# Can cat homelessness be eliminated?



## cat-guy

If I had the power, I would make it illegal to own non-sterilized cats. I would provide free spay and neuter service to eliminate any financial excuse. And I would have a trap neuter release program along with cat feeders to control feral cats. My city's animal shelters would import cats from other cities as needed to provide pets for our citizens, but there would be no longer any need to kill cats to control their population.

Is anybody aware of a city that has successfully eliminated cat homelessness through some sort of regulations?


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## Zephyriddle

People spaying and neutering and not letting their cats outside would end it pretty quickly. It doesn't matter what programs there are to help the existing feral cats if irresponsible people continue to allow their intact animals outside to continue to reproduce. 


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## NebraskaCat

There are some great movements in some urban areas: Kansas City, St Paul, Tampa.

The person to ask is Mitts & Tess. She has shared a lot of information here in the forum about different individual shelters, municipal animal control operations, and entire cities that embrace No-Kill (of which TNR is a huge part).

It follows (in my mind) that cat homelessness rates would drop after these type initiatives are in place.


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## cat-guy

kayla baxter said:


> People spaying and neutering and not letting their cats outside would end it pretty quickly. It doesn't matter what programs there are to help the existing feral cats if irresponsible people continue to allow their intact animals outside to continue to reproduce.
> 
> 
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I agree with you, but has any city actually tried to enforce common sense among cat owners and succeeded? I know some cities require dogs to have tags showing they have their vaccinations. Why couldn't a city require cats to be sterilized and if an owner doesn't comply then the city takes the cat away to be sterilized and given to another home? Of course the city would provide free sterilization and free annual check-ups for all cats. (Maybe I should have called this thread "I have a dream" since this is MLK day. I suppose I'm dreaming, but I wonder if any city has done this?)


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## Dicesmom

While I like it there could be reasons for a cat not being fixed. For example- bad reaction to the anesthesia. Making them keep them inside-yes I could see that!! Honestly between me and a neighbor,trapping and TNR has helped. Also we found homes for the "problem" cats and it has helped keep the pop down where we live. I feel if some laws were put in place it would help cat populations go down!

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## Dicesmom

Also would it be where you had to have a license to breed? Have to actively do something to breed? If we sterilize all cats soon there will be none...yes there are millions in shelters but let say today ALL cats had to be fixed...in 20-30 years there could be no cats,at all! That's just my 2 cents though. 

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## tezster

I think with a dedicated, grass-roots effort and sufficient resources (i.e. $$$$$), it's possible to reduce the problem to miniscule levels within a municipality, so that it's essentially no longer a problem from a practical standpoint. But there's no way to completely eliminate it, IMO; there would simply be too much legal issues and bureaucracy involved enforcing S&N activities with personally-owned pets.

But as I mentioned, there's really no need to eliminate the problem entirely. If 95-99% of all homeless/stray/feral cats could be TNR'ed, this would be a monumental achievement in itself.


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## cat-guy

Dicesmom said:


> While I like it there could be reasons for a cat not being fixed. For example- bad reaction to the anesthesia. Making them keep them inside-yes I could see that!! Honestly between me and a neighbor,trapping and TNR has helped. Also we found homes for the "problem" cats and it has helped keep the pop down where we live. I feel if some laws were put in place it would help cat populations go down!


Maybe cats that can't handle the anethesia could have an implant that releases hormones? I admire that you are helping with TNR. I need to start volunteering my time too.



Dicesmom said:


> Also would it be where you had to have a license to breed? Have to actively do something to breed? If we sterilize all cats soon there will be none...yes there are millions in shelters but let say today ALL cats had to be fixed...in 20-30 years there could be no cats,at all! That's just my 2 cents though.


After most of the cats are sterilized in the city, we would import cats as needed from other cities that do not have their cats sterilized yet. Eventually the number of cat births would be controlled to match the number of people who want cats ... somehow. (We'll cross that bridge when we come to it  )


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## cat-guy

tezster said:


> If 95-99% of all homeless/stray/feral cats could be TNR'ed, this would be a monumental achievement in itself.


I agree it probably can't be eliminated completely. I have never lived anywhere that enforces any kind of pet ownership regulations. (Maybe the regulations exist but they aren't enforced). I wonder if there is a wealthy and progressive city somewhere where the government is providing its muscle in a big way to help solve the problem? And I wonder if it has been successful? Usually it is left to volunteers. Imagine if we left the fire department and police to unpaid volunteers.


