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.

We Wish A Happy Birthday To......................

Thanks to Ann at Zoolatry
for the darling badge!!

WE LOVE YOU!!!!!

THANKS FOR BEING SUCH A GOOD FURIEND

TO US AND TO ALL OF THE ANIMALS!!

STOP ON BY AND 

WISH MARG A HAPPY BIRTHDAY HERE

Cat Lady, A Narrative Poem Book Dedicated to the Feral Cats of Rome by Author/Poet Mary M. Schmidt --Give-Away!

Cat Lady is a narrative poem about the pines, fountains and stray cats of Rome.

ABOUT CAT LADY:To the average tourist in Rome, Maria may be just an old lady, (gattara), who feeds the city's stray cats and thinks that she can talk to them, yet things are rarely as they seem. Her powers are incredible! She CAN talk to cats! And they talk back!! (It helps that the cats are enchanted too!),  and to those who truly love, and seek her assistance, the impossible is only an illusion.

A few will snort and call her geezer;

Friend, they say, to Julius Caesar.

Others turn way and mutter

"Strega," cross themselves and sputter.

Old Maria's heard it all,

Can't hear, or care, what names they call.

She has her work to do, and that's 

To feed the city's feral cats.

Cat Lady by Mary M. Schmidt Author/Poet, is dedicated to the feral cats of Rome and Friends of Roman Cats.

"Your family is a splendid scene,"

Maria tells the feline queen,

"How goes it on this day for you?"

Queen Bast then sighed, "If you but knew!

I feel as if I could just drop!

These kittens here? They never stop!

The Coliseum, in it's day, 

Did never see such a display!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They have no concept of decorum, 

Running wild all through the Forum,

Through the Senate! Round the column!

Thanks to them, there's nothing solemn,

Earth the noble Caesars trod,

Is now home to a kitten squad!

They even pounce, with rapid spurts, 

Those tourists, in Hawaiian shirts!

A "PURR" Delight! The story is told in 44 pages and each page of the story is a poem consisting of eight lines. The cadence flows beautifully  and the sentiment will be deeply appreciated by those who dedicate their lives to helping feral cats. That being said, it is a narrative poem for ALL cat lovers. I hadn't known about the feral cat population in Rome prior to reading Mary's book and I thank her for the beautiful way she has honored  them. 

About the Author: Mary M. Schmidt was a student in Rome during the 60s and came to know of the many feral cat colonies in the Eternal City. She is an author of prose, poetry, and was a member of Poets Against the Iraq War. She currently lives outside of Washington DC with her cat, Graycie.

ISBN-13:

9781483436104

Publisher:

LuluPublishing Services

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

VISIT ON FACEBOOK

GIVE-AWAY:TWO OF OUR READERS located anywhere in the world will each win a copy of Cat Lady by Mary M. Schmidt. (An approx $10 value). The give-away is open now and will end at 5pm EST on Thursday, October 1st. Winners will be announced on or around Saturday, October 3rd. 

TO ENTER:Just leave a comment stating that you would like to be entered to win a copy.

 Good luck!

In full disclosure:I was not compensated for this review/give-away. I was sent a copy of Cat Lady in exchange for my honest review.

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.

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!

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.

The Scoop on #Feral Cats PSA-Wordless Wednesday

MICHIGAN HUMANE SOCIETY TO HOLD WORKSHOP FOR FERAL CAT COLONY CARETAKERS ON JULY 31

Trap-Neuter-Return Program

will reduce the number of homeless cats and save lives

On Wednesday, July 31, the Michigan Humane Society (MHS) will hold a feral cat workshop for residents who want to help reduce the number of homeless cats and provide feral cats with much-needed care. This workshop will teach residents how utilize a “Trap-Neuter-Release” (TNR) strategy, which has proven to be the most effective and humane way of handling feral cats.

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 sterilization and identification. The animals will then be released back to their habitat by their caretaker.

For those interested in becoming a feral cat colony caretaker and participating in the TNR program, MHS is hosting this required workshop on Wednesday, July 31, at 5:30 p.m. at the Michigan Humane Society’s administrative office, located at 30300 Telegraph Road, Suite 220 in Bingham Farms. Register online or get more information at www.michiganhumane.org/feral or call (248) 283-1000, ext. 127. 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 is the best way to allow the cats to humanely live out their lives in their natural habitat, while preventing them from contributing to the pet overpopulation problem.

