Left: Described as“ skin and bones” by volunteers who rescued her, Cleopatra needed major care after back-to-back pregnancies, a reminder of the hardships female cats face when local colonies are not spayed or neutered. Right: The Poolesville legend known only as“ the Count” evaded capture while sauntering around town for most of his 19 years. Finally trapped and neutered in 2020, the majestic Count spent his last five years living on his own terms under the watchful eye of a family on Edwards Ferry Road.
of the deal:“ We take care of our to see tomcats risking their lives in hometown cats.” traffic to seek out females in heat.
Talk to Garner for a while and The Wesmond neighborhood has it becomes clear that he remembers the unique personalities of its cats are all spayed or neutered,
a highly visible local colony, but
the many rescued cats who’ ve and they eat at closely monitored passed through his life, especially the tricky ones he calls“ com- all over town,” Garner says with
feeding stations.“ We’ ve got eyes
munity homeless cats.” At the same a smile, predicting that the nonbreeding colony should dwindle time, he’ s level-headed about what this sort of work entails, even as he naturally over time. acknowledges the huge difference Last year, the Town of Poolesville Cats has already made. Poolesville awarded Poolesville
“ You’ re never going to solve Cats a $ 2,500 mini-grant, which the issue, but you can make progress,” he says, pointing out that and neutering costs for 2025, and
covered about half of the spaying
he and his team haven’ t needed to this past July the town approved a rescue a cat from under a deck or second $ 2,500 grant. Town staffers porch in Poolesville in nearly three have expressed their appreciation, years. In the town itself, the feral and one town commissioner population is tentatively under recently adopted an entire litter control. Cats no longer regularly of four orphaned kittens. Jones prowl around the dumpsters of considers every cat rescued a local restaurants, and it’ s now rare win for the community.“ If you
To volunteer, become a foster, adopt a cat, report a cat in need in the Ag Reserve, or make a donation, visit Poolesville Cats at www. poolesvillecats. org. Poolesville Cats is a 501( c)( 3) nonprofit, and all donations are tax deductible. You can keep up with the latest developments and follow the stories of rescued cats on the Poolesville Cats Facebook page.
love cats, you love us because we’ re keeping them healthy,” she explains,“ but cat haters can still love us because we’ re controlling the cat population.”
Garner and his team are heartened by the support, and they’ ll continue to keep tabs on the situation in town. Lately, however, they’ ve turned their attention to the vast, sparsely populated forests and farmland beyond Poolesville, where homeless cats are still breeding rampantly. Garner ruefully notes the ongoing tendency of outsiders to drive into the Agricultural Reserve to abandon their unwanted cats, but Poolesville Cats will spring into action if someone spots an unfortunate new arrival.“ If it’ s a new cat someone from Silver Spring has dumped at White’ s Ferry, for example,” Garner says,“ we want to get to him before he procreates.”
Habib further explains that unspayed female cats aren’ t likely to survive if someone abandons them out here and drives away.“ Back-toback pregnancies take a severe toll on their bodies,” she says.“ Around 90 percent of our trapped cats are male. Most female ferals don’ t live long, and when we do trap them, they’ re always pregnant.” She encourages everyone in the area to call Poolesville Cats if they see cats in need, or even if their own cats need help, to limit these sorts of heartbreaking outcomes.“ We can maintain your anonymity,” she says.“ It’ s not a problem.”
Expanding the scope of Poolesville Cats into Beallsville, Dickerson, Barnesville, and the rest of the rural upcounty means thinking big but staying honest about the day-to-day reality. In 2025, the team found homes for
38 plenty I autumn harvest 2026