Today is the 25th Annual World Spay Day #Worldspayday

"World Spay Day—the last Tuesday of February—provides an opportunity for shelter and rescue organizations to highlight their spay/neuter programs and win more community support in the form of donors, volunteers and clients. Created by the Doris Day Animal League in 1995 as Spay Day USA, World Spay Day has been recognized by nearly 70 countries, shining a spotlight on the power of affordable, accessible spay/neuter to save the lives of companion animals, community (feral and stray) cats and street dogs who might otherwise be put down in shelters or killed on the street."

Click to read about the  reasons why you should spay/neuter your pet 

The following video is from Indianapolis Animal Care Services:

How You Can Help:

"Everyone can contribute in spreading awareness about this day. Here's how you can help in this cause.

• Have your pet altered
• Encourage and aware your friends about spaying.
• Create Awareness among people about this using social media,
• By publishing ads or writing to the newspaper editors to publish it in newspaper articles.
• Volunteer at nearby shelters
• Organizing events and public speaking about spaying/neutering.
• Raising funds for it as spaying is usually expensive  
• Adopt pets from shelters."

The above information is from World Spay Day 2019


STOP UNWANTED LITTERS WHICH LEAD TO UNNECESSARY DEATHS. LEARN MORE!

What is Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) and how does it work? (#GlobalCatDay)

FROM CAT CHAT WITH CAREN AND CODY: Happy Global Cat Day which has evolved from National Feral Cat Day®.  Alley Cat Allies created National Feral Cat Day® on its 10th anniversary in 2001 "to raise awareness about community cats, promote Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR), and recognize the millions of compassionate Americans who care for them. Because compassion knows no borders, international participation in National Feral Cat Day grew each year, reaching at least 20 countries with last year’s edition. That mark has already been eclipsed this year, with engagement for the inaugural Global Cat Day coming from more than 40 countries, from Australia to the United Kingdom, Belgium to Brazil, Saudi Arabia to South Africa and many more."

Courtesy of Alley Cat Allies on Facebook

TAKE/SIGN THE GLOBAL CAT DAY PLEDGE! “I pledge to be an ally to cats, including those who call the outdoors their home. I will advocate for compassionate policies that protect every cat in my community.” 

Today on this special day we are happy to have guest blogger Cherri Megasko writing about the importance of TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return). Cherri has been an animal lover all her life. In addition to caring for her own pets, she has been trained to rehabilitate sick or injured wildlife. Cherri is currently traveling the world with her husband, Greg, and Yorkshire Terrier, Winston. Please check out her pet and wildlife blog –
Cats, Dogs and Polliwogs.

This colony of feral cats was photographed on a roadside
 while scavenging for food scraps
   Sara Golemon (Wikimedia Commons)

There are an estimated 70 million feral cats in the U.S. In addition to the damage they do to wildlife and personal property, they generally lead sick and miserable lives. Feral cats typically live in colonies where they must constantly hunt and scrounge for food, breeding uncontrollably until they are hit by a car, die of starvation or come to some other painful and tragic end. Today, (October 16), is Global Cat Day. You can observe this important day by learning about Trap-Neuter-Return programs in your area and and volunteering to help where you can.

TNR is one method of controlling feral cat populations. As the name implies, feral cats are humanely trapped, transported to a veterinarian for a rabies vaccination and sterilization, and then returned to their colonies. In addition, colony caretakers regularly monitor feral cat colonies and provide food, water and shelter for the colony population.

As adorable as this feral kitten is, he is sentenced to grow up in a harsh and frightening world.

Image Credit:

Serkan Dulgeroglu (FreeImages.com)

Who provides this service?

There are many volunteer organizations across the U.S. that support TNR programs. Funding for food and supplies generally is acquired from private donations. Many local veterinarians will also provide discounted sterilization services for TNR programs and some cities have government-funded TNR programs as well.

Why is TNR a good option?

Although not without its challenges, TNR programs are more effective in controlling feral cat populations than simply removing cats from an area. The reason for this is that cats are territorial. When you simply attempt to remove all the feral cats from one geographic area, new feral individuals will move in and start new colonies. By sterilizing colony residents and providing them with the basics of food, water and shelter, you are controlling population growth and helping to maintain a disease-free environment. TNR programs also include rabies vaccinations, which help protect area wildlife and adjacent human populations.

