Down on the Farm
Written by Helen Morrison, President, Board of Directors
In the Fall of 2025, I received a call from a family I had known years ago when I taught HS Science at Cabot School. Rhonda, the mom, was quite concerned, because, over a pretty short period of time, the number of cats at Molly Brook Farm had grown significantly. She wasn’t sure, but she thought there might be 50 or more…and she was feeling slightly panicked.
People drop cats off at barns, thinking they are doing a good deed. I get it. They can’t care for them anymore, and they feel that if they leave them at a barn, at least they have a chance at survival. But sadly, what happens is that they aren’t spayed or neutered, haven’t had their vaccinations, and the population skyrockets to way beyond control.
This was what was happening at Molly Brook Farm and could I help.
People drop cats off at barns, thinking they are doing a good deed. I get it. They can’t care for them anymore, and they feel that if they leave them at a barn, at least they have a chance at survival. But sadly, what happens is that they aren’t spayed or neutered, haven’t had their vaccinations, and the population skyrockets to way beyond control.
This was what was happening at Molly Brook Farm and could I help.
Years ago, I had helped in several situations, to do TNR (trap, neuter, return). With help, I had tended to as many as 16 cats at a time. Over a three day period, following Feline and Friends TNR protocol, we set traps, tended to the cats in traps, took them off to be spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and then returned, where they were released. It was very labor intensive…up very early, setting traps, coming back mid day, taking trapped cats into shelter, tending to them without them escaping, back at night to close the traps down, tend to trapped cats again. Then, after 3 days, wafting them off to a spay/neuter clinic. Often it was winter, and very cold. But it worked like a charm…and the cat population steadied, and then naturally diminished over time. It felt good but it was exhausting. And I was a whole lot younger then!!!
Did I really want to wade into this again? I was reticent. I knew I could no longer do it with the same intensity. But here was the potential of 50 cats that was already bordering on out-of-control, and soon would be in a very untenable situation. And I knew Rhonda and Myles, and was very fond of them and their family. What to do?
I knew I would have a hard time doing it the old way….setting many many traps, a team tending as we caught them, setting up an available date to get them all TNR’d, transporting a lot of cats on a particular day or two, (hoping we had them all), and bringing them back.
We pondered and planned, batted ideas around, with several Shelter folks offering ideas and help. Was there a different way to help this family and all these cats?
Sometimes, the Universe offers a heart warming confluence of opportunities that combine in the sweetest way. And that is just what happened. Rhonda and Myles and their farm helper, Paige, had been taking wonderful care of the many cats. Many of these cats trusted them. When they fed them twice daily, they would gather around, winding in and out of legs. Pamela of VT CAN in Middlesex was willing to work on a plan and fit the cats in over time, to spay/neuter/vaccinate in small groups. And Julia and I knew that we could, on a regular basis, transport cats to and from VT CAN for their procedures. Would it work? Would we be able to get them all? Who knew. It was not typically the best practice to accomplish TNR. But given our options, it was the only way. Rhonda was willing to have them all come back and to tend to them. She just didn’t want the population to get bigger. And what tends to happen, once they are all TNR’d, is that by attrition, the population slowly declines.
And so we began. The very first gathering happened early on a Wednesday morning. We had brought Rhonda five big carriers. Rhonda and Paige, during morning milking, while feeding the cats who had gathered around, were able to just grab four cats and stuff them in carriers. Julia labeled the carriers with the traveler…a quick name, gender, color, and instrux…spay/neuter, vaccinated for rabies and distemper, Revolution for parasites, and (very important) an ear tip, so that later we would not re-grab cats that were already done.
It worked like a charm. Off they went to VT-CAN, had their various procedures, and back they came to the farm, for release. All weathered it well and were just fine.
Did I really want to wade into this again? I was reticent. I knew I could no longer do it with the same intensity. But here was the potential of 50 cats that was already bordering on out-of-control, and soon would be in a very untenable situation. And I knew Rhonda and Myles, and was very fond of them and their family. What to do?
I knew I would have a hard time doing it the old way….setting many many traps, a team tending as we caught them, setting up an available date to get them all TNR’d, transporting a lot of cats on a particular day or two, (hoping we had them all), and bringing them back.
We pondered and planned, batted ideas around, with several Shelter folks offering ideas and help. Was there a different way to help this family and all these cats?
Sometimes, the Universe offers a heart warming confluence of opportunities that combine in the sweetest way. And that is just what happened. Rhonda and Myles and their farm helper, Paige, had been taking wonderful care of the many cats. Many of these cats trusted them. When they fed them twice daily, they would gather around, winding in and out of legs. Pamela of VT CAN in Middlesex was willing to work on a plan and fit the cats in over time, to spay/neuter/vaccinate in small groups. And Julia and I knew that we could, on a regular basis, transport cats to and from VT CAN for their procedures. Would it work? Would we be able to get them all? Who knew. It was not typically the best practice to accomplish TNR. But given our options, it was the only way. Rhonda was willing to have them all come back and to tend to them. She just didn’t want the population to get bigger. And what tends to happen, once they are all TNR’d, is that by attrition, the population slowly declines.
