Meet Our Cats Ace Angel #4: Andra, The Dawn Feeder of Foley
Meet Our Cats Ace Angel #4: Andra, The Dawn Feeder of Foley
Sometimes becoming a Cat Angel begins with one small, unexpected visitor.
For Andra Collins in Foley, it was a tiny hungry kitten who appeared at her back door not long after she moved into her new home from Arkansas. She had always loved cats and had brought her boy Luke with her during the move, never imagining that another would soon follow. But the kitten needed help, and she couldnāt turn him away. She fed him, kept him, and named him Socks.
At the time, it felt like a simple act of kindness. In reality, it was the beginning of something much bigger.
When You Start Seeing the Ones Who Need Help
About a year later, Andra began noticing several thin cats running through the wooded lot across the street. It was clear they were struggling, and before long one of them had kittens. She wanted to help, but they were feral and frightened, unsure of people and hard to approach.
Instead of feeling helpless, she started searching for answers. She joined local Facebook groups, looked through lost and found pet pages, and eventually discovered a local nonprofit, Safe Harbor Animal Coalition, that specializes in trap neuter return. She reached out, hoping there might be a way to stop the cycle of kittens being born into hardship.
With guidance from the organization, she began feeding the cats regularly so they would become comfortable coming to her yard. Once they trusted the routine, the trapping process began. Every cat was successfully spayed or neutered and returned safely. Because the city works with the organization to fund services for feral cats that meet certain guidelines, there was no cost to her, which was an enormous relief.
Most importantly, the cycle stopped.
The Ones Who Chose Her
A few of the friendlier cats decided her fenced backyard was home.
Andra never planned on having five cats, but they didnāt leave, and she couldnāt turn them away. So she made them part of her family. There is Hands, named for his extra toes that look like little hands, along with his brother White Cat and another named KitKat.
Sometimes rescue doesnāt look like a decision. Sometimes it simply unfolds.
The Cats Who Wait at Dawn
She also couldnāt stop feeding the others. Over time, many of the feral cats began to recognize her and trust the routine she created. Some are still cautious, but they all know one thing. She shows up.
They now have names like Loud Mouth, Meanie, Yellow Cat, Sweetie Pie, Tiger, and Teddy Bear, along with a few she hasnāt named yet. Every morning when Andra opens her door at four oāclock to leave for work, they are already there waiting for breakfast. They return again in the evening, knowing she will be there.
That quiet consistency is what keeps them going.
The Sacrifice Behind the Care
Right now, Andra spends around four hundred twenty dollars each month on dry food just for the outside cats, not including food for her own pets. She recently finished paying off personal debt, and while many people might have used that extra money to start saving for retirement, she chose to continue feeding the colony instead.
They depend on her, and she has made the decision to keep helping them for as long as she is able.
That kind of commitment is what defines a Cat Angel.
Cats Ace Angel #4: The Dawn Feeder of Foley
Andra asked us to choose her Cat Angel name, and the one that feels right is Andra, The Dawn Feeder of Foley, because every morning before most of the world is awake, she is already outside making sure the cats who depend on her are fed and cared for.
She turned her backyard into a safe place. A feeding station. A routine the cats trust. A space where hungry animals know someone will come back.
And sometimes, that is everything.
Follow Andraās Journey
You can follow more of Andraās cats and daily life on Instagram:
šø @mskittybobandsocks
How You Can Help
If you are local to Foley and able to help with cat food, resources, or support, Andra and her colony would truly appreciate it.
You can also support our growing Cats Ace Angels community by:
Becoming a Cat Angel
Sharing her story
Shopping from our store where 33 percent of proceeds go directly to caregivers like her
Because sometimes one hungry kitten at the doorā¦
Becomes a lifetime of compassion.