Many feral cats live dangerous and lonely lives.

 You can help by donating your time or money

 in celebration of Global Cat Day on October 16.

Image Credit:

Sener Aydin (FreeImages.com)

How Can I Celebrate Global Cat Day?

TAKE/SIGN THE GLOBAL CAT DAY PLEDGE!! Participating in the Trap-Neuter-Return program is not something that is advisable for an individual to attempt on his own. For obvious reasons, there are many logistical, safety and legal issues that need to be carefully considered. The first step should be to contact your local animal shelter, veterinary clinic or animal control office to inquire about programs that already exist in your area. Once doing so, there will be many ways to become involved. Volunteers are often needed to transport captured cats to veterinary offices, provide foster care as the cats recover from surgery, or to be a colony caretaker. Donations of food and supplies are most always welcome as well.

Sara's Tale a Guest Post By Linda Zwick

FROM CAT CHAT WITH CAREN AND CODY: Today we are pleased to present to you a guest post by a dear friend of mine (we have known each other since High School) who is like the rest of us, insanely in love with cats! She is deeply involved with helping ferals. This is a post she wrote, about some friends of hers in Ohio who are dedicated (as MANY of you are) to helping ferals. 

Sara's Tale

For some, winning the lottery or landing that dream job is the pinnacle of success. But for a select group of furry friends, it’s making the acquaintance of Stephen & Sara Schneider, the canine/feline benefactors of Canyon Lakes.

This sweetie is available for adoption!!

Although Steve & Sara are involved in challenging careers, their mutual love of animals always holds a special place in their hearts and home. For Sara, this started with her first rescue, a handsome cool cat named Champ. They shared 12 wonderful years together. Losing Champ was very difficult, although it made Sara & Steve realize how important animals are in their lives. Fortunately, Canyon Lakes provided the perfect opportunity to indulge in this interest. Apparently, their yard is a way station for kitties, and word soon spread that this oasis had vacancies! In the short time they’ve lived here, they’ve helped out at over a half dozen feline residents! In addition to two heated outdoor cat homes, food water, and medical care await these lucky visitors. Sara also has a Havahart trap at the ready for her work with the TNR program. More about that later.

Representing the canine brigade are Pearl and Dash, 2 gorgeous Portuguese Water Dogs. Pearl can proudly boast of parentage invited to Westminster, and she’ll gladly show you the wall of fame displaying her varied accomplishments! While she’s a certified therapy dog, she also has the unique ability to detect cancer through her amazing sense of smell. Sara hopes to do further research on this.

Dash lucked into his forever home with the Schneiders through a special rescue club for his breed. While there are lengthy waiting lists for adoption, Dash’s dire circumstances required a special heroine to come along, and obviously Sara fit the bill! Dash was given a warm welcome by all, and hasn’t looked back since.

While Clevelanders may be familiar with Geauga Humane Society, the TNR program may not be as well known. “Trap, Neuter & Release” provides an effective approach to reduce our burgeoning feral cat population. Steve & Sara have many success stories, “Jon Snow”, “Amy” & “Montego” to name a few. Some of their charges made the transition indoors, some just stop by for an occasional visit. There are currently 4 lodgers, but that number could change anytime! As amazing as their efforts are, the Schneiders have even bigger plans down the road. Someday they hope to start a foundation named after their beloved kitty “Champ”.

In the meantime, Sara has a few helpful tips for any neighbors wishing to help. If you see a kitty wandering by, look for the universal sign of an already neutered feral, the “tipped”, or slightly cut left ear. If this isn’t evident, try not to scare her/him off by chasing or reaching out too aggressively. Leaving food out (but not at night) can lure the animal in and set up a future possibility for TNR intervention. Also as adorable as tiny kittens are, try to resist the temptation to whisk them away, chances are mom and fellow litter mates are in need of rescuing as well!

