Today is the day to think about and remember the feral cats that live among us. The nation has millions of these forgotten and abandoned kitties. JBoD endorses the trap-neuter-release (TNR) method of control. This way is far more humane than mass euthanasia. The kitties are caught in traps. They are then spayed or neutered and given rabies shots. Their left ears are notched and they are released back to their colonies to live out their normal lifespans.
Our wonderful San Francisco SPCA provides free spay or neuter for any community cat that needs it. You can read about it here.
Many areas have their own feral TNR programs. You should contact your own shelters to find out. If there are none, become an advocate if you can.
A good friend of JBoD, Nofuratu participated in a walk to benefit his own local feral TNR program. He took first place for fundraising in the Cat Walk. Hooray for Nofur!!! We wrote about his fundraising efforts back in September. Please take time to visit his blog and his Facebook page. He’s a wonderful advocate for kitties as well a foe of any form of bigotry. In addition, he’s an excellent fashion model. In short, he’s a kitty of many talents and much charisma.
Now it’s time to show off some of the ferals we have seen in our area.
Here are the daytime kitties.
And now we have the night kitties.
While their lifespan outdoors is considerably shortened with an average of 6 years, they are happy and alive. They didn’t ask to be neglected and abandoned and they shouldn’t have to die as a result. Please consider supporting this option instead of euthanasia.
Our wonderful furballs have feral roots. Tito was born in the shelter to a feral mom. Miss Jenny was feral when she was picked up on the streets as a kitten. Both are wonderful members of our family.
Wow! I LOVE your new banner! It is funny how the “nightime cats” are black…LOL. Camoflage. Thanks for talking about a super important topic! Many people are unaware of TNR programs and some even think they are cruel…..which is silly. Being alive and outside is certainly better than being in a shelter, soon dead. And being a stray female who has litters every 6 months is a very hard life! Everyone should learn who their nearest TNR group is and have their local strays fixed and released.
Thank you. I’m glad you like the banner. You are so right about the TNR programs. We are lucky in that we live in a city that really loves cats (and dogs). Our SFSPCA (not related to the ASPCA) is a wonderful shelter. They are no-kill and work with surrounding shelters to help place cats and dogs who would otherwise be euthanized. I really love the TNR program here. We have a feral group that lives a few blocks away. When it comes to the rights of animals, my city is amazing. You and your family are pretty amazing in that area too. You did find homes for more than a few ferals. 🙂
Nice to see people being made aware of these poor forgotten lil’ kitties. Something that most don’t even think about. 🙁
My very first pet cat… when I was just a wee girl, was a sweet little half wild tiger female I found when my family was out for a Sunday drive. My dad loved roaming junkyards for parts he’d use to restore classic cars. While he’d do this with my uncle, I’d get to sneak around the old wrecks and explore for my own little treasures to bring home. That’s where I found “Suzy”…. tiny, scrawny, and oh so shy and wary. My dad was reluctant to take her home, but one look in my teary eyes and he knew we weren’t leaving her behind. She lived with us for 10 years and became the best friend any little girl could ever want.
I see people tending to the feral colonies around here all the time. Last week we saw a guy in a pickup delivering food to the ferals at the cemetery. 🙂
All the cats we had growing up used to be ferals as well. The TNR program we have at work actually puts the cats up for adoption on their intranet. If they cannot place them, the cats are then released.
There are feeding stations throughout the campus, which of course the raccoons and possums (sometimes) take advantage of…