I interviewed The Grey Project. This is 4 ladies : Ginger Sardina, Diane Fell, Caryn Presswood and Brianna Bankston who help cats in Cherokee County, GA.
What does the Grey Project do?
We bridge the grey area between TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return) and Rescue. We work with feral and stray cats and try to understand the 'grey area' in-between by first asking: Who is the cat in the trap? Is it Feral? Adoptable? We follow and try to help with lost cats threads on Furry Friends Lost and Found in Cherokee County FB page. We work closely with the GA Animal Project for spay and neuter, and with Refuge Rescue for rescue. We do a lot of trapping to assist with medicinal needs and we feed and help protect feral colonies.
How many cats have you rescued?
150+ in the last 6 months between TNR, fostering and spay & neuter.
What kind of cats do you help and what do you do for them.
We work a lot with feral cats and kittens. Sometimes the feral colonies are in good shape. Sometimes we find lots of problems like Feline Leukemia and Feline AIDS. We find the very best to the very worst. Sometimes the visit we make with these TNR cats is the only time they ever receive a human touch. When they have been spayed/neutered and vaccinated they all get photographed. We keep pictures of all the cats we have helped.
How do you find cats that need help?
Often in the Furry Friends Lost and Found in Cherokee County FB page. People will post about feral colonies. We get texts, emails and posts on our The Grey Project FB page. We try to help everyone. Some people have money and resources but might need help with trapping a cat. Other people can't afford care. Education is key. Spay and neuter is essential to curb cat populations.
Are most of the cats you help homeless?
None of them are 'homeless' because where they are is their home whether it is a parking lot or someone's home. Do they all have a life of an indoor cat? No. Do they all have a loving home? No. We are often their only caretakers.
What donations do you need the most of?
We need team members that can transport, donate, foster and trap. We also need monetary donations for spay & neuter which all goes to the GA Animal Project. We also need cat food.
What made you think of starting the Grey Project?
Originally we were just 4 women doing different things - socializing kittens, TNR etc and we realized we had special abilities that complement each other. It started with us helping to find a cat by using a trap. 2 weeks later we found a feral colony. We just saw the need. The Grey Project grew organically and at each step things just fell into place. Our mission is to help the cat, the people who care for the cat and the community the cat lives in.
Why do you call it the Grey Project?
The first cat that Ginger ever trapped was a grey cat. He was a feral cat and it was a long journey through TNR to getting him into her arms. He became the symbol of the project. On a more metaphorical level it also refers to that 'grey area' that needs to be navigated by asking the first question: who is that cat in the trap?