Out-of-the-Box Thinking on Outdoor Cats A Guest Blog By: Wayne Pacelle, President and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States

Cat advocates, wildlife conservationists, legislators, and public health representatives have long struggled with the issue of managing outdoor cats. And it’s no small matter, since there could be as many as 40 million community (feral and stray) cats now living in the United States, of which just two percent are sterilized and vaccinated.

As perhaps the only group in the debate with dozens of staff devoted to protecting companion animals and also to protecting wildlife, The HSUS believes in humane control where cats are trapped humanely, spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and then returned (TNR) to the communities in which they were found. For decades, we’ve been encouraging people to keep their cats safe indoors. We work with local and state lawmakers across the country to implement policies supporting TNR, and just last year, we helped more than 46 localities pass policies to eliminate barriers for community cat programs, including North Chicago, Ill., Pinellas County, Fla., Aiken, S.C., Pima County, Ariz., and Fort Wayne, Ind.

Photo Courtesy of the HSUS

In Rockville, Md., near our headquarters, local lawmakers are now considering changes to their animal care ordinance, to make clear that TNR programs are allowed and encouraged. Several state legislatures, including Arizona, Montana, New York, and Virginia, are also currently considering bills that would clarify the legality of community cat management practices. Now, The HSUS has put together a practical guide, Managing Community Cats; A Guide for Municipal Leaders, to help lawmakers with all of the information they need to implement effective cat policy, and to provide cat advocates with a tool they can use to approach policy makers.

As the guide reminds us, cats are already present in most communities, in droves, and reproducing more each day. The question now is between having unmanaged populations of cats, or managed ones. Lethal management is no longer an option being discussed because it’s an approach that has been tried for decades and has failed. Animal service agencies and organizations do not have the resources necessary, or the philosophical bent, to effectively remove tens of millions of cats.

We also know that most people care about cats and want to see them treated humanely. Polls show that the majority of citizens support non-lethal programs for cat population control, and a significant portion of the public, approximately 10 to 12 percent, already feed community cats and can be motivated to help support non-lethal programs. These caretakers constitute a large and indispensable volunteer labor force working to reduce the numbers of cats outdoors, and they would never participate in a round-up-and-kill approach.

At The HSUS we advocate for all animals and we share the deep concern for the impact of outdoor cats on wildlife. But it is important to remember that neither cats nor wild animals are well served by a polarized, divisive, and expensive “cats vs. wildlife” controversy. Instead of further division, we advocate for collaboration and discussion on our shared common goal of fewer unowned, outdoor cats. Innovative programs are popping up across the country, like the Catio Tour in Portland, Ore., a joint program of the Portland Audubon Society, and the Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon. Increased spaying and neutering and heightened public awareness of the need to keep owned cats indoors are also making a great difference.

Finally, we focus on best practices and new research to make the practice of TNR as effective as possible. By connecting organizations, sharing information, networking and providing access to thought leaders in the field through our Rethinking the Cat Symposia series and other trainings, we’re helping to improve these practices on the ground and in neighborhoods across the country.

For everyone concerned about cats, as well as the animal care and control agencies, shelters, rescues, and TNR organizations that have a major stake in effective cat policy, we encourage you to get involved and speak up for non-lethal and effective programs. Get our Managing Community Cats; A Guide for Municipal Leaders, and use it to motivate change in your community and help reduce the number of unowned, outdoor cats.

Keeping Out Old Man Winter, Written By: Nancy Peterson, Cat Programs Manager for The Humane Society of the United States

FROM CAT CHAT WITH CAREN AND CODY:This is a guest post by Nancy Peterson, Cat Programs Manager for The Humane Society of the United States. We thank Nancy as always for her superb contributions to our blog!

Winter is the perfect time to accustom your pet to being an indoor-only cat. An indoor lifestyle is safer for cats and also protects wildlife from injury or death caused by outdoor cats.

However, some outdoor cats don’t want to come indoors because they’re feral – too afraid of people to be handled or adopted into homes. Strays, friendly outdoor cats with no known owners, also live outdoors if no one adopts them. Feral and stray cats are known collectively as community cats, and they deserve our concern and care.

