Santa Fe organization rescues and saves special needs cats

By Sasha Lenninger

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    SANTA FE, New Mexico (KOAT) — Hidden in the hills of Santa Fe is a quiet and quaint place that more than 30 feral cats call home.

Feline and Friends New Mexico is a local organization that runs off donations and they rescue cats with special needs, with the goal of finding them forever homes.

“We started it because when I moved here with my husband in 2000, there were dog organizations, a few of them, but nobody was doing cats. And I quickly learned that it was needed,” Executive Director Bobbi Heller said. “So an organization was born. Today we have 40 plus volunteers, foster homes, and we are an all volunteer organization. So our focus is giving second chances.”

Right now, they have roughly 30 cats and kittens.

“Special needs can be anything from what we like to say is socially challenged. They come from feral colonies and it takes far longer for them to adapt to being a house cat. We also have cats with health needs. The cat that lives in our reception room is actually diabetic. It’s under control, but she does get a small dose of insulin every 12 hours. She’s available for adoption. But it takes somebody who doesn’t mind having to be somewhat of a schedule and also correct diet to keep it in check,” Heller said.

Other cats are socially and physically challenged.

“Behind me is a cat that’s hanging. You can see the tail. He came to us from southern New Mexico and he was a barn cat who got injured. H now only has three legs. So he couldn’t stay as a barn cat because he would be vulnerable to predators, so he came to us,” Heller said.

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