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Nine-year-old Greenwood Ambassador Explains Why It’s Important to Keep Cats Indoors This Time of Year

by Mackenzie Mallon, Greenwood Wildlife Ambassador

Mackenzie Mallon - Front(low)Hello,

My name is Mackenzie Mallon, and I am writing for Greenwood Wildlife! I am nine years old and an ambassador for Greenwood.  I am an ambassador because every year I throw my birthday party, and people show up with bathing suits (I have a pool) and some fun toys, food and money for Greenwood! Wait wo wo…where are my presents? I really don’t need more stuff, so I donate that money they bring to Greenwood to help animals! Anyways…

I live on a farm in Boulder County with two adorable kittens. We got these kittens because we have a mouse problem.** The mice lived on our chicken’s food and have moved into our house! Our goal for these kittens was for them to grow up as mouse hunters, but as you know every story has a twist in the middle…our kittens started bringing back voles and stalking birds! We couldn’t let this go on. As this year’s fledgling birds started to come out and test their wings we became concerned. As fledglings can’t really fly at first and could not defend themselves, we began to keep our two cats inside. Even though they made escape attempts, we made certain they were inside because we did not want to be responsible for baby birds getting hurt. As the season continued and the fledglings got better at flying, we started letting the kittens go out a certain amount of time in the late morning ‘till early afternoon. Of course, they were wearing their collars with bells on them! We have not seen the kittens carry anything but mice from now on and hope it stays that way!

I recommend for YOU to consider the safety of wild birds and keep your cats inside during the first flights of birds. This will save fledglings!!!!!

-Mackenzie

**Greenwood Wildlife rehabilitates orphaned and injured wild mice, so Mackenzie and her parents want everyone to know that for more than four years, they have tried to live trap the mice with no luck. They also tried to use snap traps with little luck. They refuse to use poison due to the trickle down effects on other wildlife. They now have a true infestation, as in mice running across their kitchen counters while they’re eating infestation.  So the mouser cats were their last option.

Wild Tails from Greenwood