Meet Our Cats Ace Angel #5 : Adlin, The Cat Collective Feeder of New York
Meet Our Cats Ace Angel #5 : Adlin, The Cat Collective Feeder of New York
Some people become feeders by circumstance.
Adlin became a feeder because she fell in love.
We’re honored to introduce Adlin Polanco from New York City. Our Cat's Ace Angel known as Adlin, The Cat Collective Feeder.
Her journey didn’t begin with a colony. It began with one cat of her own.
When Adlin became a cat owner, something shifted. The love she felt for her cat opened her eyes to the ones outside, the cats she had walked past for years without really seeing. The hungry ones. The cautious ones. The invisible ones.
One day, she followed a single cat she had been feeding.
That cat led her into a courtyard.
What she found there changed her life forever: a colony of about 23 cats.
The Courtyard That Started a Mission
Adlin didn’t know what to do. But she knew one thing, she couldn’t walk away.
She began reaching out to every rescue group she could find. Most didn’t respond. A few did. And that was enough.
With the help of Ayan and Thomas, and very limited resources but a shared urgency, they stepped in to help those 23 cats.
That moment was the beginning of something much bigger than feeding.
It was the beginning of a mission that would spread through Washington Heights, then into Manhattan, and even into the Bronx, one cat at a time.
As time went on,Nicole, Emmy, Tatiyana and Stephanie joined the effort.
What started as a few people trying to help became The Cat Collective Rescue.
Feeding Is Never Just Feeding
Adlin learned quickly that feeding is not simply placing food on the ground.
Feeding means:
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Spay and neuter
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Medical care
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Finding fosters and forever homes
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Showing up every single day
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And sometimes… experiencing heartbreaking loss
She lost Freddy, attacked by pit bulls.
She lost Penelope, after she contracted FIV and FeLV on the streets.
She lost Angel, a tiny kitten who fell beneath concrete. Despite every effort to save him, it was too late.
Those losses never leave her.
They are the reason she continues.
From Feeder to Rescuer to Advocate
Today, Adlin feeds around 25 cats daily, though new ones appear all the time. Her feeding routes stretch from Manhattan into the Bronx. Sidewalks. Courtyards. Hidden corners of the city most people walk past without noticing.
But Adlin sees them.
She knows them by name.
Coco, Goldie, Ginger, Pom, Milly, Nova, (These are just a few…) Julie, the first cat who made her fall in love and opened her eyes to this entire world.
She’s watched many of them transform through rescue. The “before and after” stories are living proof of what consistent care can do.
Some were rescued. Some were healed. Some found homes.
All of them were seen.
A Community Built From Love and Persistence
What Adlin helped build with others became The Cat Collective Rescue, not from funding or formal plans, but from heartbreak, determination, and a refusal to ignore suffering.
She used to receive donated food in 2024. Now, like many feeders, she often carries the burden herself.
Still, she shows up.
Because once you truly see these cats, walking away is no longer an option.
Cats Ace Angel: Adlin, The Cat Collective Feeder
Adlin’s story shows how feeding can become something much bigger — a lifelong commitment to protecting those who have no one else.
From one beloved pet cat… to a courtyard of 23… to dozens of cats across New York City depending on her daily care.
She is not just a feeder.
She is a rescuer. An advocate. A guardian of the unseen.
If you are local to New York City and can help with:
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TNR support
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Cat food donations
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Fostering or adopting
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Low-cost veterinary care
Adlin and her cats would deeply appreciate the support.
Want to help Adlin and cats like hers?
You can support our growing Cats Ace Angels community by sharing this story, becoming an Angel, or shopping from our store where 33% of proceeds go directly to help caregivers like Adlin.
Because the people who show up for stray cats every day… shouldn’t have to do it alone. 🐾💛
