For the past 4 years, Burgaw woman has tamed over a dozen feral cats

BURGAW, NC (WWAY)– Feral cats have been rummaging around Burgaw, but one woman is making sure they are properly being taken care of.

WWAY’s Bryan Alonso met the Burgaw cat lady, to see what she is doing.

Sally, Tanner and Bea are just a few of the feral cats that now walk alongside Julie Rowland, known by neighbors as the “Burgaw Cat Lady.”

“I’m a cat lover. I’ve had cats all my life — it’s natural,” Rowland said. “Some of my friends and neighbors call me the cat whisperer. I just love cats.”

For the past four years, Rowland has worked to domesticate and care for several feral cats living around her neighborhood. She feeds them daily, spends time with them and even takes some on walks down her street.

“I’ve done my duty. I’ve had them all fixed. They all have shots. They are microchipped. I feed them every day,” she said.

Despite the number of cats she cares for, Rowland said she has never received complaints from neighbors. In fact, she said many greet her warmly as she walks by with the cats.

That changed recently when she received a call from the Pender County Animal Shelter. One of her cats, Bea, had been trapped and brought to animal control by an unidentified person. Rowland said Bea was close to being euthanized after becoming highly distressed in the cage before staff located her microchip and contacted her.

“I thought she was dead — she was so out of it,” Rowland said.

Rowland suspects a nearby resident may have trapped the cat but said the individual declined to comment when approached.

Lt. Keith Ramsey of Pender County Animal Control said trapping cats is legal under certain circumstances.

“If the cats are on her property and she keeps them there, that’s one thing,” Ramsey said. “But when they go off the property and go to another neighbor’s house, then it becomes an issue. You’ve got a right to trap animals at your house.”

Some neighbors, however, say the cats provide benefits. Char McClain said their presence helps keep pests away.

“There’s a lot of them, but we don’t have snakes or vermin, or any mice or anything like that in our neighborhood,” McClain said.

Rowland said she understands not everyone is willing to care for feral cats but hopes more people will consider helping.

“I hope people would show some compassion,” she said. “If people would take the time, then maybe we wouldn’t have such a high feral cat population here,” said Rowland.

Rowland says she has tamed around a dozen cats throughout the 4 years she has lived in Burgaw.