Her name is Barb Jones.
The cat woman is what people call her.
We’re not talking about a “crazy cat lady” here but more like “Catwoman the superhero.”
A few years ago, a mature woman of 76 walked up and spoke about the case of cats in need. She walked up to the platform with spectacles and a gray turtleneck that was only a shade darker than her short white hair.
Under trailers and abandoned vehicles, I’m hiding.” Looking for clues in the darkest corners of the city. Intruding on abandoned structures. Commando-style crawling under decks and into crawl areas.”
She then referred to a picture on the screen of a red truck surrounded by garbage.
She instructed the audience to keep their eyes peeled for a cat lurking beneath the debris. That’s who I am: Barb Jones,” she said before pausing for a breath and introducing herself. “Also, I’m a TNR.”
While not many knew what “TNR” stood for, she made it sound like a superpower.
Which it is, in a sense.
The Trap-Neuter-Return Program
Jones has used Trap-Neuter-Return for more than 40 years to reduce neighborhood cat numbers, and it is considered the most humane and effective strategy.
The retired teacher devotes every one of her waking hours to caring for the estimated 10,000 stray or abandoned cats in the Colorado Springs area.
‘It’s become second nature to me,’ she remarked. Since I was a child, I’ve been working with people to help cats.
It all began in a small community in west Texas in 1977, and it was the beginning of something big.
To help an older woman named Edna, a friend and her launched a TNR program there. To get an idea of what Jones does and how generous she is, read this tale.
According to Jones, she didn’t want handouts and insisted on paying us back $1 every month. However, she also needed assistance to buy cat food.
We collected a dollar and handed out a $10 bag of food every month.
It’s typical of Jones’ work.
Why Did She Choose to Help Cats?
She has a special place in her heart for both dogs and cats. But she’s since discovered that dogs don’t require her assistance so much.
Jones claims that “cats have fewer champions.” “Everyone loves canines. Cats, on the other hand, don’t have as many supporters.”
As a result, she’s always working behind the scenes to assist them in any way she can.
She’s seen cats of various shapes and sizes in a variety of conditions. And she’s doing it for a simple reason. It’s the right choice.
There are a lot of kittens with matted eyes and no food source, but “when you’re looking at a lot of kittens, and you know there’s a way to help, you find a way,” she added. “It’s up to you.'”
She’s a whiz at figuring out how to improve things.
To begin, she wants people to understand the process. Unspayed female cats are commonly found abandoned by humans.
You can easily have a dozen cats living in the same place. When a kitten is just 4 months old, she can mate and give birth to her first litter at the tender age of six months.
Colony Mangers
“Unmanaged colonies,” as Jones refers to them, are at risk from hunger, sickness, and predators.
People like Jones come in handy for this kind of thing. To ensure that the cats are neutered, vaccinated, and ear-chipped on one ear, she must first catch them. With the help of volunteers, the cats are then released back into their natural habitat.
She believes there are at least 250 known colonies in the area.
Each colony is cared for by a team of volunteers, including the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region, which has the most extensive TNR program in town and is sanctioned by Colorado Springs and Pueblo.
According to the Humane Society’s website, the initiative will improve cat overpopulation and quality of life. . “We couldn’t have done it without our colony managers.”
People in Manitou Springs, Colorado, are referred to Happy Cats Haven, a cat rescue and adoption center. They recommend calling Barb Jones as a backup option.
As a result, she receives a lot of phone calls. Recently, she flipped through her notepad and found a list of 30 people she needed to call again for assistance.
The Woman Barb Jones
She explains that she “kind of” prioritizes the calls she receives. When anything is more urgent, I’ll move you up the list.
It’s not just phone calls that keep her busy. Sometimes she has a “crazy cat day.” She visits colonies and distributes food to those who care for cats.
She frequently tries to find new homes for cats that aren’t safe in their territories for any reason. As a result, she regularly keeps a few cats at her home.
There is no one else in her life, and she is happy about it. To be able to do what I desire, I keep them if it’s not safe to return them.”
She also tries to find new homes for them, like when she asked Julie McIntyre, the owner of Summerland Gardens if she had considered a shop cat.
She said no, no cats here. Jones ignored Julie McIntyre’s objections and brought in the cat Marley. It was more than 10 years ago, and Marley is still there.
“She’s a saint,” McIntyre remarked. That’s just what she does for the love of it.
When people mention Barb Jones, you’ll hear a lot of compliments like that.
The recipient of a thank you letter described Jones as a “hero” who fought against “a preposterous tide and won.”
For her efforts, she has been dubbed “the Mother Teresa of the wild cat world.”
The Kitten Lady, Hannah Shaw, a cat rescuer and author with over 900,000 Facebook followers, has given Jones the honor of being her “hero of the day.”
As someone who has been called a lot of lovely things, Jones is aware of this. It’s not what she’s looking for; she wants attention on the cats instead.
Her Thoughts About The Future
In her lap is a cat that she rescued 12 years ago.
She claims she’s fortunate because she’s retired and has a lot of time to assist out.
As a result of her low expenses, she can spend her money on cat supplies whenever she needs to. For her, it is fortunate that she has the stamina to do this and, as she says, “Old ladies can still get around.”
However, she prefers to avoid discussing her personal life. Instead, she likes to talk about the benefits of TNR and the people who do it.
Every day, she carries the hope of saving cats in need with her.
Taking care of kitties makes this planet a better place, she remarked. “One feline at a time.”
