Information for HOAs, Landlords & Property Managers

Humane, Faith-Based Management of Community Cats on Your Property

A Different Kind of Partner on Your Property

If you manage an HOA, apartment complex, condo community, or rental property and have discovered someone caring for outdoor cats on your grounds, you may be wondering:

Who are they?
Why are they feeding cats here?
Will this create more problems—or solve them?

This page explains who our Guardians are, how they operate, and how partnering with them can reduce complaints and stabilize the situation over time.

Who We Are

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

Our Guardians are not casual feeders. They are Commissioned Guardians, serving as part of an established ministry. For them, caring for vulnerable animals is a spiritual practice—a way of living out compassion and stewardship in everyday life.

Each Guardian agrees to ministry standards that emphasize:

Respect for property owners and residents
Cleanliness and order
Calm, non-confrontational communication
Humane, responsible management of the cats already on site

How a Guardian Helps Your Community

Unmanaged outdoor cats can lead to:

Noise, fighting, and mating behavior
Odor and spraying
Kittens being born repeatedly
Trash being ripped open
Frequent complaints from residents

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

Scheduled feeding in discreet locations, so cats aren’t roaming widely in search of food
Clean, orderly feeding areas with bowls picked up after use
Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) efforts so cats are spayed/neutered and vaccinated
Monitoring health and behavior so sick or injured cats can be helped
Reduced roaming, yowling, and mating behaviors as more cats are fixed

Over time, this approach is designed to result in:

Fewer complaints, fewer litters, fewer problems—and fewer cats overall.

Why “Remove Them All” Usually Doesn’t Work

It’s understandable that boards or managers sometimes ask, “Can’t we just remove the cats?”

In most communities, this approach fails because of the vacuum effect:

When cats who live in a territory are removed, new, unfixed cats move in to take advantage of the food sources and shelter.
The cycle of mating, fighting, and complaints starts over—often with more intensity than before.

Humane management and TNR acknowledge reality:

The cats are already here. The most effective, long-term solution is to stabilize and reduce the existing group humanely.

Our Stewardship Standards on Your Property

Commissioned Guardians with Guardians of the Cats commit to:

Feeding at set times, not leaving large piles of food out all day or night
Keeping feeding areas clean, removing bowls and minimizing visual clutter
Being respectful of common areas and amenity spaces
Avoiding arguments and escalation with residents or staff
Working toward TNR and medical care as resources allow
Contacting property management if there are serious concerns that affect safety or operations

If you feel a Guardian is not living up to these standards, we welcome hearing from you.

How We Prefer to Work With HOAs & Property Managers

We encourage a cooperative, solutions-oriented relationship rather than conflict.

Ways we can work together:

Clarifying suitable locations for feeding that are discreet and minimally visible
Agreeing on reasonable guidelines (times, areas, cleanup expectations)
Coordinating TNR efforts so that cats are fixed and vaccinated as efficiently as possible
Providing consistent information to residents, so they understand what is happening and who is responsible

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

Fewer surprise litters
Fewer angry calls about cats fighting or yowling
Less trash disturbance
A more predictable, manageable situation overall

About the Spiritual Nature of This Work

For our Guardians, caring for homeless and free-roaming cats is a sincerely held spiritual practice, similar to how others may express faith through:

Serving in street ministries
Visiting the sick or elderly
Volunteering in food outreach programs

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

We share this not to create tension, but to explain why this is not a casual activity your resident or staff member can simply stop on demand. It is part of how they live their faith and is deeply important to them.

At the same time, we encourage our Guardians to be:

Respectful of community rules
Open to reasonable adjustments
Calm and cooperative in communication

Safety & Legal Concerns

We also take seriously the safety of both residents and animals.

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

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

If you have safety concerns related to cats on your property, we urge you to:

Contact local animal control or appropriate authorities for guidance
Communicate with the Guardian and/or our ministry rather than encouraging residents to “take matters into their own hands”

Our ministry is committed to lawful, humane care and wants to be part of solutions, not conflict.

Have Questions or Want to Discuss a Cooperative Plan?

If you manage an HOA, apartment complex, condo community, or other property where a Guardian is active, we’re open to conversation.

You can reach us to:

Confirm that someone is a Commissioned Guardian
Share concerns about how cat care is currently being carried out
Explore creating a simple, cooperative understanding for your property

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.”