![]() Image of coyote under the home from Sherry Birk ![]() These feral cats are technically defined in the county’s ordinance as a “cat that is not socialized to humans and is not an owned cat,” but for Birk, her cats were more like pets, ranging in 5-15 years in age, with some of them living in the space under her home for well over a decade. The ordinance aims to keep the feral cat and general wildlife population in local neighborhoods under control, by promoting spaying and neutering, and not allowing food to be left out for long periods of time, which can attract other critters. These efforts are orchestrated under the Dare County Feral Cat Ordinance, which was passed in 2016, and was championed by Martin herself. “We built a corral within a corral, and the goal was to protect the cats from stray dogs.”īirk is at her Avon home for only a portion of the year, so she partnered with Debbie Martin, Director of the nonprofit Friends of Felines Hatteras Island organization, to provide continual care for the long-term cat residents.Ĭat colonies, or cat communities, are not uncommon on Hatteras Island, and there are a number of small groups of feral cats that are provided for and protected by caregivers. “The couple who owned the house before us did a terrific job of protecting the cat colony, and we wanted to do the same,” she said. ![]() Protected by three concurrent fences, and featuring a pair of sheds where the cats can find a little extra shelter, Birk inherited the 15-year-old cat colony when she purchased the home about eight years ago. Sherry Birk has a small cat community that lives under her home on Sailfish Lane in Avon. ![]()
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