Office workers at a Cobb County business center must say their goodbyes to four friends. As is the case when property changes hands, not everyone stays around.
In this transaction, though, it’s the furry friends who are leaving.
Lucy, Sally, Chuck and Radar are free-roaming cats who live and thrive on the grounds of Shadowood Office Park, a multitenant complex in the Cumberland/Galleria area near Truist Park.
Shadowood, long owned and operated by the Atlanta Property Group (APG), has changed ownership, and the outgoing management team is seeking homes for the four adult cats under its care.
Five years ago, Shadowood’s management team discovered a large colony of feral cats on the property after one of the adult cats wandered close to the buildings on Powers Ferry Road. Around the same time, six kittens were found near the dumpsters, said APG Partner and Senior Property Manager Sarah Stevens.
A feeding station was placed nearby to monitor cat activity and identify the number onsite. Then, the team used the TNR (trap-neuter-return) method to manage the cat population humanely.
TNR is universally used to safely control feral outdoor cat populations by ending the breeding cycle. Cats are captured in animal cages, called live traps, transported to a vet to be spayed or neutered and vaccinated, and then released back into their natural habitat. Some cats also have their ears tipped so they can be later identified.
Since discovering the Shadowood colony, about a dozen cats have been trapped and vetted. The adult cats have returned to the wild, and the six kittens have found forever homes. None has been sent to animal shelters.
It’s a true TNR success story, with a stable and healthy “community cat” population living at the property for the last few years, says Stevens, who oversaw the property management team at Shadowood.
Shadowood tenants supported the cat initiative, with many employees at the office park adopting kittens and helping to socialize the adult free-roaming cats. Some come by the management office every day to pet the cats. Stevens said the APG team is working hard to find them appropriate homes.
“While I know people on the site will miss seeing them, they will be very thrilled to know that they’re going to the perfect stable long-term homes – once we find those,” Stevens said.
Credit: spe
Credit: spe
The APG team cared for the community cats, providing daily feeding and veterinary care. One cat received medical treatment during his stay.
Stevens said the goal has always been finding permanent homes for all cats. But that’s not always possible for older felines who started in the wild.
“Once they reach a certain age without having had much socialization with humans, their instincts make it hard for them to let their guard down,” Stevens said. “That’s why trapped-neuter-return is the go-to practice for feral population control. If they’re not young enough to home, we want them to be healthy and no longer reproducing.”
Stevens said they are looking for patient or experienced cat adopters, so the transition to a new home can be slow and successful.
“With rescue groups and shelters currently overflowing in the Atlanta area, it is up to us to place Lucy, Sally, Chuck, and Radar in the best possible homes,” she said, and all four are well-fed and up-to-date on their vaccinations and veterinarian checkups.
The APG team will continue to feed the cats at their current Shadowood home until permanent homes can be found. Partners of the management group have absorbed all the fees associated with the cats and their veterinary care.
The APG team has always had a special place in its heart for rescue animals. Over 68% of the 54-person APG team have pets (80 dogs and cats in total), and 56% are rescue pets.
In this spirit, the team is donating $2,500 to Atlanta-based LifeLine Animal Project – a nonprofit that aims to end the shelter euthanasia of healthy and treatable animals.
“Both inside our office and in the communities of the properties we manage, we strive to demonstrate strong stewardship and a commitment to supporting others around us,” Stevens said.
“We hope to find our Shadowood cats the perfect homes with an abundance of the love and comfort these animals deserve.”
HOW TO HELP
Those interested in adopting one of the Shadowood cats, or finding out more, can contact Sarah Stevens at sarah.stevens@atlantapg.com.
To learn more about managing community cats through TNR (trap-neuter-return), visit LifeLine Animal Project at lifelineanimal.org.
