OCALA, Fla. — In an effort to help find forever homes for feral cats, a Marion County high school senior is working with rescued cats so they can become acclimated to indoor living.
Eagle Scout Baylie Ayala's masterpiece is a special home for feral cats at Sheltering Hands in Marion County.
What You Need To Know
- Marion County Eagle Scout Baylie Ayala worked to create a special habitat to help feral cats at Sheltering Hands in Marion County
- Ayala says she hopes to work in the medical field one day and says this volunteer effort is helping her get closer to her goal by forcing her out of her comfort zone
- The special habitat helps feral cats get acclimated to living indoors, which, in turn, will hopefully help them find a forever home more quickly
“I actually never built anything in my life before," Ayala said. "I never worked with a miter saw. The most I ever worked with was like a hammer and a screw.”
Thanks to help from fellow troop members and guidance from her siblings, Ayala was able to craft a home for cats that need a bit more time getting acclimated to living life inside homes.
This whole process, she says, pushed her out of her comfort zone.
“I had to talk to managers and associates at Lowe's and other businesses,” Ayala said.
April Lesage is executive director at Sheltering Hands, a cat shelter that provides veterinary services to cats throughout Marion County. She says they are all grateful to Ayala for helping create a special place for their feral cats
“We were super excited when she wanted to come out to give them whatever it is they can get, because they are stuck in a cage,” Lesage said.
For Ayala, her work isn’t done. She says she will keep lending a hand to help out and positively impact cats anyway that she can. Paying it forward, the future doctor wants to keep helping others in impactful ways.
“I kind of want to give back to the people who helped me,” Ayala said.