The Cat Rescuers- A Review

I recently had an opportunity to watch The Cat Rescuers, a documentary by Rob Fruchtman and Steve Lawrence. I have had the opportunity to interview Steve (CCP Episodes 178 and 307) about his experience making the film and following the main characters, Clare, Sassee, Tara, and Stuart around. We follow these folks over a series of several months and we really get an inside look at how feral cat caretakers and trappers live day in and day out, helping the many cats that need their assistance, all while trying to keep their own lives going.

One of the key themes that I saw in the movie was that money was a leading concern with these folks—but at the end of the day, they somehow made this work. The emotional health and well being of some of the folks was clearly an issue as well. I often think about why we get involved with helping so many cats and end up getting overwhelmed. Are we trying to heal or avoid some other issue going on within us as we continue to let that trapping list grow? Maybe sometimes, but I do truly believe that every trapper and caretaker really doesn’t want to leave any cat behind if they can help it.

These folks are certainly the soldiers on the ground, making a difference in the community, but burnout is just such a strong theme. I felt the pain that these folks felt and oftentimes, I didn’t get a sense that they felt any level of relief. They also felt incredible loneliness and isolation. We got to see a bit of unity with Brooklyn Animal Action, but we also saw the challenges of collaborative efforts failing in Brooklyn.

While I felt that the movie was challenging to watch, I certainly didn’t get the sense that this was anything new. I know of many folks who live their lives just like Clare, Sassee, Tara, and Stuart. It is for these folks that I continue to do what I do in order to maybe, just maybe, help out in some way to make life even a bit easier on them in the future.

I do recommend you check The Cat Rescuers out. You can find it for rent on several platforms. Once you’ve had a chance to watch it, let me know what you think. Thank you again to Steve and Rob for taking the time and effort to share these stories, and thanks to the participants in the film for being so open, raw, and willing to share.