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.

World Spay Day – What it Means and Why it is of Significance: An Author and Cat Advocate Shares her Personal Story:A Guest Blog by Deb Barnes

When Caren and Cody of Cat Chat asked me if I would like to guest post on behalf of World Spay Day, I jumped at the chance. Nothing makes me happier than an opportunity to  promote the virtues of spay/neuter as not only a safe and humane means of reducing cat overpopulation, but as a procedure that helps to ensure your cat live a longer, happier, and healthy life.

       Deb and Caren meeting for the first time

 at BlogPaws 2011

I first met Caren several years ago when I began blogging to promote the book I was in the process of writing, The Chronicles of Zee & Zoey – A Journey of the ExtraordinarilyOrdinary. I was a complete novice, the blog was barely read, and I was under the naive and ridiculous assumption that it did not matter, because I was going to become a famous author once the book was published.

Caren and I clicked instantly – both of us cat-loving Libra soul sisters who shared the same sense of humor and passion for books. I asked her if she would be willing to read a rough draft of my story and give me her recommendation for the back cover, which she did. Back then, the book was written primarily as a heartfelt means to celebrate the feline species. I had gone through an extremely dark time in my life as a result of being laid off at 48 years of age and it was during that timeframe that I was also helping my cat, Zoey, raise an unplanned litter of kittens she had at 10 months of age as a result of mating with our male Maine Coon, Zee.

      Book Cover

I can honestly say that the relationship I shared with these cats saved my life and pulled me out of my severe depression. I began to appreciate life again and I wanted to share the story of Zee and Zoey’s kittens and my inspirational message with the world and that is how and why I wrote the book. Did I know about spay/neuter and cat overpopulation on the streets and in shelters? Did I realize just how subject to scrutiny and criticism I could be opening myself up for because of these kittens?

Let’s just say that I did to some degree, but certainly not to the point where I would have published a book if I felt I would be drawing attention to myself in a negative light, especially about a species that I love with every fiber of my being. When I wrote the book, it was meant to uplift people as I shared the behind the scenes journey of my life with Zee and Zoey. I felt I wrote with authority and if you asked me if I thought I was an expert on cats, I would have said, “yes.”

Well, as a result of social networking in a largely based cat circle of peers, I soon came to realize that I knew very little about cats at all and that much of my understanding of them was fraught with misconceptions and misinformation, especially when it came to the subject of spay/neuter and cat overpopulation. Count me in the categories of “someone who thought she had plenty of time to get Zoey spayed before she became pregnant” and “what’s the big deal with one more litter?”

Zoey with kittens

I was shocked by what I was learning - the numbers were staggering – even one homeless cat is one too many in my opinion, but millions is inexcusable and I became consumed with educating myself about cat overpopulation. I could not comprehend how a country as well off as ours could be responsible for such alarming figures, let alone that we were euthanizing millions of cats as a means to controlling the population. I came to the simple conclusion that if me, someone who is relatively well educated and has had cats her whole life, did not know all the facts about conception, then how could the mainstream public possibly fare any better? How could we get a grip on cat overpopulation if we were not armed with accurate information to make better informed decisions as a collective society? I quickly realized two very important points – that you can never assume, no matter how ridiculous it might seem, that everyone knows what you think is an obvious fact, and that change cannot occur if you leave the problems of the world for someone else to solve. You must become invested, however small or large the effort, in what you want to change.

Dorian, Christine & Deb

And so that is what World Spay Day means to me. I am now an award winning blogger who has raised thousands of dollars and awareness for shelters worldwide, a freelance writer for Cat Fancy Magazine and Catster, as well as Secretary for the nonprofit Organization, Pawsitively Humane, of Miami, Florida. Not only do I know that kittens can conceive as early as 4 months, but I know that they can be safely spay/neutered at 8 weeks of age or when they weigh at least 2 pounds.

I know that there are over 70 million cats on the streets and in shelters. I know that approximately 75% of kittens that are born outdoors will die. I know what a feral cat is and how effective TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return) can be to managing their population and I also know that spay/neuter significantly decreases the chances of uterine or testicular types of cancers and infections in cats and virtually reduces the negative behavioral issues associated with an unaltered cat such as loud yowling, spraying and territory marking, and aggressive fighting.

