Unsung heroes: Sterling woman working to address feral cat population

STERLING – A Sterling woman is working tirelessly to give feral cats a fighting chance, even if it means turning her home into a makeshift rescue center.

Emily Heckman began her mission almost 10 years ago by trapping and rehoming feral kittens after witnessing the conditions that many lived and died in.

“There are so many feral cats out there, and it’s so sad how they will live their life,” Heckman said. “It’s survival of the fittest. They get picked off by traffic, raccoons will eat the baby cats, or intestinal parasites kill them. Fleas are the No. 1 killer of kittens, and it’s so sad because it’s such a slow death.”

Cory Law of the Whiteside County Health Department in Rock Falls said that in 2018, the department launched a trap-neuter-release program to address the area’s feral cat population. Since then, the number of feral cat complaints has declined significantly, thanks to the department’s initiative and the dedicated efforts of individuals such as Heckman and the Sauk Valley Friends of Ferals group.

But what started as an effort to help a few kittens has turned into a full-blown operation for Heckman, who soon realized rescuing them was only a temporary fix to a larger problem.

“I had people ask, ‘What’s going on with moms? You’re taking the kittens, and then the moms turn around and get pregnant again, and so, are you really helping?’” Heckman said. “They made a valid point. So I started trapping the moms too, and paying for them to get fixed.”

However, Heckman’s traps soon began ensnaring male cats as well. Determined to help every cat she caught, Heckman started housing the felines in kennels inside her house and porch until she could raise the money to get them spayed or neutered before rehoming or releasing them.

She said helping that many cats is not cheap. Heckman works part time and supplements her rescue efforts by scouring garage sales, thrift shops and curbsides for items she can clean up and resell.

“I have to hustle every day to make this happen,” Heckman said. “I’ve also had garage sale cat benefits and helped people move out of their houses for donation items or things I can sell.”

Despite the struggle, Heckman pushes through, mostly focusing her efforts on kittens because she says they are easier to socialize and rehome.

“There’s always the possibility that I won’t find them a home because usually after they’re about 4 months old, nobody’s asking or interested in them,” Heckman said. “So, I started spending the money to get those kittens fixed because people see it as an added benefit when adopting them.”

Although some of the families who have adopted her kittens have provided help, Heckman said she has reached a point where she could use broader support from the community by way of cat food donations, contributions toward spaying and neutering costs or assistance in finding homes for her kittens. Those looking to help can reach her on her Facebook page, HopeCove FeralKittenz.