At night, the “condo” door is left open for the kittens to roam freely around the huge room.

Porter has gotten to know their personalities and talks about them like they’re children. He seems partial to Meadow, who took an instant liking to him when she wrapped herself around his legs.

On weekends when many employees are off, an inmate nicknamed the “cat whisperer” helps care for them. He speaks Spanish and gets them to follow directions, according to Porter.

“He loves them to death,” he said.

This is not the first time stray cats have made Great Meadow their home. Lindstrand said over the years many had wandered in from a nearby farm outside the prison walls.

Fewer felines meander about since the farm closed but Great Meadow now follows the guidelines of the Trap, Neuter and Release program, promoted by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, to help stabilize the cat population.

TNR has been used successfully at Sing Sing Correctional Facility, among others, to help with the feral cat problem.