THE LOCAL NEWS OF THE MADISON VALLEY, RUBY VALLEY AND SURROUNDING AREAS

Photos courtesy AMANDA HEDGES

AJ’s Furballs

Ennis animal lover helps feral cats find their forever homes

“Knowing I’m making a small part of the world a better place by caring teaches me that I have the ability to change the way people treat animals. Animals are the teachers on Earth, they are also spirit guides. They are with us at the different stages of our lives, they teach us, guide us, and in some cases protect us. We owe it to them to treat them with the respect they deserve. At the end of my life, I can look my maker in the eyes, hold out my hands and say, ‘I used the compassion in my heart that you gave me, I hope it was enough.’” – Aj Montana 

The last day of January began in Ennis as many likely have before – winds were picking up as the first snowflakes rapidly morphed into a blizzard along Main Street.

No matter the winter weather, Amanda Hedges, also known as Aj Montana on Facebook, was up at dawn on Jan. 31 tending to the population of feral cats that call the streets of Ennis home. It’s a task she performs seven days a week, 365 days a year, in an ongoing effort to care for stray barn, domestic and feral cats.

Hedges came into this unique “cat lady” calling when she moved to Ennis 13 years ago, initially hailing from England. A town landowner asked her Ennis housemate to borrow a horse to help with some long grass cutting in the Ennis Homestead area. Her housemate did so, but when upon returning home he was in tears.

“I asked what it was about, and he sort of came to, he said, ‘You need to come with me, there’s something you need to see,’” Hedges recounted, coming to tears herself. “I went down there, the first cat I saw, I picked him up, it was a starved, dying kitten.”

Hedges estimates she encountered 71 malnourished and dying cats at what was then called the Baker Ranch. The ranch owner explained, it upset him too, but he hadn’t the means to feed that extreme number of cats. It started with unfixed ranch cats, tripling from there. Then, people began to dump cats on the property. The population exploded.

Hedges decided she couldn’t stand by and watch the suffering. Her first step was trapping young litters of kittens with their mothers, taking them to her home and caring for them until they were old enough to get spayed or neutered, then finding homes for the mother and babies who had by then become accustomed to human care.

That was working. With blessings from the rancher (who was keen on getting the angry townsfolk off his back), Hedges began feeding the strays that remained. She also took home the rancher’s personal cat; “He gave me what looked like a cat,” said Hedges, “It was in really bad condition. But when I brought his cat back to him, he had to examine it, he said it wasn’t his cat. But it was, all groomed. Jumbo, a huge tabby, had come back beautiful.”

White & White veterinary had taken in Jumbo to care for his gums, gave him five baths, and lots of grooming. Eileen White, Hedges recalled, said underneath all that mess, there was a beautiful cat. One that the rancher cherished until the day he went to the Madison Valley Manor.

Recognizing his Earthly days were limited, the rancher asked Hedges, no matter who took over his property, would she carry on the work she began?

And carry it on she has. Hedges initially funded the effort out of her own pocket, but soon began to receive donations from other community members who recognized the need. Beyond food costs, Hedges works with local vets to provide medication, surgery and end of life care as needed.

Social media has been a boon for Hedges, who calls her rescue effort AJ’s Furballs. Through Facebook posts as Aj Montana Hedges has been able to set up funds to cover discounted vet bills and food costs, attract prospective adoptive families and continue spreading the message that behind every stray cat is a person who let it down.

“Some people see me as a crazy cat lady in a long raincoat, you know, I must be about 70-yearsold, I must stink like cat pee, that’s the impression,” said Hedges, who, interestingly, was a body builder during her time living in England. “But the toughest people are animal rescuers. You have to be tough. Even though I break, it’s because I just had to put one to sleep. I can’t push my anger on that person who did this, so I’ve got to hold it in and carry on.”

Hedges has come up against various levels of criticism for feeding the cats, with some warning her against taking on the effort which would “rip out your soul and your heart, not to mention your bank balance,” as Hedges described. It’s true that some of her encounters with suffering felines has caused her periods of sadness and grief, but the successes keep her going.

Hedges works with the Madison County Sheriff’s Office and the Ennis Police Department to report animal abuse. Spay and neuter efforts also continue. Hedges also works to bring low or no-cost Spay Montana spay and neuter clinics to Ennis; she expects one to be held this spring. Hedges also hopes to raise enough money to one day start her own non-profit so that she can pursue grant opportunities and perhaps even open an animal shelter for the community.

Motivation to keep up the effort comes in the form of healthy, happy cats, but Hedges said she also finds the strength to continue via the support from the community.

Anyone interested in adopting one of Aj’s Furballs is welcome to reach out to Aj Montana on Facebook. Interested financial donors can send donations to Amanda Hedges, PO BOX 261, Ennis MT, 59729.

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The Madisonian

65 N. MT Hwy 287
Ennis, MT 59729
406-682-7755
www.madisoniannews.com

Cori Koenig, editor: editor@madisoniannews.com
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