And so we began. The very first gathering happened early on a Wednesday morning. We had brought Rhonda five big carriers. Rhonda and Paige, during morning milking, while feeding the cats who had gathered around, were able to just grab four cats and stuff them in carriers. Julia labeled the carriers with the traveler…a quick name, gender, color, and instrux…spay/neuter, vaccinated for rabies and distemper, Revolution for parasites, and (very important) an ear tip, so that later we would not re-grab cats that were already done.
It worked like a charm. Off they went to VT-CAN, had their various procedures, and back they came to the farm, for release. All weathered it well and were just fine.
Week after week, we did the same. Rhonda and Paige would grab another group, and get them in carriers, and off they would go. Wow, did that all feel good!!
But of course, over time, the friendlier cats were all easy to catch and be done. But away from the center of activity in the barn, were many more cats. How many, we weren’t sure. But it was time for traps. Rhonda and Paige learned how to work our Fat Cat traps and began to set them not to go off, so that they could feed the cats in the traps without frightening them.
Again, week after week, Julia and I would go early on a Wednesday morning, label five traps with the kitties’ needs, and off we would go to VT CAN. Pamela would graciously accept them, her team would tend, and Julia and I would go back late afternoon, to pick up the cats and bring them home. The number that Rhonda and Paige could get at a time was dwindling. Maybe we were nearing the end?
But of course, over time, the friendlier cats were all easy to catch and be done. But away from the center of activity in the barn, were many more cats. How many, we weren’t sure. But it was time for traps. Rhonda and Paige learned how to work our Fat Cat traps and began to set them not to go off, so that they could feed the cats in the traps without frightening them.
Again, week after week, Julia and I would go early on a Wednesday morning, label five traps with the kitties’ needs, and off we would go to VT CAN. Pamela would graciously accept them, her team would tend, and Julia and I would go back late afternoon, to pick up the cats and bring them home. The number that Rhonda and Paige could get at a time was dwindling. Maybe we were nearing the end?
As of mid-March, 31 cats total had been spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and returned.
Think about this for a minute. It is a bit mind-boggling. Let’s say that 20 of those 31 were females. If, this Spring, they each had 4 kittens, that would be a new population of 80 kittens, on top of the 30 existing cats. Even if half the kittens had not survived, we are talking about 70 cats in the barn. Not only is that an overwhelming number, but the possibilities of disease and injury running rampant is huge. And considering that cats can reproduce at 8 months, those kittens could then reproduce. That may seem a shockingly short amount of time, but this explosion of population is entirely possible…and happens all the time in farms where the spay/neutering doesn’t happen. It is, to be truthful, horrific.
Think about this for a minute. It is a bit mind-boggling. Let’s say that 20 of those 31 were females. If, this Spring, they each had 4 kittens, that would be a new population of 80 kittens, on top of the 30 existing cats. Even if half the kittens had not survived, we are talking about 70 cats in the barn. Not only is that an overwhelming number, but the possibilities of disease and injury running rampant is huge. And considering that cats can reproduce at 8 months, those kittens could then reproduce. That may seem a shockingly short amount of time, but this explosion of population is entirely possible…and happens all the time in farms where the spay/neutering doesn’t happen. It is, to be truthful, horrific.
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But this worked like a dream. Even right this minute, as I am writing this, the whole thing makes me smile. The Goodrich Family at Molly Brook Farm, Pamela and VT-CAN, and a few folks from Kingdom Animal Shelter have worked together to make a very worrisome situation turn into such a positive situation.
At this time, 31 cats have been done. We will continue over the next weeks to try to tend to any remaining stragglers. The Goodrichs and Paige are so positive and amenable and willing to jump right in and help and tend. They are truly animal lovers. Pamela and VT CAN are so willing to fit in, regularly, a small number of Molly Brook Farm cats. And little by little, in a gentle, tender way, we have all worked together to get it done, to turn what could have become a disaster, into a warm and loving and manageable situation.
I am eternally grateful, and in awe, of Molly Brook Farm, Rhonda and Myles Goodrich, and Paige (and young son, Dominic) for their positive, can-do attitude. I am eternally grateful to VT CAN and Pamela for their openness to keep on helping and receiving these barn kitties.
The Universe can be very kind at times, for sure.
I am eternally grateful, and in awe, of Molly Brook Farm, Rhonda and Myles Goodrich, and Paige (and young son, Dominic) for their positive, can-do attitude. I am eternally grateful to VT CAN and Pamela for their openness to keep on helping and receiving these barn kitties.
The Universe can be very kind at times, for sure.