Cat Woman
Coaxing
Kitties Home
A teenager goes where the wild things are
By
Heather Davis
If you ask a typical 17-yearold girl what
she likes to do with her free time, you’ll likely hear “hanging out, watching
movies, and best of all, DRIVING!” If you ask Shana Belluomini of Lincolnwood,
however, you’ll hear tales of taking on wild animals. That’s because when Shana
isn’t at school or working part-time at Petsmart, she’s busy rescuing cats who
are feral, or untamed. She’s saved more than 200 of them to date, soothing and
socializing them to the point where they’re ready to become beloved pets.
From a very young age, Shana knew that she wanted to devote her
life to helping animals in need. Early on, she even started a dog walking
business to earn money for homeless animals. These days, her Petsmart paycheck
goes toward her rescue operation, which costs about $600 a month. Between food,
litter, and vet bills, this girl makes quite a financial sacrifice. She doesn’t
seem to mind, though. “The cats are worth more than anything I could ever want,”
she says. “I would much rather feed a hungry kitty than get a new CD.”
It’s this selfless devotion
that sets Shana apart from many of her peers. In fact, her parents and teachers
wish she’d focus a little more on herself at times. But according to Shana, she’s
just doing what she was born to do, and she’d have it no other way. “I’ve
always had a big heart for animals,” she says. “I just want to do everything in
my power to help these poor cats out.”
The Start of Something Special
Feral cats are felines who have not been socialized. They’re extremely
afraid of humans and will bolt away if one approaches. When trapped, they
behave like a raccoon might, hissing and tearing at their cages or containers
to escape. Ferals are the result of irresponsible and/or uninformed people who let
their non-sterilized cats wander away and breed out of control. A kitten who
grows up in the wild, without human interaction, will become feral; even a
housecat may revert to feral ways if he’s abandoned or lost for a long period
of time.
When Shana discovered that
feral cats are usually euthanized at shelters rather than adopted out, she knew
she had to do something. At just 12 years old, she attempted to catch her first
feral cat by setting out food in her back yard, but was never able to get him.
The food did, however, attract a host of other untamed felines. Her first “catch”
was a scrawny cat she named Annie, whom she promptly released into her older
sister’s bedroom while her sister was away at college. “Let’s just say that’s
something you only do once,” Shana says with a laugh. “The cat jumped all over
the room, climbing walls and breaking nearly everything in sight. It wasn’t the
response I’d expected, but by the end of the night, the ‘crazy’ kitty had
fallen asleep in my lap. It was right then and there that I decided to start
rescuing cats.” After experiencing Annie tearing through the room like a tiny tornado,
Shana decided that maybe the cats would be less anx time
and keep them in a room together,” she explains. “The room has no hiding spots or anything breakable, and it’s filled with plenty
of cat toys and bowls of food and water. It
also helps to have a really friendly domestic cat in the room who loves people and other cats…most ferals will become quick
friends with the housecat. The domestic cat
will teach the ferals that humans aren’t so bad and can be trusted; then I approach them with treats and food. I stay with
them for hours, playing with the domestic cat
and encouraging the others to play as well. The ferals slowly but surely become domesticated, too. It takes time and
patience, sometimes two weeks to five months,
depending on the cat, but it’s worth it.”
Shana’s success quickly dispels the myth
many people believe: that feral cats cannot be domesticated. “People think
ferals can’t become pets, but with time, they can. Of all the ferals I’ve
rescued, only one was not adopted out, and that’s because she was very ill and
passed away. All of the other cats have been domesticated and have been adopted
out to loving homes.”
Labor of Love
Understandably,
rescuing so many cats all alone is hard work. Fortunately, Shana’s passion and
dedication convinced local businesses early on to help out with her efforts. A local
Petco allows her to show and adopt her cats out of its store, while area
veterinarians offer their services at reduced rates. Shana also receives
monthly donations that help out with her expenses, although she still doesn’t
have enough to open up her own facility. She estimates that she’ll need $2,000
per month in rent to do that. But that figure doesn’t daunt this dynamic teen:
Shana hopes to launch her own shelter within the next year.
For now, Shana can house only a few cats at
a time. (Part of the reason, not surprisingly, is that a few of her once-feral
felines have attained permanent status as family members in her home.) When
people call her to report feral cats in their neighborhoods, she encourages
them to foster the cats until they are ready to be adopted. As long as people
provide the cats with shelter—for example, a garage, a barn, or a makeshift
lean-to with hay—Shana makes daily rounds to the homes to feed, care for, and
socialize the cats. She also traps them and gets them fully vaccinated,
dewormed, tested for diseases, spayed or neutered, and microchipped.
When asked how she manages to juggle all of
this with school, friends, family, and work, Shana shrugs as if it’s nothing. “I
get out of school at 3 p.m., take care of all the cats, go to work, come back,
take care of the cats some more. I do my homework and spend time with my
friends and family in between. It’s really not hard to juggle it at all.” For
those of us who find it difficult enough to come home, feed the dog, and make dinner
in the evening, this may be a bit hard to believe. Then again, when you’re
doing something you’re passionate about, time can become irrelevant. For Shana,
there’s nothing more gratifying than rescuing innocent animals.
“It’s hard to say goodbye to the cats as I
give them to their new homes, because I grow so attached to them,” Shana says. “But
it’s just the greatest reward to rescue these cats off the streets and get them
to trust people. It warms my heart when I get phone calls or letters about how
much people love their new cats.” Thanks to Shana, there are a lot of grateful
cats with warm hearts and homes, as well.
If you’d like to donate or volunteer, please contact Shana
at (847) 417-4538 or
shanab87@aol.com.
