Harrison Township resident helps stray cats in need

HARRISON TOWNSHIP — A love for animals and inspiration from friends got this Harrison Township resident into making cat carriers to keep stray cats warm during the winter.

Jo Addington learned how to make the carriers around 10 years ago.

“A lot of them (cats) don’t have shelters,” Jo said. “They’re out in the cold. People dump them, leave them and they have nowhere to go all winter.”

Jo said she was inspired by her friend who got really involved with animal rescue work.

“She taught me a lot of things that I know,” Jo said.

Her husband, Don Addington, said Jo also is an animal lover who grew up with cats.

The cat carriers are made out of Styrofoam coolers, bubble wrap and plastic jugs for an awning to keep out the elements. Jo gets the coolers from a hospital where she works.

She also adds straw for more warmth. The carrier sits on a wooden pallet to keep it away from the ground.

There are two sizes; a small carrier and a bigger one that can house a mother cat and her babies. Jo said the number of carriers needed depends on the number of cats and if the cats get along with each other.

Jo first learned how to make them by going to a shelter-building class hosted by All About Animals.

“And then I learned as I went along,” Jo said.

Don cuts out the inside of the coolers.

“I couldn’t have done this without him,” Jo said.

This year alone, they’ve made around 115 cat carriers. Last year, they only made 50.

“It’s like an overwhelming response, you know,” Jo said. “You get more and more people.”

Jo told of various circumstances the people who get a carrier experience. She said there was a trailer park that had around 100 cats and another person had around 25 cats and 10 kittens behind her business.

“I try to do a little at a time, each place, just so everybody gets some,” Jo said. “Because I still have a long list. I mean, there’s still people wanting them.”

The cat carriers are given away on a mostly first-come, first-served basis. Jo said some people say they want a carrier but can’t get it until the next week.

“Well, it’s freezing out and there’s cats that need it, so this person is probably going to get it if they come today. You know what I mean?” Jo said. “And then I’ll eventually make more that they can have more. But I’d rather get them out there when it’s cold.”

“They’ll just go to the bottom of the list,” Don said. “(It’s) whoever comes first.”

Jo also said if there is an emergency, such as a mother cat who recently had babies, they get first priority.

“(It) just depends,” Jo said. “I try to keep a list of everybody, what they need and how many, and how many cats they have.”

Jo asks people to make a small donation when asking for a cat carrier. If they can’t, that’s fine as well.

Along the way, Jo made friends in the animal rescue world.

“It’s just amazing how many people are out there that do help and, you know, it’s just really nice that there are so many special people,” Jo said.

Some of the people who use the cat carriers will sometimes send her pictures of the cats using them.

“It’s kind of therapeutic to me,” Jo said. “I work full time, so I do this on my days off.”

Jo added that building the cat carriers is relaxing.

Don said that a large number of outside cats are not feral, but rather are cats that were dumped by their humans.

“A high percentage are feral, but a larger percentage is growing because people just move and they don’t take them or they can’t afford to feed them,” Don said. “And those are cats that aren’t used to being outside.”

The number of feral, unowned cats is tricky to nail down. A United States Department of Agriculture study from 2021 said 30 million to 80 million cats are unowned in reference to a 2013 study. This study also specified that a large portion of owned cats are considered “free ranging.” A study from the National Library of Medicine published in 2019 states there are around 70 million unowned cats in the United States compared to around 1.4 million to 2.4 million in Canada. A study from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission estimated there are anywhere from 60 million to 100 million “homeless stray and feral cats.”

Don and Jo said they both think others should start making the cat carriers. Jo even offered to show people how to make them.

Don often asks Jo why other people don’t make them.

“She’s like the queen of making them,” Don said.

To donate supplies to Jo, contact her on Facebook under the name Jo Sweeney Addington.