An Animal’s Best Friend

Around Lexington, Missouri they call Tina Bratcher the “Cat Lady.” The name makes her laugh, but she comes by it honestly.

As a child, Tina’s mother refused to let her keep any of the animals she brought home. It wasn’t until she was all grown up with a place of her own, that Tina decided she could finally keep the stray cats she found while delivering mail along her postal route in Independence, MO. She brought home so many, that she and her husband decided to move out from the city to Lexington where they could have plenty of land for the cats to roam free.

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Now retired (with about twenty cats and a couple of dogs), Tina’s mission is to help the animals and pet owners in her community. She notices more and more people have to make difficult choices since the recession hit and food and gas prices surged.

She sees more animals getting dumped on the side of the road by owners who feel they can no longer afford to feed and care for their pets. She gets calls asking her to take animals because their owners have to move into new housing or leave the area. The local pound only takes in dogs and nearby animal shelters are overwhelmed with cats. Her phone number has been passed around as someone who can help.

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But Tina can’t handle any more animals at her home and has promised her husband they will only keep the feral cats that arrive at their doorstep by themselves.

So when Tina gets a call, she tells people what she can do: help keep these beloved pets where they belong – at home. She uses her own money and small contributions from friends to supplement the food and litter donations that are passed on from the animal rescue group she volunteers with; and she also pays for veterinary care, including spaying and neutering.

It adds up and Tina knows she can’t help everyone. So she keeps to her daily routine of regular house calls until someone doesn’t need her help anymore. She gets excited when she hears someone has been able to find work.

Then Tina Bratcher moves on to the next desperate voice on the other end of the line. Meet an animal’s best friend.