Feral felines find friends in the Alley

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Cleo hadn't been seen in the alley for two days, and Holly Marie was starting to worry.

"I hope he's OK," Miss Marie said. "He had a busted eardrum, which has thrown his equilibrium off. If some kids found him, it could be disastrous."

Cleo is one of about seven feral cats fed daily in the alley by Miss Marie, who runs the Ward 1 Alley Cat Coalition. The cats have shown up faithfully for two years, even answering to the names that Miss Marie has given them. But for the past few days, Cleo has been a no-show.

But then a gray ball of fur saunters around the corner. Cleo, head leaning to the side because of his off-kilter balance, ambles over to the food, taking his regular place alongside his alley cohorts.

Visibly relieved, Miss Marie greets the cat warmly.

"I was just hoping he had found another alley somewhere, because some people do terrible things to cats. Someone poisoned some cats that I fed in another alley, and six of them died slow, painful deaths. It was horrible. You grow attached to them after a while."

Animal advocates and volunteers like Miss Marie agree with D.C. health and animal officials that there are too many feral cats roaming city streets and alleys -- but activists are often at odds with the city on how to deal with the problem.

Donna Wilcox, executive director for the nonprofit cat-rescue group Alley Cat Allies, estimated that there are "tens of thousands."

"But it's not an epidemic," Miss Wilcox said. "It's very similar to the situation in most cities."

The situation has gotten better, Miss Wilcox said, especially in Anacostia, Columbia Heights, Adams Morgan and Logan Circle, which were targeted by the organization for the trap-neuter-release program.