Photo Courtesy of  Neighborhood Cats

Many people feed community cats, but it’s Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) that will really be effective and reduce their numbers, nuisance behavior complaints, and public health concerns. With TNR, community cats are spayed or neutered, vaccinated against rabies, identified as sterilized with an ear tip (1/4 of the tip of the ear, usually the left, is surgically removed), and if healthy, returned to the area where they were found. Ideally, a caretaker provides community cats with shelter, food and water, monitors them for injury or illness, and traps any new cats who appear.

A caretaker’s role is especially critical during winter when even the most resourceful community cats need a helping hand. A properly-sized shelter is essential because one that’s too big makes it harder for the cat’s body heat to warm the interior. If you’re caring for several cats, provide shelters that accommodate three to five cats who will stay warm by huddling together. You can build a simple or a more elaborate shelter or buy a pre-made shelter. If you choose to build your own, scrap weather-proofed lumber may be available at low or no cost from a home supply store.

Photo Courtesy of
Christopher Humby
of Scaredy Cat Rescue

Make the door of the shelter just big enough for the cat to fit through and face the opening in a way to prevent wind, rain, and snow from entering. Place the shelter where it’s hidden from public view but allows you access, and elevate the shelter slightly off the cold ground. If possible, also try to place the shelter in a sunny spot against a warm building or near bushes that keep their leaves all year to provide additional protection from nature’s elements. For extra security, camouflage the shelter with branches and leaves.

Since hay may irritate kitty noses and cause allergic reactions, stuff the shelter with a thick layer of straw into which cats can burrow and stay warm. You can also stuff pillowcases with shredded newspaper or packing peanuts. On especially cold nights, provide microwaveable discs, which hold heat for 12 hours. Don’t use folded newspaper, towels, or blankets because they absorb body heat.

If it’s really cold and you can’t regularly check the shelter, avoid straw and stuffed pillowcases and line the shelter’s inner walls, floor, and ceiling with Mylar. It won’t draw heat from a cat resting on it, but will reflect back the cat’s body heat. If you have access to electricity, you can buy an outdoor heated cat shelter or heated bed to place in the shelter. Avoid salt or chemicals to remove snow or melt ice around the shelter or feeding station. These products may irritate paws or be toxic if licked.

Food and water bowls can be placed in a hidden feeding station made of a large plastic container situated on its side. So that cats don’t have to go far to access their food and water, place the container near the shelter, which will help them conserve energy and warmth.

Cats may be chilled by eating frozen food and keeping canned food from freezing in the winter may be challenging. One option is to warm canned food at home and then place it in insulated bags for transport. You can also place canned food inside a well-insulated shelter far from the doorway, which may allow the cat’s body heat to defrost it if it freezes. To avoid this potential problem all together, you may decide to feed dry food only.

Despite their thicker fur and toasty shelter, cats use more energy keeping warm when it’s cold, so feeding them a higher calorie food may be helpful. However, don’t feed so much food that there are leftovers that attract other animals, including wildlife. 

Photo Courtesy of
Christopher Humby
of Scaredy Cat Rescue

A thick plastic container that is deep and wide will keep water from freezing longer than a thin plastic or ceramic container. You can also mix sugar or salt into the water, which will lower its freezing point. Salt will lower the freezing point a bit better than sugar. Start with a half to one level teaspoon of either in one quart of water and adjust the amount as needed. Don’t place water in the shelter because the cats will get chilled if it spills and avoid metal bowls since their tongues can stick to the metal. You can also remove a tire from its metal rim, stuff it with rocks, and place a water-filled plastic container in the center space. The black tire will absorb heat from the sun and warm the rocks enough to keep the water from freezing. A solar-heated water bowl is an even simpler option that can prevent or delay freezing.

Even their thick winter undercoat won’t protect cats from frostbite if they’re exposed to severe cold for a prolonged period of time. Frostbite, the loss of blood circulation, can affect a cat’s ear tips, nose, tail, toes, and any body part where the hair is thin. If the early signs of frostbite – pale, gray, or bluish areas – aren’t treated as soon as they appear, the skin in those areas may ultimately die. You may see swelling, blisters, and black or dead skin as circulation returns and the skin thaws. If you can touch the cat, the area may be cold, brittle, and painful. Frostbite is not to be taken lightly so seek veterinary care right away.