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## tezster

Just to add, I think that many cities already have requirements and by-laws regarding pet licensing which includes cats, and maybe even neuter/spay policies, but it's really up to each individual to to make sure they're following the rules, as there simply isn't enough resources to dedicate resources to enforce such a policy. As you can imagine, animal and pet control probably isn't high on the list of a city's problems to tackle. A quick look at municipal pet shelters will tell you how overwhelmed and inundated most of them are.

So it's up to well-intentioned individuals to form/participate in pet rescue organizations, to both tackle the immediate problem at a community level, and also raises awareness with local citizens and government.


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## Zephyriddle

My city requires all dogs and cats to be registered, but it's nearly impossible to enforce. The cost associated with enforcing very in depth regulations would be extreme. Most cities can't even afford to run basic low cost spay/neuter programs yet alone to pay staff to go around checking for registration and altered pets. The province I grew up in only gets $3000 in government funding for all of the SPCA shelters annually. My fundraising group alone brought in over twice that amount each summer. 
I also get uneasy thinking about government dictating what I have to do with my animals. I'm involved in showing pure bred dogs, so mandatory spay/neuter just doesn't sit well with me. It's like places that require rabies vaccines by 12 or 16 weeks. Sure, it ensures that dogs and cats aren't exposed to rabies, but it's horrible unsafe for the animal to receive the vaccine before six months of age. 


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## cat-guy

tezster said:


> So it's up to well-intentioned individuals to form/participate in pet rescue organizations, to both tackle the immediate problem at a community level, and also raises awareness with local citizens and government.


That is true.


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## Bill the Cat Guy

I hate the idea. If I want to allow my cat to breed that's my business and not yours. One of the biggest problems we have in society is people deciding they know what's best for the rest of us.


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## cat-guy

kayla baxter said:


> The province I grew up in only gets $3000 in government funding for all of the SPCA shelters annually.


$3000 for the whole province? I wonder how many shelters are expected to share that $3000? It reminds me of the cartoon "Mickey and the Beanstalk" where the starving Mickey, Donald, and Goofy are trying to carve paper-thin slices from a single bean to share among themselves.

I didn't know that about rabies vaccines. There is a lot I learn on this forum actually.


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## Siskin

cat-guy said:


> If I had the power, I would make it illegal to own non-sterilized cats.


If theoretically such a law would be passed, I would IGNORE it and do everything in my power to get it removed. It is a very very very bad idea.

It's like making sure the cat doesn't destroy your furniture by locking him/her in a cage 24/7. it's a very wrong approach.

For wild cat populations mandatory TNR is indeed a very good solution, not because it's great in itself, but because it's the lesser of 2 evils. But for owned cats educating the owners to not allow their cats free would be much better. If that is not an option, THEN neuter/spay is the acceptable alternative.

I personally will NOT have Seven neutered because it's someone's policy. He is a strictly indoor cat with no chance whatsoever of ever touching a lady. The only thing that might lead to him getting neutered is if he looks like he's suffering from unfulfilled hormone induced desire. But that will only happen after puberty and is a last resort. The hormones created by the genital organs are just as important at those from the thyroid gland. I will most certainly not have him neutered early before his body grows the way nature meant it.


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## MowMow

IMO, stray cats will always be around as long as there are irresponsible pet owners who don't spay/neuter.

There is always going to be SOMEONE who says, "My cat will never go outside" and doesn't take into account how much drive those hormones give cats to breed. Part of being cat guardians is doing what is best for them, not what we would want done for us.


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## NebraskaCat

Bill the Cat Guy said:


> I hate the idea. If I want to allow my cat to breed that's my business and not yours. One of the biggest problems we have in society is people deciding they know what's best for the rest of us.


I've always said that I don't think any governmental body should legislate against stupidity. My prime example was motorcycle helmets. I received a kidney transplant because someone was either too stupid to know to wear a helmet or was too stupid to follow the law about helmets (depending on which state the organ came from). He was essentially only hurting himself (and indirectly hurting other insurance payers who were affected by his statistic). In that sense, I agree with this.

But cats are different. Allowing the irrational person's decision of keeping a cat unaltered puts an undue burden (increased cancer risk, behavior swings, traumatized to not be able to get outside) on the cat. Also the repercussions of allowing unaltered cats to breed without controls creates affects human society in general as cats will get to a stage of being labeled a nuisance population instead of a companion animal. In this case the victim isn't just the stupid person, it's the cat and cats at large.

