What is Brooklyn Bridge Animal Welfare Coalition (BBAWC) doing at Ravenswood?
What is Brooklyn Bridge Animal Welfare Coalition (BBAWC) doing at Ravenswood?
We are working with NYCHA management and employees as well as some of the residents to trap all of the cats on the property. Each cat is examined by a veterinarian, vaccinated for Rabies and feline distemper, microchipped and treated for fleas and given a dewormer. We also provide any additional treatments required by our veterinarian. Many of the cats are injured and need antibiotics or other treatment for wounds.
Currently the cats on NYCHA property live in very dangerous crawl spaces. These places are overheated, sometimes get flooded and many cats and kittens suffer and die in these spaces. These are not safe places for the cats to live. To see more images of how dangerous the spaces can be you can see more here.
NYCHA must close access to their crawl spaces to receive funding from the federal government so that needed repairs can be made. While attempts are made to not trap the cats in these spaces, some do get locked in and have suffered. Or their kittens are unable to crawl out when the spaces are opened.
We are working to end these cycles of suffering. First by trapping and spaying and neutering all the cats on site so they won’t starve as they give birth to litter after litter or fight other male cats for territory. Not only is this better for the cats, but they will be better neighbors as well – quieter and less smelly.
We are building safe community shelters for the cats. Places outside the crawl spaces where they can safely be fed and warm. These shelters have been specially designed to be warm and safe – so dogs can’t get at the cats inside and the cats have multiple ways to get out. There is elevated space to feed safely and without attracting vermin. And finally these shelters can be painted and cleaned easily so they will not become unpleasant. We have more information about the shelters here.
Once the buildings have been sealed we have made sure no cats are trapped inside. We have set cameras inside each location to make sure no cats are inside. Further we have gone inside these spaces and crawled around with flashlights and protective gear to make sure NO CAT IS LEFT BEHIND.
To make sure that the population remains controlled we plan to ask feeders and other residents to alert us to new cats that appear. They will be trapped and spayed/neutered so we ensure a stable colony that continues to ensure no rats on the property and is not a nuisance to the residents. Are you interested in helping the cats at Ravenswood? Let us know.
Finally we want to help any resident to get their cat or dog, spayed/neutered and up to date on shots and microchipped. If you are a pet owner and interested in any of these services please complete this form. We want to understand what services are needed and how many animals need these services.
Please help us to keep the Ravenswood cats safe. Once the crawl spaces are locked do not open them. If cats go back in they are likely to get injured and maybe stuck inside. If you are concerned that a cat is inside you can check out this page to see if someone is recovering at our holding space. Or you can contact us (646) 462-3476 and we will make sure no one is inside.