Information for Businesses & Commercial Properties

Partnering in Humane, Faith-Based Management of Community Cats Around Your Business

Why You’re Seeing a “Guardian of the Cats” Near Your Business

If you’ve noticed someone regularly caring for cats behind your building, near dumpsters, or around your parking lot, it’s natural to have questions:

Who are they?
Are they making the problem worse?
Is this good or bad for my business?

This page explains who our Guardians are, what they do, and how responsible cat management can actually reduce headaches for your business over time.

Who We Are

Guardians of the Cats is a non-denominational 501(c)(3) faith-based ministry providing spiritual care and protection for homeless and free-roaming cats.

The person you’ve seen caring for the cats is not a random feeder; they are a Commissioned Guardian serving within our ministry. For them, this is spiritual work—a way of living out compassion and stewardship in the world.

Every Commissioned Guardian agrees to standards that emphasize:

Respect for business operations
Cleanliness around feeding areas
Calm, non-confrontational communication
Humane, responsible management of the cats already on site

Why Are There Cats Around My Business?

Most commercial properties naturally attract cats because of:

Food sources (dumpsters, outdoor trash, loading docks)
Shelter (under decks, behind buildings, storage areas)

This means:

The cats you’re seeing already live there—they were not brought in by the Guardian.
Ignoring them doesn’t make them disappear.
Unmanaged cats can multiply quickly and become a source of complaints.

A Guardian steps in, as part of their spiritual calling, to take responsibility for that existing population.

How a Guardian Helps Businesses

As part of their spiritual practice, a Commissioned Guardian may:

Feed at set times so cats are not ripping into trash, wandering in panic, or yowling for food
Maintain clean feeding areas, picking up dishes and avoiding clutter
Support Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) so cats are spayed/neutered and vaccinated
Monitor health and behavior, watching for illness or injury
Protect vulnerable cats from harm, while respecting neighbors and property
Act quietly and peacefully, without creating disruption or conflict

This is not random feeding. It is structured, responsible care.

How Responsible Guardianship Helps You

Unmanaged cats around businesses can create problems:

Tipped trash, torn bags, and mess
Noise, yowling, and fighting—especially at night
Kittens appearing repeatedly
Negative customer perception (“no one manages this place”)

A managed group, overseen by a Guardian, is very different. Their work often includes:

Scheduled feeding in discreet areas, so cats aren’t rummaging through trash or wandering widely for food
Clean, contained feeding setups with bowls picked up after use
Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) to spay/neuter and vaccinate cats
Monitoring health and behavior, so sick or injured cats can be helped
Calmer, quieter behavior as more cats are fixed and the group stabilizes

Over time, humane management is intended to result in:

Less mess, fewer litters, fewer complaints—and a more stable, predictable situation for your business.

Why “Just Get Rid of Them” Usually Backfires

It’s understandable to want the cats gone. But in practice, attempts to remove them often fail because of the vacuum effect:

Cats are territorial. When existing cats are removed, new, unfixed cats move in to claim the space.
The new arrivals are often louder, more stressed, and more likely to breed.
You end up with a rotating cast of unfamiliar cats and recurring problems.

By stabilizing and fixing the cats already there, a Guardian helps ensure:

The group shrinks gradually instead of being replaced by new animals
Behaviors like spraying, fighting, and yowling are greatly reduced
You have a known point of contact who is taking responsibility, instead of chaos behind the building at 2 a.m.

Our Stewardship Standards on Commercial Properties

Commissioned Guardians with Guardians of the Cats commit to:

Feeding at consistent times, not leaving large amounts of food out around the clock
Keeping feeding areas clean and orderly and away from main customer entrances when possible
Being mindful of delivery areas, loading docks, and safety concerns
Avoiding arguments with staff, customers, or tenants
Working toward TNR and medical care when possible
Staying in communication with property management if specific concerns arise

If you feel a Guardian is not honoring these standards, we invite you to contact us.

How We Prefer to Work With Businesses & Property Managers

We want to be a quiet asset, not a source of tension.

Ways we can cooperate with you:

Identify appropriate locations for feeding that are discreet and away from main customer traffic
Coordinate feeding schedules around your operations (for example, before or after busy hours)
Support or coordinate TNR efforts to reduce future litters and complaints
Provide clear information to tenants or staff about what is happening and who is responsible

When a Guardian is allowed to carry out their spiritual work responsibly and in cooperation with management, businesses typically see:

Fewer surprise kittens appearing around dumpsters
Less noise and chaos at night
Fewer complaints from tenants and customers
A more controlled, humane approach rather than continual “cat emergencies”

The Spiritual Nature of This Work

For our Guardians, this is not a casual activity or hobby. It is spiritual practice—a ministry.

Their work is similar in spirit to:

Volunteers serving in human street ministries
Faith-based outreach to vulnerable populations
Service-oriented acts of compassion carried out quietly and consistently

Guardians of the Cats is organized as a 501(c)(3) faith-based ministry, and our Commissioned Guardians are living out their faith when they care for the cats on and around your property.

Because of this, we ask that their ability to carry out this work responsibly and respectfully be honored, even if not everyone personally shares their beliefs.

At the same time, we expect our Guardians to:

Be courteous to business owners, employees, and customers
Stay open to reasonable adjustments
Avoid confrontation and escalation

Safety, Liability & Harm to Animals

We recognize that businesses also worry about safety and liability.

We strongly discourage—and in many places, local law may prohibit—actions such as:

Poisoning or deliberately harming cats
Trapping and abandoning cats in another location (“dumping”)

If there are serious safety concerns or you believe laws may be involved, we encourage you to:

Contact your local animal control or appropriate authorities
Reach out to us so we can help address the situation humanely and lawfully

Our ministry is committed to reducing problems for businesses while upholding compassion and legal standards for animals.

Want to Talk or Clarify What’s Happening Around Your Business?

If you manage or own a business where a Guardian is active, or if cats on your property are causing concern, we’re open to conversation.

You can contact us to:

Confirm that someone is a Commissioned Guardian
Discuss concerns about cleanliness, location, or timing of care
Explore developing a simple understanding that works for both your business and our Guardian

Guardians of the Cats
A 501(c)(3) Faith-Based Ministry
Website: www.guardiansofthecats.org

Email: contact@guardiansofthecats.org

Phone: 602-753-7739

“To serve the forgotten is to serve Spirit. To protect the vulnerable is to live faith. To care for cats is to become love made visible.”