'The Cat Rescuers' Trailer: There Are 500,000 Stray Cats In NYC, And These People Want To Help Them

The internet loves cats, mostly because their eccentric and entitled behavior makes them perfect for memes. But it's easy to forget that there are thousands of stray cats out there who need a good home, food, and someone to give them some love. That's where the real cat lovers come in to play.

It sounds unbelievable, but there are over 500,000 stray cats in New York City alone. Since the city itself and animal control are unable to resolve the issue, a group of volunteers have taken it upon themselves to do as much as possible to help as many cats as they can. A new documentary simply calls them The Cat Rescuers, and they comb through NYC looking for cats to humanely trap, get spayed or neutered, and released – either back to their cat colonies or into someone's warm home. Watch The Cat Rescuers trailer to meet these cat saviors and, of course, see some kitties.

Growing up with cats, I've had a fondness for these feline friends for pretty much my entire life. Whenever I see a stray cat, I get a little sad inside knowing they have to endure the outside world on their own. Sure, they're animals, so they likely know how to survive, but there are plenty of domestic cats out there who are lost, abandoned, and were never meant to live like that. Most of the cats featured in the documentary are strays for life, but that doesn't mean they don't need care, too.

The Cat Rescuers is directed by Rob Fruchtman (of the docs Sister Helen and Sweet Dreams) & Steve Lawrence (of the docs Tell Tchaikovsky the News: Rock in Russia and Beyond the Veil). It premiered at the Hamptons Film Festival last year and played in select theaters this past summer, but it's finally coming to VOD and DVD on October 15, 2019. And if you like documentaries about cats, allow me to recommend the outstanding Kedi, which focuses on stray cats in Istanbul and the people who love them. Here's the synopsis for The Cat Rescuers:

With over 500,000 streets cats struggling to survive in NYC, and the city unwilling to address the problem, spirited volunteers like Sassee, Claire, Stu and Tara have come to their aid. Their beat is Brooklyn, where the problem has exploded. Combing the borough's alleys, backyards and housing projects, they trap the cats, get them fixed and returned to their colonies, or adopted. The Cat Rescuers shows the skill, resilience and humor they bring to this challenging but rewarding work, and how their mission to reduce animal suffering, often at great sacrifice to themselves, has changed their lives.