What they didn’t anticipate were all the adorable photos they’d capture of the grateful strays.
Cassano was eventually able to capture Mama and her kitten and bring them to a local shelter to be spayed and vaccinated. “It was fall, and the shelter said that Mama would be fine to return, but the kitten was likely too young to survive the winter if left outdoors,” Cassano said. “However, he took well to being handled by humans.”
Cassano fostered the little kitten and adopted him out to a loving home. But Mama wasn’t alone for long, especially with all the amazing amenities the Cassanos’ backyard offered .
Now, Mama hangs out in the yard with two black cats known as Inky and Finky.
Cassano doesn’t have any hopes of domesticating the little feral family, but she’s happy to give them a comfortable place to stay.
“They won’t come inside or let us touch them — but they recognize us, nap on the stoop [or] in the lawn chairs, coexist with us in the backyard, and sometimes come up to the window when it’s time to eat,” Cassano said.
“Over the years, we’ve gotten a few more houses and a ‘cat igloo,’ so all of our residents can stay warm,” Cassano said. “I jokingly refer to them as ‘Steve’s Cat Condos.’”
Now each stray has a little cat sanctuary of their very own, and they couldn’t be luckier.