Kitty Post March 2026

BCC’s Snow Trouble and a Paint-and-Pet Event!

Wow! I don’t know about you, but I have never experienced the type of snow/ice storm we experienced in the region on January 25^th. The thick, hard-as-rock sheets of ice burying the snow underneath were an absolute bear to shovel. The storm received nicknames like “The Great Glaze of 2026” and “The Complete Sleet Show”. And after the storm ended, it seemed like the below-freezing, chilling-to-the-bone cold would never end.

In addition to the worry about caring for our families and neighbors, Beltsville Community Cats’ Feral Colony Team was very anxious. The text chains on our phones, which communicate about every one of our 20 community cat colonies, were buzzing. We were deeply concerned about the cats- would they make it through this weather? The Team was constantly coordinating about who could actually get out of their neighborhood to feed our community cats each day. The cats and all the animals out there in the cold either needed to have extra fat storage to make it through the killing temperatures or they needed to eat a meal every day.

The BCC Feral Colony Team is an awesome and stalwart crew absolutely dedicated to the colony cats. We love and deeply care for our ferals, some of which are friendly and greet us and others who we love from afar. Despite slippery road conditions and unyielding ice, every colony got at least one meal a day throughout the cold spell! Paths to the colonies were shoveled with great care. Snow and ice were brushed out of the cats’ feeding areas. Frozen water bowls were emptied each day and refreshed with warm water. But we were all collectively holding our breath. Would our community cats, like Sandy and Snaggletooth and Sweet Pea, make it? Was what we were doing as a team enough to help them survive? Would all of the Autumn preparations and repairs we made to the cats’ shelters pay off and allow the cats a safe place to hide from the weather? This truly was a nail-biting situation with life-or-death consequences.

As the cold spell abated, the team all looked eagerly to see if every cat showed up. If they made it through. If what we did was enough. And one by one, all of the cats showed their faces. They survived. All 100+ of them.  

I could not be prouder to be a part of BCC’s Feral Colony Team. The members are phenomenal- deeply devoted, incredibly kind and also so much fun to be around. And because of the Team’s preparation and efforts, the cats made it. They made it through. And now we all can breathe again.

Paint and Pet Event!

BCC is offering a fun Paint-and-Pet event for all ages on Sunday, March 29^th.  Participants will create a cat-themed canvas painting and also be able to pet adorable cats and kittens (available for adoption) at the same time! There are two session times to choose from: a 1pm-2pm session and a 3pm-4pm session. The event is held at the Emmanual United Methodist Church (thank you EUMC)! The address is 11416 Cedar Lane, Beltsville, MD 20705.

Please sign up by Sunday, March 22^nd for the Paint-and-Pet event either by emailing hello@beltsvillecats.net or calling 240-444-8353. Whichever way you sign up, please leave your name, phone number (in case of inclement weather), email address and number of participants attending. We are asking for a donation of $7 per participant (at the time of the event). We look forward to seeing you on March 29^th!