I also know all the reasons and excuses people give for not spaying or neutering their cat. I know all of it because I have made it my purpose in life – to educate others about just how vitally important spay/neuter is if we are to reduce the overwhelming numbers of cats living on the streets and in shelters, or worse, tragically euthanized because the number of these animals is far greater than the number of people willing to adopt them.

I am by no means the hero. The heroes are the staff and volunteers who work tirelessly each and every day in the physical trenches of the shelters and rescues trying to help cats. The heartache that they have to witness is unbearable, yet they do it with such love, conviction, and dedication. I can’t do that. But, I can write, and I can care. My voice and passion does provide a crucial function and it is the torch to empowering others with factual information so that misconceptions and misunderstandings don’t continue to dangerously perpetuate. I can’t change the fact that Zoey had kittens. But, I have no regrets, as they have led me on a journey I am certain I would not have otherwise traveled. I took full responsibility for them and I love them all very much. They have made me a better person and the strong advocate I am today. I don’t feel that laying blame, pointing fingers, or making judgments is the right way to handle problems. We all make mistakes and we all can learn, but what is the point of those lessons if we can’t teach others?

Kizmet-Adopt

My greatest gift is when I know I have made a difference for a cat – when I get an email or a comment on my blog that I have enlightened someone with a certain something they did not know before. Or when my post is compelling enough that it is shared with others. My greatest wish is that the message of RESPONSIBILITY and why spay/neuter is so important becomes part of mainstream society and not just banter in our current cat circles. Cat overpopulation was created by people and people alone are the only ones that have the wherewithal to change it. Let’s give meaning to this day and make it a lifelong commitment to helping make the world a better place for cats.   

I thank Caren and Cody again for the honor of guest posting on World Spay Day. For more in depth information on the subject of spay/neuter, please visit Zee & Zoey’s Chronicle Connection for my month long series which includes:

Part One - The Facts of Life: The 101's of Kittens and Conception

Part Two - The Overall Health, Behavioral, and Emotional Benefits for Cats and Society at Large by Spay/Neuter

Part Three - Debunking the Misconceptions, Excuses, and Reasons Why People Don’t Spay or Neuter Their Cats

Part Four – The Difference Between Theory Versus Reality When it Comes to the Subjects of Cat Conception, Cat Overpopulation, and Spay/Neuter

 Part Five - Cat Overpopulation and the Moral Ethics of Time  

FROM CAT CHAT: Cody and I couldn't be more honored to have had Deb Barnes guest post today. We cannot stress enough the importance of Spaying/Neutering your pets. For this day, we wanted something truly special appearing on our blog. Thank you Deb for accepting our invitation to guest post and for all of your efforts in educating the public about the importance of Spaying/Neutering.

Book Review: "Kitty Cornered:How Frannie And Five Other Incorrigible Cats Seized Control Of Our House And Made It Their Home" by Bob Tarte

There couldn't be a better book to feature on National Animal Shelter and Rescue Appreciation Week than Kitty Cornered: How Frannie And Five Other Incorrigible Cats Seized Control Of Our House And Made It Their Home by Bob Tarte.

don't let Cody's sleeping
lure you into thinking that
this is a boring book.
This book will have you laughing and you
just might shed a tear or two

While thinking about what I wanted to write for this review, I was wracking my brain trying to remember how I first connected with Bob. If memory serves me correctly, it was through a comment he left on Cat Chat or was it through a connection on Twitter? It doesn't matter,  I clicked on his name, and was led to his book. For me, that was a lucky day indeed!

An added "plus" was that Bob resides in Michigan. A fellow Michigander! After reading his book,  an item that I have now inscribed on my bucket list, is to one day be lucky enough to meet Bob (who in many ways reminds me of my husband) and his (oh my she sounds like me!) wife Linda.

Enough of background info. On to this delightful book.

When I am reading a book for review I have what some would call the annoying habit of "dog-earring" pages that are poignant, funny, that will resonate with my readers and a myriad of other  reasons. In many cases, I am lucky if I have a few pages that are "dog-earred", with Kitty Corner I was faced with a problem of epic proportions. THE ENTIRE BOOK IS "DOG-EARRED"!

What to feature!? What to feature!?

Many of you who live in a multiple cat household can strongly relate to the theory of "we do not find cats, THEY find US." You have experience with cats who have entered your world that are some of the best, and others, not-so-much, or others who you KNOW will become your "soul kitty", they just haven't learned that yet.

