To all Sterile Feral volunteers, supporters, and friends:

There is a serious situation with a long time Sterile Feral feral cat colony of 7 cats occupying the vacant lot behind the McDonald's restaurant at the corner of Veterans & Oakland. Many of you have been concerned about these cats since most of the trees & brush were cut down on that lot this summer.

For over 10 years we have maintained winter & feeding shelters on that lot for the cats. The city engineering department recently gave verbal approval for shelters to be on the perimeter of the lot. However, McDonald's recently confiscated all the shelters I recently put there & have refused permission for any shelters on the property. I believe this direction was given to the area McDonald's manager by the corporate real estate office.

Long story short, this means those cats will be without any winter shelter with winter coming on unless McDonald's can be persuaded (more like PRESSURED) to allow several shelters. They are all older and need all the protection they
can get. Now the cats huddle near the cement block above the drainage basin.

If people choose to contact McDonald's to ask that they please allow feral cat shelters on the vacant lot behind the restaurant at 2507 E. Oakland Ave. in Bloomington, they can either get on McDonald's' website comment area or email
Byron Chandler, the director of McDonald's Real Estate office at corporate HQ (email byron.chandler@us.mcd.com.

Suggested talking points:

1. There is a large depression in the center of that vacant lot with a retention basin for runoff from the restaurant, rendering the lot virtually unusable for any viable purpose by McDonald's -- in short, this is really a junk piece of property.
2. Neither the cats nor the shelters pose any harm to the property.
3. The shelters would occupy only a small area around the perimeter of the lot.
4. The cats provide a service by keeping the area mouse or rat population down.
5. When the weather gets very cold, without shelters the cats are more likely to try & run in area buildings.
6. The city of Bloomington does not have a problem with shelters on that lot.

("Poor kitty" comments are not as effective at the corporate level)

Any suggestions, additions, or comments are appreciated.

Hopefully McDonald's will get enough flak over this that they will allow shelters on that lot soon before it gets too cold.

Thanks to all who want to help! - Sheryl Hansen