Feral cats are cats which live in a wild or untamed state. They may be cats who have never had human contact (feral from birth) or they may be once-domesticated cats which have been abandoned and returned to an untamed state. Outdoor cats - collectively known as "community cats" – consist of unidentified stray cats (aloof to friendly) and feral cats.
The Humane Society of Greater Dayton's Community Cat Initiative is a catch-and-release program designed to reduce the number of outdoor cats in a humane fashion via sterilization, rather than euthanasia.
In Montgomery County, we have 89,000 free-roaming, community cats
Euthanasia is only a temporary fix for the ever-increasing numbers of community cats, and almost always leads to the "vacuum effect": new feral cats flock to the area vacated by the euthanasia of prior residents. These new feral cats move in to take advantage of the now-available food sources. These new cats, in addition to any cats overlooked in the original roundup will continue to breed. Only one male and one female cat are required to start a new colony, and one female cat and her offspring can be responsible for the birth of 420,000 kittens over a seven-year period.
In 2009, approximately 4,300 cats were euthanized in the Greater Dayton area
The Humane Society of Greater Dayton believes that by spaying and neutering the animals, their population will shrink over time; the Humane Society of Greater Dayton will only euthanize cats too ill or injured to survive.
The Community Cat Initiative Program: sterilization, not euthanasia
The HSGD will accept into the Community Cat Initiative Program unowned, unidentified stray or feral cats from city residents, city employees, or volunteers as long as they have space available.
Each cat will be examined for identification, health, age, & claw status. Cats without identification (collar, tag, tattoo, etc.) are considered "unowned". Cats will be vaccinated (FVRCP), treated for fleas if needed, spayed/neutered and the tip of their left ear will be surgically notched while the cat is under anesthesia. This ¼ inch ear tip is a universal sign that the cat has been spayed or neutered.
After spaying or neutering, healthy feral cats are returned to their home area, where they will continue to live. These cats are now less aggressive and less prone to disease. They are no longer capable of producing unwanted litters, are less likely to wander, and have a much-improved quality of life.
Every effort will be made to find the owners of cats brought in to the Humane Society with identification. Unidentified cats will be put into the adoption program if there is space available. Feral kittens younger than four months of age can sometimes be socialized and become wonderful family pets. If the adoption program is full, the HSGD will not euthanize stray, healthy, unidentified cats. Stray, unidentified cats that come from cities which contract with the Animal Resource Center will be directed to that facility. Other stray, unidentified cats that are wild (feral) or friendly will be spayed or neutered, vaccinated, ear-tipped, treated for fleas (if necessary) and released back to the community that the cat is familiar with if the HSGD is assured that :
-The cats are healthy on exam and have a body mass that indicates that they have a food source.
-The cats have their claws, are not kittens, are not injured or sick, and are not old, senior cats that may struggle to survive
The Humane Society of Greater Dayton strives to end the senseless euthanasia of healthy cats, and to be proactive in controlling cat overpopulation through education and spay neuter initiatives. The local Humane Society plans to spay or neuter up to 20,000 community cats every year. The Humane Society will offer spaying and neutering for free, says Brian Weltge, executive director of the Humane Society of Greater Dayton - even though each procedure costs approximately $10 for a male cat and $24 for a female cat. Of the roughly 4,000 feral or stray cats taken in last year by the Humane Society of Greater Dayton, approximately 2,500 were adopted and 1,500 were euthanized. Weltge would like to see the between 10000 and 20000 cats spayed or neutered each year by the Humane Society; currently about 3,500 cats a year are spayed or neutered by the nonprofit organization. A fundraising campaign may be initiated to help defray costs.
The actual spaying and neutering process takes about 15 minutes, but the cats are kept overnight for observation; the Humane Society is preparing to acquire more space for the cats and is currently interviewing applicants for a full-time veterinarian position. Brian Weltge estimates that utilizing a full-time veterinarian would allow the organization to perform 11,000 spays and neuters a year; currently the Humane Society contracts with independent veterinarians.
It is important to keep in mind that this program is not for cats that individuals simply feel are a nuisance. If you do not like the cat in your yard, don’t think you can merely drop it off at the Humane Society. The cat may be brought in for the CCIP, but will be put back in accordance with the guidelines listed above.
For more information, contact the Humane Society of Greater Dayton at 9937) 268-PETS
----------------------
Iona (pictured) has a gorgeous brindle sort of coat. She is a sweet girl, less than five years old, and seeking her forever home at the Humane Society of Greater Dayton.
------------------------
Subscribe!
To receive email notifications when my new articles post to the Dayton Small Pets Examiner page, please use the "Subscribe to Email" link (under my name, above), or follow me on Twitter to receive notification of all of my articles. If you have questions, comments or suggestions please email me at bunnybinks@gmail.com for the timeliest response.
------------------------------
Comments