Meet the "Cast or (CATS) of Characters!" Whom Bob describes with the understanding and love that parents often use to describe their children.

He celebrates and revels in the unique characteristics of each of his cats and has a most profound understanding of what makes all of them unique and has the ability to describe them through the use of colorful language and imagery.

From Bob Tarte's website:

Agnes: Our original cat who wonders where all of the others came from (aka Aggly-wag)

"Agnes" Photo Courtesy of www.bobtarte.com

Frannie: Nervous white-and-black stray who insists on being petted while she eats (aka Alfalfa Girl, Ferret Face, Francine, The Little Kitty, Miss Pinkie-Winkie Nose, Sunday School Girl, Feline Trotsky)

"Frannie" Photo Courtesy of www.bobtarte.com

Lucy: Snapping crocodile disguised as a ‘diluted tabby’ with a disdain for litter box geometry (aka Fatsy Pats, Lucy Caboosey)

"Lucy" Photo Courtesy of www.bobtarte.com

Maynard: Portly tabby on a nonstop wailing expedition (came to us as Mabel) (aka Mr. Cuddle-Wuddle, Rand McNally, Harold the Barrel, Face)

"Maynard" Photo Courtesy of www.bobtarte.com

Moobie: Aging snow-white cat who sleeps more than Snow White (came to us as Moonbeam) (aka ‘I Want,’ Conehead)

"Moobie" Photo Courtesy of www.bobtarte.com

Tina: Thorn in Frannie’s side with a periscope tail (aka Teena-Weena, Periscope Girl, Tina Louise, Sis, Lump-a-Bump, Puppet Mouth)

"Tina" Photo Courtesy of www.bobtarte.com

Author, Bob Tarte's first experience with a cat happened when he was two years old. It didn't turn out well, but thankfully that incident didn't sour him on cats.

Some 10+ yrs later when Bob's sister, Joan had SIX animals living in her home, this at-the-time-self-professed "bird person" thought "while owning a couple of dogs seemed normal to me, four cats struck me as borderline crazy. I figured that you might as well just move out into a hollow log as live in a house where there were twice as many cats as people."

Bob's life, and outlook would change with his marriage to animal-lover Linda. His home filled with birds needing homes, followed by a parade of cats, some of which  would possibly be left homeless if he didn't take them in, and one "wild child" feral cat that lived in the woods.

One of a host of things that I loved about this book was Bob's self-deprecating humor and sardonic candor. There are a number of instances where he compares events in his life and that of his cats lives to sitcoms, (primarily from the 50s and 60s).

His humorous and loving descriptions of each of his cats will bring a smile to your face: "she was white with mostly black hind legs that made her look as if she were wearing a pair of tights that were falling down."

As you become engrossed with this book, as I did, you will also observe that  Bob developed an uncanny ability to be able to communicate with his cats. All of them. While sometimes portraying himself with a crusty, neurotic, nerdy exterior, this man possesses a heart as soft as the comfy cushions his cats choose to lay on:

"Partly, she had moved me in the same way that any homeless animal would. But I also recognized a special quality in her that resonated with my own temperament. In my scant few seconds observing her, I had identified a kindred spirit, a creature who in spite of her many strengths was apparently as anxiety laden as I was. She was a shadow afraid of a shadow."


For those who might be of the frame of mind that there is only one "Cat Daddy" who is adept at reading the minds and feeling the souls of cats...think again, there is another "Cat Daddy" in town and his name is Bob Tarte.  He just communicates, loves, learns and understands his cats in a more quiet way, in a more CAT-LIKE way.

Upon his first discovering Frannie the feral cat:
"The merest flicker of eye contact had passed between us. But in the brief instant between the crouching and rocketing away, as my cloudy blues met her metallic yellows, I felt the spark of a connection between us. It was a serious crush, though I had no idea at the time how deeply she would set her hooks in me."

From the Publisher: "Bob begins seeing Frannie and the other cats as unlikely instructors in the art of achieving contentment, even in the face of illness and injury. Bewitched by the innate wildness of domesticated cats he realizes that sometimes wildness and mystery are exactly what he needs."

