Kitty City Feral Sanctuary, Inc.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Got Cats? Resources in the Community for Feral Cat Management
According to the Humane Society, "...without Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programs, feral cats continue to reproduce, and up to 75 percent of their kittens could die. Calls to officials from citizens (whether they are concerned about the cats' welfare or complain about the cats) won't decrease, and feral cats will continue to overwhelm animal shelters that are already trying to care for injured, abused, and surrendered pet cats."
So what is a concerned citizen to do? The following are some resources to look at with regard to TNR programs that may help with the feral cat issues in your neighborhood:
Neutering
Prevent another kitten season. Cats have a 63-day gestation and period and usually mate in the winter. Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) can be done during the winter months, provided allowances are made so that the cats are not exposed to the elements. Extreme cold is dangerous for cats if they are not covered and secured in a temperature-controlled holding area or vehicle quickly. Uh, people, winter is upon us.
Okay, so how do I go about trapping?
Take a look at this "How To" put together by Cleveland Animal Protective League "How to Humanely Trap Cats for TNR".
In the Houston area, FCAP has a program that can assist you with TNRing in your neighborhood.
The Feral Cat Assistance Program (FCAP) is dedicated to educating the public on non-lethal ways of controlling feral cat colonies and assisting those interested in saving the lives of feral cats. They provide assistance with Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) of feral cats to colonies sponsored by human caregivers. Each month (usually the last Sunday of each month) FCAP schedules a surgery day dedicated only to spaying and neutering feral cats at a local spay/neuter clinic. For more information on this program, please click here.
BARC, the city of Houston animal shelter also has a TNR program and Friends of BARC, the nonprofit organization that supports the shelter's fundraising endeavors, has a small spay/neuter voucher program that can assist citizens with the expenses of spaying or neutering feral cats. For more information on this program, please contact info@friendsofbarc.org.
There are many ways to resolve the feral cat issues in our community besides killing them, please consider the humane options available and work with some of the organizations actively involved with TNR in your local community now.
Let's stop the killing.
Okay, so how do I go about trapping?
Take a look at this "How To" put together by Cleveland Animal Protective League "How to Humanely Trap Cats for TNR".
In the Houston area, FCAP has a program that can assist you with TNRing in your neighborhood.
The Feral Cat Assistance Program (FCAP) is dedicated to educating the public on non-lethal ways of controlling feral cat colonies and assisting those interested in saving the lives of feral cats. They provide assistance with Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) of feral cats to colonies sponsored by human caregivers. Each month (usually the last Sunday of each month) FCAP schedules a surgery day dedicated only to spaying and neutering feral cats at a local spay/neuter clinic. For more information on this program, please click here.
BARC, the city of Houston animal shelter also has a TNR program and Friends of BARC, the nonprofit organization that supports the shelter's fundraising endeavors, has a small spay/neuter voucher program that can assist citizens with the expenses of spaying or neutering feral cats. For more information on this program, please contact info@friendsofbarc.org.
Let's stop the killing.
