Focus on feral cats
November 2nd, 2007 by admin
This week was “Feral Cat Week” in Orange County. The declaration is intended to highlight the county’s trap-neuter-return program. TNR can be an effective long-term approach to dealing with feral cats, and more humane than the traditional trap & euthanize option.
In Orange County, feral and abandoned cats are trapped, sterilized, vaccinated for rabies and treated for illness or injury. Those cats who cannot be tamed and placed in homes are returned to the location where they were trapped. Volunteers then feed and monitor the colony. The goal of TNR programs is to provide a good quality of life for feral cats and eliminate the colony over time. An article in Tuesday’s Orlando Sentinel mentioned a successful TNR program at the University of Central Florida, where the number of cats has been reduced by 90%.
If you are interested in learning more about TNR, the 4th annual National Feral Cat Summit 2007 will be held next weekend (Saturday, November 10), in Orlando. The program includes workshops on “Disaster Preparation for Feral Cat Programs & Caretakers,” “Feral Cats & Wildlife” and “Advanced Colony Caretaker Training.” Tickets are $25 for Florida residents (includes a boxed vegan lunch & Evening Networking Reception with refreshments). For more information, visit http://www.neighborhoodcats.org/special/nfc_summit_2007.htm
If you attend the summit, stop by the ARFF table and say hello!