… with Barb Genge, Main Brook
Barb Genge is the owner of the legendary Tuckamore Lodge in Main Brook. She has guests from all over the world. And she has a group of stray cats that she takes care of. Barb even had them a small winter shelter built that she calls the Cat Hotel.
Barb Genge in front of the “Cat Hotel” at Tuckamore Lodge in Mainbrook (Photo Calonego)
Why do you have a “cat hotel” on your property?
We have stray cats here, five to six adults, two females and possibly five kittens. In Main Brook, there are a lot of strays. Some people are feeding them. But they multiply. I feed my strays, too, but I am going to have them fixed when the vet Dr. John Earle is here again.
Do the strays use your Cat Hotel?
Oh yes! We put a heating light in there. It is very warm. We can take the roof away to clean it out.
How does it come that you look after stray cats?
I always wanted a cat when I was a kid but I wasn`t allowed. We always had dogs but no cats. Once I brought a kitten home but my mother said: “You or the kitten has to go.” So I took the kitten back.
Is anybody home? (Photo Calonego)
But that changed when you were an adult, didn`t it?
Yes. One day when I drove home, I found a kitten along the road. It was a little white Persian. It settled right in at the lodge but it belonged to a teacher. The kitten ran away a second time. We never found her.
Why are there so many strays in Main Brook?
When the cod moratorium started in 1992, people moved away and left their cats at the dump. It was the saddest thing. They could not take their pets with them and the cats ended up at the dump. Then the dump closed. A cat came here from the dump. Her name was Angel and she was crippled. She was very territorial, a good mother to her kittens. She attacked foxes! I chased the foxes away, I was afraid they might get her. The foxes got a lot of kittens.
How long did you have Angel?
About four years. There was something wrong with her ears. It was cancer. The vet removed one ear and she was okay. After some months, I saw a spot on her foot. The cancer had returned. I had to have her put to sleep.
Are there a lot of predators who are dangerous for the stray cats?
We took pictures of a lynx sitting beside the sauna! There are also two big coyotes around here. There is something wrong with a lot of the cats. They have scars and injuries.
The small cat shelter is heated with a lamp. (Photo Calonego)
Did your wish finally come true to get a cat for Christmas?
Yes, a cat was left behind by the owners who went away. A neighbour had a store and looked after the cat. Christmas came and I asked the neighbour: “Do you still have the cat? I would like to have one for Christmas.” So I got Candy. Candy stayed four years with me and then she died.
Have the strays become friendly with you?
I cannot stroke them. I can only touch them quickly when they are eating. One cat comes to my kitchen window and sits there until I feed it. It does not want to eat with the other cats. Believe me, my stray cats are well fed. When I am traveling, a woman looks after them.
Thank you, Barb, for this interview and thank you for caring for stray cats.
