Responsibility for hundreds of cats may be a little overwhelmed, but Toni Ray care about a dozen cat colonies are simply part of her daily routine.
Toni Ray, together with a community cat defense team in Springfield, Oregon, 2025. August 27 Will feed at Thurston at night.
Ray is the founder of the Springfield (CCATS) community cat defense team, a licensed cat rescue in Springfield and surrounding places. She rescued since 2014, but her rescue began at the age of 5 when she said her grandmother taught her how to look after her kittens. Her dad would tell her, “If they were there, they would find you.”
For decades, Ray calls and reports cats that need a helping hand every day.
Springfield Local Figure Community Cat Defense Team
Ray said the amount of maintenance she has been drastically increased over the years. In the first 10 months of the establishment of CCATS 2014 She said she had carried out 174 trap-neuter returns (TNR), set up 10 neighborhood cat colonies, saved and replaced 51 cats and had 17 cats in their homes. So far, Ray said this year that the average rescue is averaged 22 TNA per month, feeding and taking care of 17 neighborhood cat colonies, including 260 cats and accepting 14 cats a month.
The rescue has 22 care family homes with cats. She feeds 10 cat colonies every day, morning and night. A group of 11 volunteers helps to feed other colonies.
Donald, one of the cats cared for by Toni Ray, 2025. August 27 Walking on the roof in Springfield around power.
“I was, ‘Oh, I want to go back to this year.’ It wasn’t as bad as I thought, “said Ray about how much she’s working now for rescue compared to 11 years ago.” … So yes, I’m tired, but I wouldn’t have it in any other way. Need it rightly here. “
She said ccats use care families as a way to make the rescue process more personal and help cats show a variety of experiences that make them more rounded and adopted pets. She said that without volunteers, guardians and her family help, the work she is doing would not be possible. Although she likes what she is doing, she said it is frustrating and her support is necessary for rescue.
“I call them my village. Without them I couldn’t do what I do,” Ray said. “Now we have come to the circle because now my granddaughter is helping me to take care of the kittens who are coming. She will now be 9, she will become a new generation of rescuers.”
What do you need to take care of cat colonies
Caring for free -preparing cats is not an easy task. In addition to daily nutrition, Ray provides medical care to cats that need. She said the big change she saw over the years is the cost of veterinary care with increasing costs that “drastically crossed the roof.” Procedures such as rapid and neutral, which It would have cost around $ 125, can range from $ 300 to $ 600, depending on which clinic performs surgery. She said some veterinary clinics provide small discounts to save certain services, but rescue does not receive animal care free of charge and should cover costs.
The Springfield Community Cat Defense Team provides food and medical care for hundreds of cats over dozens of colonies in Springfield and surrounding areas.
Ray said against the Covid-19 pandemia, she thinks everything is better in neighborhood cat colonies. She saw that the number of cats in need was shrinking until the pandemia made it difficult for veterinary appointments, and people who received free or cheap kittens during quarantine did not change their pets to keep the population small. Now the main participants in the growing community cat population include rapid and neutral and abandonment.
“No.” This is no. 1 thing I see is a refusal. As a savior, I am very disappointed, who gives away everything to help them, to be able to help me.
Toni Ray, together with the community cat defense team in Springfield, supplies food to the neighborhood cat colony in Thurstone.
Ray said Springfield animal control officers often do not deal with cats unless it is related to animals. She said it means that CCats and other small rescue areas are left to investigate animals abandonment. Animal abandonment is a violation of the Lane County Code, but Ray said there are few next people who retain people who leave and leave their animals for their responsibility.
She said other rescues would take cats on a case -by -case basis, depending on how likely the animal would be repeated. On the contrary, she said she would help any cat you need.
“I’m the one who thinks if the cat needs help, I’ll help her,” Ray said. “I don’t go into beautiful, I don’t go into cute, fluffy. It’s a cat. That’s all I need to know.”
Severe animal negligence in Springfield
Highly negligent cases such as the Cul-De-Sac in Springfield, where 27 cats live in yards without proper care, show how quickly the situation can move from bad to worse if they are not marked. Ray said that the whole kitten commander found in the area, dead from fleas infections. Despite the sad state, she said she continues to provide care there because she knows that cats need support.
“There are a lot of tears. I cry very much to my pillow because every day comes with their challenges.… Every time I have a piece of my heart in my rescue, so there is a lot of heartache that comes with what I do,” Ray said. “I sometimes think to myself, ‘I can’t survive it again,’ but I do it. I choose and go on because I know there are cats that need. ”
To learn more about CCATS work and volunteer options, go to ccats everything.org/.
About this series
Lane County people are a permanent series released by registergoard.com and Sunday’s printed permit in the city and region branch. This is our way to educate charming people who turn this place into a peculiar way. From artists and entrepreneurs to community creators and local legends, we tell their stories – one person at once. Know something you think we should show? Send us your ideas email By email [email protected].
Hannarose McGuinness is a register Guard growth and development reporter. You can reach it [email protected];
This article initially appeared at Register Guard: As the Springfield Community Cat Referee Team helps local cats