Community cats live in many places in the United States, Canada, and around the world where winter climates challenge their survival. Thanks to TNR resources in those places and dedicated caretakers, community cats have full tummies and warm shelters when old man winter comes calling.

A Gratitude Attitude

FROM CAT CHAT WITH CAREN AND CODY:This is a guest post by Nancy Peterson, Cat Programs Manager for The Humane Society of the United States. We thank Nancy as always for her superb contributions to our blog!

What comes to mind when you think about Thanksgiving – food, football, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Black Friday? I think of Samantha, a cat I’ve cared for since 2010. She’s usually waiting when I arrive with food and fresh water. In the four years I have  cared for Samantha, she’s never come closer than about ten feet. That’s because Samantha is a feral cat who is too afraid of people to be handled or adopted into a home. When I first learned about Samantha, she was living on scraps in a busy parking lot. Although many lost cats find their way home on their own, I concluded after several days that Samantha didn’t have a home and needed a helping hand.

"Samantha"
Photo Courtesy of Nancy Peterson

In order not to draw attention to either of us, I started to feed her every day in a discrete location. I also provided fresh water and a shelter to protect her from the weather. One morning, after about two weeks, instead of bringing food, I brought a trap. I knew she would have to be hungry to overcome her fear of going in, so I put some yummy treats in the far end of the trap and set it. I then went to my car and waited. It wasn’t long before I heard the trap door shut. I quickly approached and covered the trap with a sheet to help calm Samantha.

Photo Courtesy of
Kathy Milani

I was glad I caught her in the morning so I could bring her directly to a veterinary clinic where she was spayed, vaccinated against rabies and distemper, dewormed, treated for fleas, and ear tipped. If I had trapped her in the evening when the clinic was closed, I would have had to keep her in a safe, warm place, such as my bathroom or garage until the clinic opened the next morning.

Photo Courtesy of  Erin Parker

Samantha was alert when I picked her up from the clinic at the end of the day, but I kept her overnight in her covered trap in my garage to be sure she had no problems after her surgery, like bleeding. When I returned Samantha to her outdoor home the next morning, she dashed out of her trap and disappeared. She appeared after a few days and we resumed our feeding routine. Like hundreds of thousands of dedicated individuals, I am a feral cat caretaker who practices Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR).

As a cat owner, I am thankful for veterinarians, organizations, and agencies that provide low-cost spay/neuter services for pets. As a feral cat caretaker, I am thankful for veterinarians, organizations, and agencies that help community (feral and stray) cats, municipal leaders who support TNR in their communities, and other community cat caretakers.

If you’re feeding a community cat who only approaches you when he or she is extremely hungry, will only eat once you have moved away or he or she is still unapproachable and cannot be touched after several days of feeding, the cat is probably feral. If the cat is friendly and approaches you for attention, meows, or eats the food you put down right away, the cat is probably not feral by temperament, but rather a stray cat. Stray cats have usually had contact with people. Some may be able to be reunited with their family. Others with no known owner may be able to be adopted into homes. There are an estimated 30 to 40 million community cats in the United States and approximately two percent of them are spayed or neutered. Related females and their offspring usually live together in a group called a colony, and they share a common food source – a trash can, a dumpster behind a restaurant, or trash. Sometimes cats are solitary, such as Samantha.

Many caring people who see hungry cats begin to feed them. Unfortunately, some people who feed cats don’t realize there will soon be too many mouths to feed unless the cats are spayed or neutered. Access to TNR helps prevent the birth and death of unwanted kittens and reduces the number of community cats.

Photo Courtesy of
Krista Rakovan

If you or someone you know is feeding community cats, thank you. The next step is to find an organization that helps community cats and get them sterilized, vaccinated, and ear tipped as soon as possible. This will help prevent diseases that are transmitted from mother to kittens and between fighting and mating, resulting in healthier cats.. In addition, nuisance behaviors like yowling, fighting, and spraying stinky urine will be decreased or eliminated, making you and the cats better neighbors. This will also please officials and property owners because they’ll have fewer nuisance complaints to deal with. There are also humane deterrents that can be used to discourage cats from entering places they’re not wanted and since there will be fewer cats, there will be less predation on wildlife. Feeding strategies are also a way to avoid attracting wildlife and keep birds safe at feeders.