From the moment you open Kitty Cornered, YOU will be experiencing a "serious crush" both on Author Bob Tarte who will make you laugh, make you think, touch your soul as well as your heart, and the cats who reside in HIS home and in HIS heart. I guarantee they will ALL "set their hooks" deeply into you. By reading Kitty Cornered and learning about Bob and his cats, you will learn more about yourself and your cats than you ever thought was possible.

To learn more about Author Bob Tarte, click here

To purchase Kitty Cornered and other books by Author Bob Tarte, click here

Blog The Change: Making a difference for feral cats: a Guest Blog by Phil, "The Cat Guy"

FROM CAT CHAT: I am  proud to be a supporter of  the efforts of www.BtC4animals.com where bloggers come together to help animals in need and/or to showcase causes, stories about animals that are close to our heart and about PEOPLE  who  are making a difference.

I am a "cat hobbyist", a "cat enthusiast", as many of you are. I am not the end-all be-all authority on MANY issues and never pass myself off as being one.

When I want to feature animals, news or stories that I am not an expert in,  I  share blog posts with you by others who in many cases ARE authorities in specific areas that I am not,  or have first-hand knowledge and experience about  issues and stories that I may not have. Today, I am proud to present to you, one of these people! I am excited and honored to present to you today, "Phil, The Cat Guy"

Making a difference for feral cats

For most of my life I somehow never noticed homeless cats. I'm not really sure how I managed this, maybe I just assumed outside cats must belong to someone or maybe I subconsciously just didn't want to see them. That’s all different now since a homeless black cat appeared in my yard and eventually entered my heart and opened my eyes to the world of trap, neuter and return of feral cats.

In late 2010 I noticed a skinny black cat who kept coming around my yard. I didn't think much of it at first because free roaming cats come and go, but this one seemed hungry and skittish. I often saw him trying to find shelter from the constant rain and cold of the Seattle winter. Seeing his plight tugged on my heart and I started putting food out for him. Soon after that, I built him a covered place to eat and two fully insulated and heated homes in my yard (one for him and one for any guests he may have). He approved and immediately moved in. Over time he learned to trust me and eventually let me touch him. He's now known as Oliver.

Right from the start I wanted to get Oliver neutered but I wasn't sure how to go about that. I spent hours online reading information on how to trap feral cats. I built a drop trap and purchased my first humane live cat trap. I somehow found the courage to trap him, brought him to my local vet and had him neutered. When he was recovered from his ordeal, I released him back into his yard. That all went fairly well for my first Trap, Neuter, Return (TNR) experience.

Less than two weeks later I happened to glance out the window and saw three additional black cats in the yard!  They were all friendly with Oliver and looked identical to him—Oliver had invited his family over to share in his good fortune. Suddenly I needed to figure out how to trap three cats at once and get them altered.

It was exactly at this time that I read a blurb in the Purrfect Pals (my amazing local cat shelter) newsletter advertising a class on how to trap feral cats. The timing could not have been more perfect! I jumped at the chance and learned a ton about how to trap feral cats for TNR. The class was taught by the Community Cat Coalition, which is a collaboration of independent TNR people and several local cat shelters and rescue groups who together train and mentor people in the ways of TNR. I met some amazingly helpful people who talked me through every step of successfully TNR'ing my backyard feral colony.

Since learning the basics of TNR, I have had the opportunity to trap another feral in my backyard as well as to assist other people in the community in trapping feral cats. This past August I coordinated a TNR project that spanned a city block. In the end we trapped and altered 20 feral cats (6 males, 14 females and 14 of the 20 were kittens!) and we educated the neighborhood about the benefits of TNR.

Thanks to Oliver I have learned that one person can make a significant difference in bettering the lives of homeless cats. And thanks to the Community Cat Coalition I have learned that a team of individuals and groups working together can make an even bigger difference.

Oliver and his family continue to happily occupy my yard. Oliver has become quite friendly with me, but sadly he continues to urine mark and so remains a mostly outside cat. His family remains quite feral and they don't let me near, but I enjoy watching them and occasionally playing 'chase the red dot' (laser pointer) with them through the window. I like knowing they no longer need to worry about finding food or a safe place to sleep as they all have heated and secure places here. 

I recently started BackyardTNR.com, a site where I chronicle my TNR adventures, share helpful information about TNR and host a live streaming webcam of my backyard ferals. I also write about my indoor cats and all things cat on my fourwhitepaws.net blog.