Feral cats are a problem in neighborhoods everywhere, but a loosely-knit network of volunteers is working tirelessly to control the problem in the tri-county area of Gloucester, Mathews and Middlesex. Pastor Angie Hoen became aware of the problem last spring, not long after she moved into the Mathews Chapel parsonage in a small neighborhood in Cobbs Creek. She was in the backyard when she saw a tiny head pop out from under the deck, followed by another, and another. It was a litter of four kittens, born to Mama, a cat that had been populating the neighborhood with her offspring for years. The kittens soon disappeared, and Angie learned Mama had moved them to Doug and Patti Benton’s backyard, a verdant, shady oasis full of hiding places that was familiar to Mama because it had once been her home. The Bentons, longtime residents, had moved away for a number of years and rented out their house, but returned in 2021 after a fire damaged the structure. Before they could even begin renovatio...