If you see an outdoor cat, look to see if the tip of one ear has been surgically removed or notched – this means that cat has been sterilized and vaccinated. If not, look for a local TNR group, organization, or agency that provides sterilization, vaccination, and ear tipping by using our online map of community cat service providers. If you have cats at home, you can help reduce the number of outdoor cats by spaying or neutering your own cats before they can reproduce at four months of age. If cost is an issue, look for a low-cost spay/neuter provider.

Thanksgiving is a time to appreciate all the good things in our lives. To caretakers, Thanksgiving means a reduction in the number of community cats. To animal shelters and rescue groups, it means decreased intake and euthanasia of cats. To fortunate cats, it means a full tummy and a place to rest. Thank you for helping animals, especially community cats, and Happy Thanksgiving from Samantha and me!

The Uninvited Guest: Successfully Introducing a New Cat into the Household – or Not

FROM CAT CHAT WITH CAREN AND CODY:This is a guest post by Nancy Peterson, Cat Programs Manager for The Humane Society of the United States. We thank Nancy as always for her super contributions to our blog!

"Luna"
Photo Courtesy of Nancy Peterson

My sister and I adopted 1-year-old sisters Zubi and Luna in September 2002 and our home in Maryland was all theirs for seven and a half years. They were cuddle cats – mostly with each other –and although I loved them, I yearned for a cat to cuddle with me. My sister knew that I met wonderful shelter cats at my job, so before I left for any trip my sister would say, “and don’t bring home any cats.”

In January 2006, I visited a shelter in Florida and had the opportunity to choose three shelter cats for that day’s filming of a CD about caring for adopted cats. As soon as I entered the cat enclosure to meet the cats, a brown tabby flew across the room and leaped into my lap. He immediately started licking my face, kneading my arm, and purring up a storm. I chose two other friendly cats and we went to the studio.

The brown tabby popped out of the first carrier I opened, walked all around the room, and greeted everyone – unlike most cats I knew who would probably hide or slink around when confronted with a new situation.

After the cat made his rounds, I was directed to play with him, brush him and feed him. Then, I was asked to trim his nails. As soon as I sat down, the cat was in my lap, licking my face, kneading my arm and purring. Once filming wrapped up, the cats were returned to the shelter.

I could not stop thinking about the friendly brown tabby and immediately called the shelter when I woke up the next morning to say that I wanted to adopt him. Then I called my sister who said it was okay. The shelter told me the cat, Tobias, was 10 years old, but I did not care because I loved his personality.

"Toby"
Photo Courtesy of Nancy Peterson

I renamed the cat Toby and confined him for several weeks on the first level of our house in order to introduce him properly to Zubi and Luna. Fortunately, I could keep them apart because a glass door separated the first and second levels. Since I did not want them to see each other, I covered the glass with newspaper and fed them for several weeks on opposite sides of the door so they’d associate each other with good things. One day, I tore away a teeny corner of the newspaper. When Zubi and Luna saw Toby, they hissed and fled upstairs. They never came down again.

During the years, I tried to gradually introduce Toby to the girls. I took him upstairs, initially on a harness and leash so I could control him, and offered them food bribes and catnip, filled the air with the sounds of a cat-calming CD and calming scents, and played with them so they’d associate one another with good things. I couldn’t make it work, so I put a bell on Toby’s collar to let the girls know when he’d escaped the first level and was headed their way.

Animal shelters and rescue groups have cats of every age, size, color and activity level. They can help you choose the right cat so you’ll have a better chance of a harmonious household. If you think you’ll ultimately want two cats, adopt two at the same time – adults who are already strongly bonded or kittens.

When you adopt a cat from an animal shelter or rescue group, they‘ll likely know about the cat’s personality and activity level, which, if similar to your cat’s, can improve the odds that they’ll get along. Another benefit of adopting from an animal shelter or rescue group is that the cat will likely have been examined, vaccinated, and spayed or neutered. Adoption will also save that cat’s life and make a cage available for another homeless cat.

