Feral NewsWatch
Highlights & updates in the TNR field
May 17, 2012
News flash!
(5.14.12, Kenner, LA) The Kenner Feral Cat Control Board no longer exists but it's illegal to feed free-roaming cats in the city without their permission. Now the mayor is promising to meet with frustrated advocates to find a solution. Full story.
(5.13.12, Louisville, KY) An ordinance revision allowing TNR, and dividing the local free-roaming cat population into owned cats and all others - now distinguished as "community cats" - has been passed by the Louisville Metro Council. Full story.
(5.11.12, Isle of Sheppey, England) A feral colony started during WWII to control rats at an RAF airbase is now being TNR'd by the RSPCA and a local group, Swale Cats Protection. Full story.
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Need to Grow Your TNR Program? Feral CAT Can Help!
Applications accepted through 6/8/12
May 9, 2012
Wherever there are free-roaming cats there's a need for well-managed Trap-Neuter-Return programs. But for many start-up groups, the demands of a successful program - training caretakers, working with local officials, managing trap banks and more - can seem overwhelming.
If you think your growing TNR effort could be operating more effectively within your community but you're not sure what to do next, here's your chance! The Neighborhood Cats Feral CAT (Community Assistance & Training) Program offers expert advice and targeted funding to help TNR organizations better accomplish their missions.
In 2012 four groups will be selected to participate in Feral CAT. IRS approved 501(c)(3) organizations and government agencies from anywhere in the U.S. are eligible to apply. Application deadline is June 8, 2012.
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New Webinars from the PetSmart Charities EDUcation Team
Watch and learn to strengthen your animal welfare efforts
April 30, 2012
This May - July PetSmart Charities is offering a vibrant new series of animal-focused webinars. Let the Cat Out of the Bag! Marketing and Promoting Cats and Kittens for Adoption can invigorate any adoption program with its "outside the box" strategies. Building a Foster Network that Saves Lives provides a step-by-step roadmap to a strong foster program. The info in Winter Colony Care 101 can help feral cats survive and thrive throughout the cold months.
Other topics in the series: Enhancing Humane Education for Underserved Youth, Saving Lives Through Fostering Pets!, Open Adoption Philosophy, Conflict Management in Organizations and Eco-Friendly Animal Shelters. All webinars are offered free of charge but advance registration is required.
> Learn More
Meet Dr. Michael Dym, VMD
Leader in veterinary homeopathy
April 30, 2012
What is homeopathy? Why consider it as an option for the animals in your care?
Homeopathy is a medical therapeutic system founded in the early 19th century. Its goal is to restore health safely, gently and permanently, first by arriving at a thorough understanding of what constitutes the "disease" from which an animal suffers, then treating with the oral administration of a single, carefully selected homeopathic medicine, called a "remedy".
Homeopathy can be used to treat a gamut of acute and chronic problems and when appropriate can be combined with conventional medicine to achieve a cure. Today increasing numbers of veterinarians trained in orthodox Western medicine are taking up veterinary homeopathy. Among the best is Dr.Michael Dym, VMD who practices holistic and integrative conventional veterinary medicine to produce some truly remarkable results.
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Help Us Help Kitty!
ChipIn to save a sweet rescued senior
April 13, 2012
Last week he was A #092784, a seriously ill senior cat with a tipped left ear who'd been turned in to Animal Care & Control. This week he has a name: Kitty. He has a future, too, because when Neighborhood Cats found out that Kitty was at ACC, and scheduled to be euthanized we went and got him, and brought him to a veterinarian for the care he desperately needs.
Kitty is about nine years old. Someone must have been kind to him once because he has a calm trust that each new person he meets will be a friend. But his battered little body shows he has suffered hard times, and serious neglect. He is now hospitalized, and receiving treatment that we hope can restore him to good health. The tests and supportive care that Kitty needs are costly. We've set up a ChipIn page and hope friends will help us help Kitty! To make a donation - any amount is appreciated! - please click here.
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Introducing the Neighborhood Cats Kitten Screen
Don't let the little ones get away!
April 13, 2012
Ever set out to catch kittens but end up trapping only big cats instead? Here's a brand-new solution for that! The Neighborhood Cats Kitten Screen is designed with a 3" x 3" opening that lets little ones enter the trap while blocking bait-snatching adults. (Note: If you're trapping a litter of young kittens, you can ensure the trap door doesn't injure one kitten when another steps on the trip plate by using the Bottle Trick to control the door manually.)
Manufactured by industry leader Tomahawk Live Trap, the 14-gauge steel Kitten Screen is sturdy, lightweight, easy to install and fits any trap with dimensions 10"w x 12"h. Comes complete with screen, spring clip, 2 L-rods and instructions. To order go to www.livetrap.com.
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Funding Available for TNR from Best Friends Lifesaving Grants
Applications accepted through May 11, 2012
April 4, 2012
Best Friends Animal Society, in partnership with PetSmart Charities, is now accepting applications for the next cycle of its 2012 Lifesaving Grants Program. Funds for targeted Trap-Neuter-Return projects, spay/neuter for "owned" cats and dogs and adoption initiatives are available in amounts ranging from $1,000 - $10,000.
There will be three grant cycles within the next calendar year. The application deadline for the current cycle is midnight on May 11, 2012 (MST). Grants wil be awarded by the end of June.
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"Feral Cats and TNR 101" by Neighborhood Cats
New webinar offers intro to TNR + feral cat care
March 29, 2012
It's estimated that tens of millions of feral and stray cats freely roam the streets of the United States and breed rapidly. What to do? Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is the only method shown to be humane and effective in controlling free-roaming cat population growth.
To help guide those unfamiliar with Trap-Neuter-Return, Neighborhood Cats and the PetSmart EDUcation Team have created Feral Cats and TNR 101, a 20-minute webinar offering an introduction to the benefits and basic how-tos of working with feral cats. Instructed by Neighborhood Cats' Meredith Weiss and Lois McClurg, the recorded webinar is available for viewing on PetSmart Charities' website. To access Feral Cats and TNR 101 click here.
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The Neighborhood Cats TNR Handbook Now Available Online!
Download the most comprehensive feral cat guide
March 20, 2012
The Neighborhood Cats TNR Handbook starts with the basics (Chapter 1: What is a Feral Cat?) and goes on to cover all the essentials of Trap-Neuter-Return. Topics include feeding and sheltering, the how-to's of trapping, mass trapping, colony relocation and building support in the community. Whether you're new to TNR or a seasoned caretaker it can offer invaluable guidance to strenghten your work with feral cats. Now the Handbook just got even handier because it's available online at no charge! To download the pdf, click here.
Coming soon! A revised and updated edition of The Neighborhood Cats TNR Handbook! Due for release in summer 2012.
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Our new series celebrates innovative TNR programs and their creative approaches to helping feral cats wherever they may be.
Click the image below to start.
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Learn the basics of Trap-Neuter-Return and earn TNR certification at our New York City training workshops.
For a schedule, click here!
Get the medical info you need to keep your colony healthy from feral cat expert Dr. Gordon Stull.
Click here to read more.
A gift of $50 will spay one cat and help prevent many feral births.
Please donate to Neighborhood Cats and help us improve the lives of homeless cats!
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When you're ready to adopt...
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