GARDEN CITY, Idaho — A long-standing feral cat colony at the Western Idaho Fairgrounds is facing new challenges as construction begins on Athletic Club Boise's new professional soccer stadium.
Dozens of cats have lived on the property for years, many of them born there. Volunteers with the Garden City Community Cats Project have fed, fixed, and cared for the animals daily. But recently, access to the colony was restricted, making it harder for caretakers to provide food, water and medical care.
"When I started Garden City Community Cats Project, there were literal kittens, every season, were dead on the ground, starving cats. That's what I needed to take care of," said founder Donna Brown, who started the nonprofit in 2016.
Brown said she now partners with more than 40 caregivers throughout the city, including Tracy and Terry Brodt, who have led efforts at the fairgrounds for the past decade.
According to Brown, the Brodts know nearly every cat on the property, including a senior cat named Ticket, who lived in the old racetrack ticket booth and died in their care.
"She had over 200 cats that she was feeding. She has brought this down to... from 200 to less than 50," Brown said.
Brown emphasized the importance of population control, warning that just two unfixed cats can multiply to thousands in a matter of years.
Access to the area was temporarily blocked when fencing went up ahead of Athletic Club Boise's June brand reveal event. Terry Brodt said property managers working with the stadium group told them to remove food and water bowls, and for several days, they couldn't reach the animals at all.
However, the Brodts were recently granted access to a secured area, including the ticket booth, where they can resume feeding and watering the cats for now.
A spokesperson for Athletic Club Boise told Idaho News 6 the organization is working closely with the Brodts to find a solution that works for all parties, one that keeps the cats safe while also preventing the population from growing unchecked.
"If Tracy's gone, those cats… there'll be another 200 in a year. And after that, exponentially, they'll grow…" Brown said.