If you adopt a stray, have him or her examined by your veterinarian before you bring the cat into your home. In addition to confining the new cat for a proper introduction, confining him or her for quarantine is important in case he’s incubating an illness that could be passed to your other cat. Wherever your new cat comes from, be sure your current cat or cats are up to date on their vaccinations as well.

When you add a cat to your household, it’s important to increase resources – such as water, food bowls, litter boxes, toys, vertical space and beds. Fill your cats’ indoor environment with opportunities to hunt (toys), relax in the sun (on a window perch), and scratch (a post or pad). Preventing cat behaviors you don’t want is easier than eliminating them. Reading The Humane Society of the United States’ Cat Answer Tool before you introduce cats will be helpful since most cats are quite territorial and dislike change.

Introducing cats improperly, such as allowing them to “work things out,” punishing, yelling at, or scaring them, can lead to years of bad blood between cats or a cat’s return or surrender to an animal shelter or rescue group.

You can also increase the chance cats will get along by spaying and neutering them because unsterilized cats are usually more territorial and aggressive. Spaying and neutering pet cats before puberty at four to six months of age has many health benefits and plays a critical role in reducing cat overpopulation. If you’re feeding community (feral and stray) cats outdoors, find an organization that supports Trap-Neuter-Return programs, which attempt to curb overpopulation through sterilization. The Humane Society of the United States has a free online Supporting Community Cats webinar series, which has lots of information about how to best help community cats.

Photo Courtesy of Nancy Peterson

If you have unsuccessfully tried to make peace between your pet cats, keep them separated and consult a local shelter or rescue group, your veterinarian, or a cat behavior specialist for assistance sooner rather than later. There are no winners in cat fights.

#FeralCatDay Michigan Event!

Alley Cat Allies launched National Feral Cat Day® on our 10th anniversary in 2001 to raise awareness about feral cats, promote Trap-Neuter-Return, and recognize the millions of compassionate Americans who care for cats. Learn more at http://www.NationalFeralCatDay.org/

National Feral Cat Day/Cat In The Trap TNR

 Celebrating National Feral Cat Day

 at Premier Pet Supply in Berkley, Michigan

 from 11:00 am until 4:00 pm , Thursday October 16!

There will be food, educational material, a raffle, demonstration of how to use a trap,  how to build a winter shelter.

  Information about upcoming 

TNR classes in the area!!!!

If you would like to donate any wet or dry food for  feral kitties it would be greatly appreciated!

Please come out and support our cause and shop in Premier Pet Supply which was voted #1 Pet Store in the Metropolitain Detroit area!

Premier Pet Supply

31215 Southfield Road

Berkley MI US

"Feral Power, Baby!!"

Kittens:Best Friends offers tips on what to do if you find litter outdoors

Roughly 70 percent of the cats who end up in America’s shelters are killed (National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy Shelter StatisticsSurvey, 1994-97). Most of these are community cats (stray and free-roaming). In response, Best Friends is working to save lives by implementing innovative trap/neuter/return (TNR) programs across the country. Through TNR cats are humanely trapped and taken to a veterinarian who spays/neuters the cat, vaccinates them and tips one ear as a visual signal that this cat has been sterilized. The cats then are returned to their outdoor home to live out their lives. 

   

“Right now we are in what is known across the country as ‘kitten season’ and shelter employees everywhere are bracing themselves for the influx of babies,” said Dankert. “At Best Friends, we hear from shelters all over the country that are overwhelmed with the arrival of kittens still weeks away from being old enough to be weaned, spayed or neutered and adopted. Some arrive without mothers and need to be bottle-fed every two hours, and the workload almost immediately outweighs what shelter staff can take on.

“What I don’t think most people understand is that most animals shelters simply do not have the resources to care for neonatal kittens, so well-meaning people who ‘rescue’ a litter of kittens by taking them to the shelter have in almost every instance inadvertently signed the kittens’ death sentences.” Dankert said.

Best Friends Animal Society offers the following tips on what to do if you find a litter of kittens outdoors:

First of all – don’t panic. Observe and leave the kittens alone - make sure they have been abandoned before you take action. You’ll often find that their mother is simply out looking for food or for a good place to move them. Take note of the exact location so you can share the address and description of where the kittens are located if you find that they have been abandoned.

