Meet the woman caring for Flagler Village's cat colony
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The cats who said hi to Axios on Thursday. Others were hiding. Photos: Naomi Feinstein/Axios
At around 6:30pm on Thursday, dozens of cats started gathering on a street in Flagler Village. A car pulled up, and the cats moved closer.
- They knew Crystal Harrington had arrived with dinner.
Why it matters: For nine years, Harrington has cared for the cat colony that has become a fixture of Flagler Village.
- "People drive by slow to see them and make it a point to stop there," she tells Axios.
Driving the news: A TikTok video showing the cats roaming around and hanging on the street recently went viral.
- It received more than 100,000 views, with multiple users praising Harrington for caring for the 30 cats (not 500, as the video claims).
Zoom in: After work every day, Harrington packs her car with food, bowls, catnip and fresh water to feed the cats at around 6:30pm, rain or shine.
- She spends an hour there to make sure everyone gets fed: "I feel like I get dopamine, and I get that serotonin lift."
Flashback: Harrington lived on that street until May and started caring for 10 cats before taking 20 more after another fellow feeder left.
- The colony started from people leaving their cats behind, she says.
- When she moved out, she told her realtor that she needed a place less than a mile away.
What they're saying: "I grew to love them, and there's no way that I could abandon them because when I see them, I see my own cats," says Harrington, who's adopted two cats from that street.
- "It's not fair to these guys that they can't have a good home."
Zoom out: She's worked with trappers to get the cats spayed to keep the colony under control.
- "Broward County is oversaturated," she says. "It begins with spaying. If you don't spay, you are going to have thousands more over a couple of years," she says.
State of play: I joined Harrington during one of her daily visits.
- Many of the cats were timid and ran away if I got close, but a couple rubbed against my legs.
- Some were lying on cars, completely unbothered.
- A raccoon tried to get in on the food, but the cats scared it away.
By the numbers: Harrington spends at least $300 a month caring for the cats, not including vet visits, trapping or spaying.
- She goes through at least 30 pounds of dry cat food a week.
- "My kids say, 'Mom, that's the most expensive subscription you have,'" she tells Axios.
What's next: Harrington has found homes for some of the cats and continues trying to place others.
- But as new development comes to Flagler Village, she worries construction could scare the cats away.
The bottom line: "The only normalcy they have is knowing that I go there every single night," she says.