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NYC Animal Welfare Groups Join Forces to Help Over 200 Homeless
Cats on
Rikers Island
The feral cats on Rikers Island are the offspring of domestic housecats that were abandoned by their owners. When abandoned in the wild, cats will return to wild behaviors. Tens of millions unaltered feral cats roam free in the United States, congregating around food sources, and breeding. TNR is the only recognized humane and effective way to manage these populations. "Trapping the feral cats, in order to have them sterilized and vaccinated, is the first and most important step in a humane, nonlethal management plan for feral cats," says Ruth Sharp, President of Neighborhood Cats, Inc. "The cats are returned to their outdoor homes, where caretakers provide ongoing care. The cooperation with the Department of Correction was superb throughout the project. TNR helps provide humane care while gradually reducing the colony's numbers because the cats can no longer reproduce." William J. Fraser, Commissioner of Correction, has thanked all of the agencies involved in making this TNR project such a tremendous success. The project will continue through four phases that conclude with implementing a long-term maintenance plan, which will provide ongoing care for the cats. If domestic strays join the colony in the future, as a result of being abandoned or lost by their owners, they will be removed and placed into foster care and eventually loving new homes. Over 35 cats have been adopted or placed in foster care. Spaying and neutering are essential to reducing the number of homeless animals. Cats are able to reproduce as young as 5-6 months of age, and may breed twice per year. As a result, a single pair of cats may result in a population as high as 1,280 in two years. Simply removing the cats does not solve the problem because the remaining food source will attract other cats, who will move in from nearby areas and breed, thereby beginning the cycle again. The Rikers Island TNR Project has been funded by all the agencies involved. It has also received a very generous donation from Nutro Products, makers of MAX and Natural Choice premium pet foods, which donated a substantial amount of their MAX CAT brand of cat food. Generous funding was also received from PetsMart Charities, Inc., a Phoenix, AZ based non-profit organization that awarded $8,000 to the project. Other agencies that contributed to the project are The Artemis Project (an outreach program for Just Strays, Inc.), which gave a generous donation of $6,000, United Animal Nation, which contributed $2,000, and The Tri-county Pony Club. Those interested in supporting the long-term care of the cats on Rikers Island may donate to the Rikers Island Feral Cat Fund, c/o:
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In an effort to humanely manage an exploding population of stray and feral
cats on Rikers Island, animal welfare groups have been working with the
NYC Department of Correction since March of 2002 to spay and neuter the
cats and develop a long-term plan for their care. The American Society for
the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, The Center for Animal Care and
Control, The Humane Society of New York, and Neighborhood Cats, Inc. will
join together on August 26, 2002 for a final "Spay Day" on
Rikers Island, marking the completion of the spay/neuter component of the
project. Over 200 cats were spayed and neutered in what is believed to be
the largest Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) project ever implemented at a single
facility in the United States. During the trapping phase of the project,
Francis' Friends, Inc. and Kitty Caretakers of Queens, Inc. also provided
assistance.