This is why sometimes laws are created. Not for the sane, thinking cat owner who may be part of the majority. But for the delinquent pet owner who cannot logically consider consequences of (in)actions.


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## MowMow

Bill the Cat Guy said:


> One of the biggest problems we have in society is people deciding they know what's best for the rest of us.


This is different, as Nebraska said (although, way more politely than I will) If you want to break a law like not wearing a helmet and die... that's your business. I couldn't give a rat's patoot and I find that a perfect example of darwinism... but innocent cats shouldn't suffer. 

If people are too ignorant or too arrogant to live up to their responsibilities then the law needs to step in and make them do it.


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## doodlebug

MowMow said:


> If you want to break a law like not wearing a helmet and die... that's your business.


Off topic detour...

Living in a state with no helmet law, this topic comes up often around here. It's not my business as long as they die. But when they end up in the hospital with no medical insurance and end up brain damaged, needing long term care and the state ends up paying...yeah it's my business.


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## Carmel

My city requires all cats to be spayed and neutered unless the owners have purchased breeding rights (I'd assume with a purebred cat). In practice, it does not stop people from having unneutered cats or getting unneutered cats from the paper or online. However, there is only one shelter in the city and all cats come spayed/neutered from there. The shelter is no-kill, with a cat sanctuary to back it up when they get cats that are no adoptable or aren't getting adopted for whatever reason (the cat sanctuary won the bid for the city shelter, so they're run by the same organization). The city does TNR as well, the shelter also has organized feeding stations in some areas that volunteers will go to daily to feed cats. Adoption is expensive, there are also papers to fill out to make sure you're a good candidate and in the contract cats must remain indoor only. As for dogs... the city also has enforced bylaws against chaining dogs up outdoors and against selling dogs in pet stores, and dogs must be licensed. Last year the shelter entered a national contest and won something like 25 thousand (totally forget the amount won...) and it all went towards low cost spay and neuter.

The bylaws seem to be working -- the one pet store that sold dogs in the city went out of business without them, and the cat sanctuary started at over 900 cats and it's now around 700... the majority of the cats are starting to get into their teens that are located there (the sanctuary has been around over a decade); of course more cats are being add all the time, but it's at a slower rate. 

I can could on my hands the number of cats I've seen outdoors (two of which are now my cats...). Pretty much no one has outdoor cats around here, I know feral cats usually hide from humans, but I've rarely seen or heard signs of them.

Honestly, the worst problem in this city right now is rabbits. Right now we have a serious rabbit problem... the shelter will not turn away any animal surrendered to their care, so they have A LOT of rabbits. There are way too many rabbits in this city, it is out of control.

I don't think homeless/feral cats will ever be eradicated though... where there's a will not to neuter your animal, there's always going to be a way for them to breed.


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## cat-guy

Carmel said:


> I don't think homeless/feral cats will ever be eradicated though... where there's a will not to neuter your animal, there's always going to be a way for them to breed.


thanks, Carmel.  I wonder if the rabbit problem resulted from controlling the cats?


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## yogakitty

Bill the Cat Guy said:


> I hate the idea. If I want to allow my cat to breed that's my business and not yours. One of the biggest problems we have in society is people deciding they know what's best for the rest of us.


It becomes everyone's business when homeless, unspayed cats are on the prowl because we all minded our own business and basically gave irresponsible pet owners the go ahead. Mandatory spaying and neutering IS best for the rest of us, and the hundreds of homeless and feral cats in pretty much every city in the world. Just like by laws exist for dogs to be leashed in public places, so should cat ownership require mandatory fixing, unless you have veterinary consent that states it would be unsafe for the animal or are a registered breeder. I have my own opinion on what requirements should be made mandatory for being a breeder as we'll. but that's another thread altogether. 


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## Mitts & Tess

Yes I totally believe we can become a No Kill nation. From the reading Ive done licensing and enforcing mandatory s/n wouldnt produce the results of no more homeless pets and our feral population.

I think s/n is like smoking. Its now become unpopular to be a smoker and people understand why. Same with s/n. I talk that up to everyone we come in contact with. Its educating and making it a stigma if your pet isnt s/n. I have had it out with dog owners when I see a dog that is not neutered. Its a cultural thing in south Tucson not to neuter your pit bull. 

