Hilton Head islanders are desperate to help this cat. But they have to catch it first

Wanted, desperately: Gray kitty with a plastic jar stuck over its head.

It's been that way for more than 10 days, so time is short.

It's a feral cat living in thick woods off Palmetto Bay Road on the south end of Hilton Head Island, near The Village Exchange and The Smokehouse.

"We are open to any suggestions," said Marci Tressel, who cares for a colony of about a dozen feral cats there. "We have seen her several times. Two gals actually touched her (Monday)."

The jar looks like a peanut butter jar.

"It's not going to come off on its own," Tressel said. "She's had no water and no food for more than 10 days."

Volunteers are trying to encircle the large area in the late afternoon. Their goal is to see the cat and cover it with a towel, pick it up and get it immediately to a veterinarian.

"We need as many people as we can get to really comb the area," Tressel posted on Facebook.

"We need people to stay at the perimeter and others who do not mind adventuring inside this jungle-like area. Please wear boots, bring a heavy towel, and a long stick if possible (if you do not have a stick, there are many branches we can get you on location). We really appreciate your dedication and help ... this is truly a caring community."

Tressel said she may be reached at 843-301-3030.

The cat is getting weak, and volunteers hope that may help them capture it if they can find it.

Tressel has tried using her heirloom shrimp cast net made by the late Joseph "Crip" Legree Jr. of St. Helena Island. But the underbrush is too thick. Someone is going to bring her a smaller shrimp net.

Community response — from police, firefighters, lawyers, a judge — has been overwhelming, Tressel said.

All the cats in the colony have been trapped, spayed, inoculated and returned to the wild where Tressel or other animal-lovers feed them in a small clearing.

"If they're fed, they're not going to kill birds," she said.

Tressel has been capturing feral cats on Hilton Head for more than 20 years, when Dr. Ben Parker of Bluffton would spay or neuter them for $30. Now she and many other volunteers work through the Hilton Head Humane Association to control the feral cat population in this way.

"We can't ignore the problem," she said.

Tressel is a photographer and writer known as an animal lover.

"She has been a tireless advocate for animals in her 40-plus years on Hilton Head," said her friend Hal Cherry. "She has adopted several shelter dogs over the years, is one of the few volunteers for raptor rescue, brought the bundle of straws to the Town Council meeting to protect sea turtles, and works to reduce the number of feral cats on the island."

This story was originally published April 17, 2018 at 12:08 PM with the headline "Hilton Head islanders are desperate to help this cat. But they have to catch it first."