PARKERSBURG - Second-grade students at Martin Elementary School have used their creative skills to help feral cats survive.
"Students made up the stories to go with photos provided to us by Save A Kitty," said teacher Terry Gunter. "It was quite the endeavor and I think it turned out well."
Each student chose photos to use, with some choosing to write their story about a particular color cat or about cats stealing food, and drew covers for their individual books.
Article Photos
Photo by Jolene Craig
Kandi Habeb, founder of the Save A Kitty Feral Cat Program in Parkersburg, poses with Terry Gunter’s second-grade students from Martin Elementary School on Thursday. The students used photos provided by Save A Kitty to write stories and make their own books to be sold with profits going to the organization.
"We have 27 different books by each student that will be available for purchased with all of the proceeds going to Save A Kitty," Gunter said.
The books are $6 each and available by contacting Judy Deem at 304-488-4679 or visiting the website at www.saveakitty.org.
Kandi Habeb, founder of the Save A Kitty Feral Cat Program in Parkersburg, said the funds from the book sales will go to the organization's trap, neuter and return program and the food pantry feeding the cats.
"We are so grateful and thankful that the students are helping Save A Kitty," she said. "This is one of the cutest fundraisers we have ever had."
Habeb said the program uses trap, neuter and return to spay and neuter more than 2,000 feral and free-roaming cats, averaging 250 a year since its inception in July 2004.
It is estimated more than 2,000 un-socialized cats live in colonies throughout Wood County. The location of these colonies are not made public for the safety of the animals.
Save A Kitty is a local organization formed to educate people on the success of trap, neuter and return in reducing the population of feral cats. The organization also hopes to remind citizens of anti-cruelty laws that protect all cats from harm.
"We are here to teach people that the cats are in need and there are easier and more humane ways of dealing with them than hurting them," Habeb said.
The method is a full-management plan where stray and feral cats are humanely trapped and taken to veterinarians for medical evaluation, vaccinations and sterilization. By spaying or neutering feral and un-socialized cats, their populations are downsized without having to euthanize a single feline.
Habeb said the method eventually stops the cycle of life by keeping more kittens from being born.
"These books are a great way to teach the kids how wonderful these cats are," Habeb said. "I just love when people do things like this for us and especially with how creative it is."
