just amazing. She really is. Everybody has a name. She's got a huge heart," said Sprouse.
This is one group of cats Sprouse knows will be in good hands. It's the best fit for them. But there are others she worries about, still roaming around the park.
"There's probably 20 cats on the ground and people leave cats behind when they move. If we can fix them we will fix them. And then we will put them in the best place for them," Sprouse said.
Like many non-profit rescue organizations, EBCP can use our help. They're in need of food, litter, towels and blankets. The medical bills are staggering. Monetary donations also go a long way. They need additional fosters and adopters, too.
To learn more about how you can help the Euclid Beach Cat Project, go HERE.