Contact your local animal shelter to get the contact information for your local community cat or TNR program.  These groups will be able to determine if mother comes back in a normal time frame or if the kittens will need to be bottle fed. 

Though it may go against your instincts, don't immediately scoop kittens up and take them to the shelter.

If the mother does not come back and you are willing to volunteer with your local group to care for the kittens, please first read Best Friends’ resource article “Feeding and Caring for Bottle Babies” . 5. If the mother does return, keep your eye on her and the kittens until they are old enough to be trapped, spayed or neutered and returned to the area they came from. TNR is not only the most humane method of preventing cats from entering the shelter system, it’s the most effective.

Want to help community cats?

Best Friends Animal Society has volunteer opportunities in Los Angeles, San Antonio, Baltimore, Albuquerque, DeKalb County, Georgia, St. George, Utah and the Four Directions program for rural southern Utah.

The Best Friends No More Homeless Pets Network of local animal rescue groups and shelters has more than 250 groups nationwide that are involved in helping community cats.

Your local animal rescue groups and shelters can put you in touch with the community cat programs that are not affiliated with Best Friends, you also can do an internet search to find groups in your area.“Bottle feeding is a very rewarding but also incredibly demanding endeavor, so make sure you have the time, resources and a suitable home to care for the kittens,” said Dankert.
 

​“​ And please also remember how important it is to spay and neuter your pets. This is the single most important thing we can do to prevent unwanted litters. Best Friends has an education campaign called Fix at Four  and you can enter your zip code to find local veterinarians and low-cost spay/neuter clinics.”

About Best Friends Animal Society®
Best Friends Animal Society is the only national animal welfare organization focused exclusively on ending the killing of dogs and cats in America's shelters. An authority and leader in the no-kill movement since its founding in 1984, Best Friends runs the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary for companion animals, as well as life-saving programs in partnership with rescue groups and shelters across the country. Since its founding, Best Friends has helped reduce the number of animals killed in shelters from 17 million per year to 4 million. Best Friends has the knowledge, technical expertise and on-the-ground network to end the killing and Save Them All®.

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We were not compensated for this guest post. We were sent this information and chose to share it because of it's high importance.

MICHIGAN HUMANE SOCIETY TO HOLD FERAL CAT WORKSHOP IN WESTLAND ON SATURDAY, APRIL 5

Trap-Neuter-Return program will reduce

 the number of homeless cats and save lives

Photo used with permission from Michigan Humane

On Saturday, April 5, the Michigan Humane Society (MHS) will hold a feral cat workshop for members of the community who want to help reduce the number of homeless cats and provide feral cats with much-needed care. The workshop, required for those interested in becoming a feral cat colony caretaker and participating in the TNR program, will teach residents how to utilize a “Trap-Neuter-Release” (TNR) strategy, which has proven to be the most effective and humane way of handling feral cats. The workshop is part of an annual series MHS offers in the spring and summer months. The April 5 workshop will be held at the MHS Berman Center for Animal Care in Westland from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

The MHS TNR program gives individuals who wish to manage a feral cat colony near their home or place of employment the chance to provide the animals with vaccinations, sterilization and veterinary care. Caretakers will be trained on proper techniques and equipment to humanely trap feral cats and bring them to the Michigan Humane Society for veterinary care. The animals will then be released back to their habitat by their caretaker.

To register online or for more information, visit www.michiganhumane.org/feral or call

 (248) 283-1000, ext. 127. Space is limited and an RSVP is required.

Providing a TNR service for feral cats is a critical component of lowering the number of unadoptable animals coming into shelters, as feral cats generally cannot be adopted into homes unless they are young enough to be properly socialized with humans. TNR allows the cats to humanely live out their lives in their natural habitat, while preventing them from contributing to the pet overpopulation problem.

The MHS Berman Center for Animal Care is located at 900 N. Newburgh Road.

The Michigan Humane Society is the largest and oldest animal welfare organization in the state. MHS works to end companion animal homelessness, provide the highest quality service and compassion to the animals entrusted to our care, and to be a leader in promoting humane values.