Feral cats are an issue that runs rampant across the United States, and according to the National Feline Research Council, an estimated 32 million of them freely roam areas without owners.
It’s a harsh reality one Tucson woman was forced to face when she moved into a rental house in Arizona in 2020, which was unknowingly also home to about 30 feral cats.
Two years on, Courtney has grown very fond of the furry friends. She runs the popular TikTok account @poetssquarecats that shows the goings-on of the motley crew living outside her home as well as her advocacy work for local Trap-Neuter-Release projects.
The profile is so popular that some fans are even getting the animals tattooed.
The woman admits living at the house wasn’t a cat lover’s dream like many people would think, as, in the beginning, every animal had some health issue she had to assist them with.
However, she was able to get them stable in a year and now, many are adopted or have taken a liking to humans.
Some cats like Sadboy and Lola have gained so much online notoriety that when Courtney worriedly announced her landlord planned on selling the house in April 2022, viewers literally jumped into action to ensure she and her boyfriend wouldn’t have to leave them behind.
She shared with Best Friends Animal Society that fans donated over $50,000 on GoFundMe, which was more than enough for them to put a down payment on the home.
They officially purchased the home in June, and many TikTok users believe it was an awesome moment for the Internet, as they were able to help the woman and cats continue to have a home.
@poetssquarecats It’s dinner time 🥰
♬ original sound – Poets Square Cats
@poetssquarecats Reply to @valosd0ll ♬ original sound – Poets Square Cats
I was very and happily surprised when we moved to Tucson AZ and found it was a very cat-friendly city. AND it has the first No-Kill Cat place – The Hermitage Cat Sanctuary.
We had to move in 2007. Hope everything is still that way.
I believe it is, thanks to Courtney and Poets Square Cats 💖