Take This Job and Love It:
Great Benefits Program with Perks for Blue Collar Working Cats
May 11, 2026
By: SPCA Chief Communications Officer Gina Lattuca
They’re a little too temperamental to be considered perfect, in-home, companion cats. Some are even feral. What’s to be done about these categories of cats when agencies like the SPCA Serving Erie County receive them as surrendered animals, or as part of an animal hoarding situation or other type of animal rescue or cruelty case?
For more than a decade, East Aurora-based Feral Cat FOCUS Inc. (FCF) has provided an answer for this agency and other cat welfare organizations in the state. Historically called other names such as the Adopt-A-Barn-Cat program and the Adopt-A-Working-Cat program, the Blue Collar Working Cats program now encompasses more of the varied establishments that have taken advantage of the loyal presence of these hard-working cats!
FCF representatives tell us program cats are cats of various temperaments. In some cases, they are not exactly feral, but they’re unsocial. They call this program a “beautiful adoption alternative” for these types of cats who have nowhere else to go.
According to FCF, Blue Collar Working Cats have been placed in various western New York establishments including wineries, warehouses, nurseries and greenhouses, barns and stables, and more. When an organization representative calls to inquire about receiving Blue Collar Working Cats to live on the property, FCF conducts a thorough interview to 
ensure proper placement, since not all of the cats will thrive in all of the settings. They also ensure there are enough people who will take full responsibility for the care and feeding of the cats throughout their lifetime.
Once an establishment is deemed a proper setting for specific Blue Collar Working Cats, a representative of FCF brings a minimum of two cats (some larger establishments have four or more Blue Collar Working Cats), already spayed or neutered, treated for fleas, and vaccinated by veterinarians at Operation PETS: the Spay/Neuter Clinic of WNY, Inc. for “grounding” purposes. Cats are placed in extra-large dog crates at their “new home” for a three-week period, which allows them time to adapt to the different people, sights, sounds, smells, and, possibly, other animals that collectively comprise the new setting. Most importantly, they begin to bond with and recognize the voices of those who will be providing the majority of care.
Temporarily, FCF provides the crates and other equipment, which is on loan during the three-week grounding period. After that, as with any adoption, all care is the responsibility of the new owners. FCF representatives also tell us that, in all the years of managing this program, FCF has had very few cats that didn’t respond to the new surroundings. They attribute that to the fact that the quality of life has increased for the animals and they’re more content; some of the cats 
become even more social and enjoy being present around people for longer periods of time.
To date, more than 600 establishments house a minimum of two Blue Collar Working Cats. The purpose? “Rodent control, plain and simple,” an FCF representative says. “Sometimes the mere presence of Blue Collar Working Cats is enough to keep rodents away from perceived food sources or food and beverage storage areas.”
FCF is unable to accept surrenders of cats from private owners who believe their cats may not be living a high quality of life indoors, yet feel guilty about keeping them outdoors or giving them up. FCF will, however, walk these cat owners through how to set up a Blue Collar Working Cats program right at home. FCF representatives say the group works hard to remove the misplaced guilt these cat owners may feel over not keeping a cat indoors, and added that not every cat can live a high-quality life indoors. They help these people establish a Blue Collar Working Cats program right where they are, taking them through all the steps and assisting them as much as possible in their imitation of the program.
The SPCA Serving Erie County is honored 
to be one of the organizations with which FCF works in its Blue Collar Working Cats program. Several hundred cats who were not viable adoption candidates found new lives through FCF and this program, and the SPCA is indebted 
and eternally grateful to the team at FCF for dedicating so many of their resources to these special cats with high work ethics.
Organization representatives who believe Blue Collar Working Cats might be a welcome addition to their establishments are encouraged to call FCF at (888) 902-9717, email info@feralcatfocus.org, or visit the FCF website to learn more about adopting a working cat team.
Feral Cat FOCUS Inc. is an all-volunteer organization with 501(c)(3) status.
HUNGRY PETS: Too many holiday treats won’t only pack the pounds on us…they’ll pack them on our pets. Many pets are on standard, limited diets; feeding them large quantities of food they don’t normally receive could cause abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea, none of which are welcome during this festive holiday…or at any other time, for that matter. Use discretion. Turkey bones are also dangerous for pets. A brittle, spiky bone could cause irritation of the stomach or intestines, or could lodge in your pet’s esophagus.
POTPOURRI PROBLEMS: Of course we want our homes to smell nice when guests arrive…but be mindful that liquid and other types of potpourri, especially sprinkled into rugs, along with many scented essential candles and oils are toxic to dogs, cats, even birds and other animals.
It is alleged that on or about Wednesday, July 17, 2024, the victim’s Yorkshire terrier, “Benji,” went missing from her residence in Niagara County. Later the same day, the victim allegedly received a phone call from a veterinarian’s office in the City of Tonawanda, notifying her that “Benji” had been found by another individual who brought the dog into their office to be scanned for a microchip. The victim allegedly received a second call, notifying her that “Benji” was no longer at the office after being discharged to the individuals who brought him in.
#GetYourFlirtOn
you’ll notice a thin, thread-like spike (for lack of a better word!) at the tip of the eagle’s wings. Barbara Haney tells us that is indicative of the eagle’s status as a first-year eagle born sometime this calendar year, probably February or March. According to the National Eagle Center website, bald eagles fledge at approximately 10 – 14 weeks, which tells us he has not been out of the nest for long.
After receiving the call from Masiello, SPCA Serving Erie County Animal Rescue Team Officers Jennifer Maleskis and Tyler Robertson arrived at the location, retrieved the young bird, and rushed him to the SPCA’s Wildlife Department hospital, where they were met by Wildlife Director Barbara Haney and, within the hour, SPCA Wildlife Veterinarian Dr. Karen Slote.
Dr. Slote was able to provide an initial examination and determined the bird, a first-year bald eagle, has a fractured femur. Further assessment and radiographs this afternoon confirmed a severe fracture.
the supportive care, fluids, and medications it is receiving at the SPCA, Haney says, “…then it’s our hope that, once he is strong and stable, Cornell will accept the bird for surgery. The surgical team at Cornell is much better-suited for this sort of surgery…they perform it much more frequently…and they have the equipment and the pins and the other necessities large enough and strong enough for this extremely large animal.”
This eagle is not the first cared for by the SPCA Serving Erie County Wildlife Department. “Eagles have made quite a comeback in the last 30 years or so,” Haney said, “and we’re starting to see them in all parts of Western New York, the City of Buffalo included. It’s possible this bird became disoriented for what could be one of several reasons, possibly even due to his reflection in the window of the high building, or he may have been in a territorial scuffle with a peregrine falcon, as hypothesized by our contacts at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.”
The SPCA wishes to thank Buffalo Police Detective Costantino, Buffalo Police Officer O’Brien, and Erie County Crime Analyst Masiello for their cooperation, and for contacting our officers when they found the eagle and saw that it was in distress.
Help a cat see the light! Become a member of the SPCA’s Foster Care team and bring home a “Shadow Cat!” And now, you can ADOPT a Shadow Cat for a waived adoption fee! Shadow Cats: