Riverdale Cats adoption event helps rescued felines find homes after stories of neglect and survival

Dozens of Riverdale residents flocked to Universal Pet Care Grooming on Mosholu Avenue March 1 for the chance to meet 12 cats looking for new homes. Once victims of neglect, each feline was rescued by the volunteer-based nonprofit Riverdale Cats and offered the chance at a better life during the organization’s first adoption event of the year.

Attendees were allowed to interact with the cats and learn their unique stories. One of the rescues, a 15-year-old tuxedo named Annie Marie, was found more than a year ago lying next to her deceased owner —a Vietnam War veteran named Josh Allen. Starving to the point of liver and kidney failure, Annie Marie was taken to the 50th Precinct, where Riverdale Cats founder Stephanie Lauren first met her. 

After $15,000 in medical bills, Annie Marie made a full recovery, though she still requires two shots daily of spironolactone to slow the growth of  a tumor on her adrenal gland. Despite her hardship, Annie Marie laid peacefully in her hanging cat bed at the adoption event, dressed in a red-and-black buffalo plaid dress. Most visitors, already familiar with her story, stopped to pet her or cradle her in their arms. 

A Riverdale resident since 2017, Lauren told The Press she fell into rescuing by accident. She noticed stray kittens wandering down her street during the pandemic, and with more time on her hands, started researching how to become a certified rescuer. This involved knowing how to trap, neuter and return feral cats, as well as how to socialize cats so they are comfortable enough with humans to be adopted. 

To trap-and-release, Lauren works with feeders, or individuals across the city who are responsible for giving food to distinct colonies of feral cats within neighborhood boundaries. She initially worked for a shelter in Washington Heights, but in the past two years, has directed her focus to Riverdale and Kingsbridge, where she feels she can make a greater impact. 

Demand for Lauren’s rescue services keeps growing, she said. Shelters across the city are routinely at capacity, and residents are being forced to give up their pets due to rising eviction rates. Lauren frequently receives messages inquiring about surrenders, or legal transfers of animal ownership to her rescue organization.

Because Riverdale Cats doesn’t have its own brick-and-mortar location, Lauren hopes more small businesses like Universal Pet Care Grooming will open their doors to cat meet-and-greets. When they’re not socializing with local residents, the furry companions are cared for by foster families while they await adoption. 

Annie Marie was one of several rescues at the event marked by resilience. Last winter, 4-year-old Snow Pants was discovered starving, filthy and crying for help, curled in a ball on Tibbet Avenue. She underwent two months of intensive care, but slowly returned to her normal weight and began showing signs of a curious and energetic personality. At the adoption event, Snow Pants shamelessly gravitated toward any visitor with treats, flicking her orange-and-black striped tail.

The most energetic of the bunch was 1-year-old Lucky. The ginger tabby was rescued from the hallway of an apartment building, where a resident witnessed him being abused and called the police. Inside Universal Pet Care Grooming, he scampered across the room and rubbed up against visitors’ legs, leaping onto tables with confidence. 

Other cats had similar local roots. Butter spent his life in the stockroom basement of a deli, Bluebell was found wandering Corlear Avenue, and siblings Scully and Mulder were rescued from a car dealership parking lot. 

By the end of the day, six residents filed applications for adoption, beginning a lengthy process to determine if they are the right fit for their chosen feline. Lauren said, with each event, the community around Riverdale Cats grows. Even if someone is unable to house a cat, she encourages people to come by and enjoy the company of animals. 

“Life is so hard,” she said, “Who doesn’t want to sit and pet cats for a while?”