Taos Feral Feline Friends Sanctuary
A Lifelong Home for Feral Cats
Taos Feral Feline Friends began in 2004 as a cat rescue organization. Its first shelter residents were feral cats awaiting euthanasia at the local Humane Society, rescued and brought home by Leanne Mitchell. At its peak, the TFFF shelter had over 80 cats and was the largest, no-kill feline shelter in Northern New Mexico. However, beginning in 2022, the shelter will operate as a cat sanctuary reflecting an emphasis on caring for the current residents rather than taking in or adopting out cats.
The primary shelter facility is an 814 square foot former guesthouse located in Ranchos De Taos, New Mexico. Since it was previously occupied by people, it has a number of desirable features that benefit cats. The house is heated; it has a kitchen area with running water, a sink, a refrigerator, a range top, a microwave, etc. amenities that help make daily feeding and cleaning easier. There are a total of 4 rooms with closable doors that permit each group of cats to be kept separate. The cats are free to roam within each room - it is a cage-less shelter. Each room is windowed with forest views and the main room has a large skylight. Two of the rooms have ceilings with exposed wooden supports that the cats can sit or walk along, effectively increasing the usable areas of the rooms. The structure can easily accommodate about 60 cats and is presently reserved for our feral cats.
A cage-less environment is important to the health and well-being of feral cats. When cats accustomed to running free are confined for lengthy periods in cages, they can become lethargic and even stop eating. Our cats are free to run and play, within their room. They interact with the other cats in the room, forming a community similar to an outdoor feral cat colony, but much safer. The shelter colonies accept new residents without incident. Eating habits and litter box use are normal. Fights are seldom observed. By all appearances, the ferals are well-adapted to life at our shelter. Two rooms have windows opening onto screened-in porches, allowing our residents to enjoy the outdoors, weather-permitting. This is just another example of TFFF's commitment to create a pleasant home for our cats.
Controlling and preventing feline disease is always a top priority. The shelter is cleaned and disinfected on a daily basis. Before a cat is permitted to enter the shelter community, it is screened for FELV (feline leukemia) and FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus). Due to our open environment, cats with these serious illnesses cannot be placed in the general population. Cats with less serious problems, such as upper respiratory illness, are kept isolated from the main shelter population until they recover. For this purpose, and for other special needs, for example, a mother cat nursing young kittens, cats are also be housed in designated rooms of our residence. Non-feral cats, companion animals, are also kept in the main house where they have more contact with people. All cats held at TFFF are sterilized and receive regular vaccinations as recommended by the American Association of Feline Practitioners.
Although most residents have been granted "sanctuary cat" status and are unavailable for adoption, TFFF will usually have a few adoptable cats. We require a $25 non-refundable, adoption fee for a pair of feral cats. For companion cats, TFFF charges a non-refundable $25 adoption fee. This provides a good value to the adopter since spay/neuter and vaccinations have been completed.
If you're considering adopting a feral cat, a suitable home requires daily water, food and shelter from the elements and predators, specifically wild dogs and coyotes, and a human caregiver. Given that Northern New Mexico has been plagued with serious rodent problems, including human fatalities caused by the mouse-transmitted Hanta virus, TFFF believes that the community obtains material public health benefits from properly managed outdoor cat populations.