Education and Outreach

Willow Ultimately, the only solution to the tragedy of lost, abandoned, and feral cats is education. All people who adopt a cat or kitten must recognize their responsiblity for spaying or neutering their new companion, for keeping it indoors, and for giving it love, food, and veterinary care throughout its life. We also recommend that all animals have a microchip implanted so their owners can be found if they are lost. Fabulous Felines is committed to this vision of a city where all cats have such loving homes.

In the course of our work, we advise individuals who may have questions about cats and cat care. In addition, our founder, Merry Stubblefield is an attorney who teaches a Continuing Legal Education class in Animal Law for the New Mexico Bar. This class focuses on the legal rights of all animals, and is aiimed at both attorneys and interested citizens.

Perhaps our most effective ambassadors are the cats themselves. Nowhere has these animals' remarkable ability to touch the human soul been more evident than in a recent project of ours. Once a week, we take one of our friendlier cats to visit the Alzheimer's unit at the Woodmark in Albuquerque. Although this project has been put on hold due to difficulties we encountered in the logistics and liabilities of bringing animals into such a care facility, it was a rewarding experience.

The picture to the right shows Vilnius relaxing as the center of attention at the Woodmark. These cats are both sensitive to the people they meet, and remarkably open to them. This is evident in the patience Vilnius and the other cats have for being handled by so many strangers, and in the effect they have on those who interact with them. One family member told us that he had not seen his mother more alert and responsive than when she was holding Vilnius in her lap.

Angelo The handsome boy to the left is Angelo, another of our Woodmark cats. We remember one visit where a woman who had come that day to live at the unit held him in her lap. The woman missed her old home, and had cried all day. She stopped crying when she held Angelo.

As we mentioned above the effort is temporarily on hold, but we are working to resume this work and the gifts it brings to so many people . . . most of all, to us.

We would like to thank Carol, Maxine, and all the staff and management of the Woodmark for giving us this wonderful opportunity. Amanda, shown to the left holding Vilnius, has been particularly helpful, coordinating our visits, and helping us with the often difficult challenges of sharing our cats with the many people who long for their healing touch.