Here are a few articles by Nathan Winograd addressing the subject. Read and consider and make up your own mind as to where you stand on the subject. The biggest point I came away with is licensing doesn't begin to even pay for s/n or enforcement. It doesnt get us away from the killing of animals.

This is an older article dealing with strictly cats and licensing and mandatory s/n

http://www.nathanwinograd.com/linked/license.pdf

In this article the meat of the subject is midway to the end addressing what we are discussing in Cat-Guy's thread.

mandatory spay/neuter : Nathan J Winograd


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## cat-guy

Thanks for those links! 

It seemed to me that the author was trying to correct misperceptions that led to efforts focusing too much on regulating pet owners but went too far the other direction by claiming that the whole problem could be solved if the stubborn animal shelters would simply change their policies. But I'm not an expert on these things. It just seems hard to believe.


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## wolfheartmoon

cat-guy said:


> If I had the power, I would make it illegal to own non-sterilized cats.


And then you would successfully kill off thousands of unique breeds of cats, and all we would be left with is feral cats.

Possibly they could fine you for it if you don't have a breeding license, but if you want forced sterilization of all cats, you'd kill off the pet cat.


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## yogakitty

Breeders can have specific requirements for licensing...it would be strict and a lengthy list....if it were up to me anyways...

And anyone that would buy from the breeder would be buying a fixed cat or required to fix in the contract. I think this should be mandatory for dogs too. Most responsible and quality breeders would not have a problem with this as they already ensure the appropriate measures are taken to prevent unwanted litters and the litters they produce, they ensure not only genetic testing and quality pairing (health, temperament, etc).


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## Mitts & Tess

Cat Guy what is hard to believe? I'm unclear of which part of our discussion your unclear about?


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## cat-guy

wolfheartmoon said:


> And then you would successfully kill off thousands of unique breeds of cats, and all we would be left with is feral cats.
> 
> Possibly they could fine you for it if you don't have a breeding license, but if you want forced sterilization of all cats, you'd kill off the pet cat.


You make a valid point. I was imagining doing this in an isolated municipality. Ideally citizens seeking to adopt a cat would sign-up on a waiting list. Every week or so we would go to animal shelters in neighboring towns and import some cats that would otherwise be killed. The cats would be assigned randomly to homes. We would not allow cats to be cherry-picked.

The breeding of cats seems very unnecessary anyway. Cats are already so perfect. How can we improve on perfection? It's best to leave mother nature alone IMO.


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## cat-guy

^ I wanted to add a couple of corrections.

In my fantasy cat adoption service a cat with health problems would be placed with an owner that can afford the vet expenses. But we wouldn't allow cats to be rejected due to age or appearance.

Also, I didn't intend to criticize cat breeders. I am sure there is a lot I don't understand about the purpose of cat breeding.


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## MowMow

cat-guy said:


> ^ I wanted to add a couple of corrections.
> 
> In my fantasy cat adoption service a cat with health problems would be placed with an owner that can afford the vet expenses. But we wouldn't allow cats to be rejected due to age or appearance.
> 
> Also, I didn't intend to criticize cat breeders. I am sure there is a lot I don't understand about the purpose of cat breeding.


HOWEVER - if people would just spay/neuter all their cats (with the exclusion of qualified breeders who I think should have a whole host of restrictions/requirements) then we wouldn't NEED to do all this. There would be no more strays, homeless cats, or issues.

Then perhaps we can concentrate on importing the stray cats from countries who don't/cant'/won't do what we've accomplished and adopt THOSE out. 

As long as we have people who have the mindset "If I don't want to spay/neuter that's MY business" we'll always have strays that we have to figure out a way to deal with.


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## Mitts & Tess

Here is my favorite 4 minute video that outlines how to successfully eliminate homeless pets in your community. We Are (the No Kill Movement) (2013) - YouTube 



> It seemed to me that the author was trying to correct misperceptions that led to efforts focusing too much on regulating pet owners but went too far the other direction by claiming that the whole problem could be solved if the stubborn animal shelters would simply change their policies. But I'm not an expert on these things. It just seems hard to believe.


From my limited experience in my community its shelters and the directors which continues the killing of healthy animals and not getting the animals adopted. They do not support TNR and the No Kill equation. They blame the public when they could change, think outside the tradition box and solve the problem. 

I agree with Nebraska Cat that you can legislate irresponsible people to do the responsible thing. 

To turn things around for cats you have to have informed cat loving people who want to do what works to end unwanted births of feral kittens. A TNR program. Plus an active foster program for abandoned socialized cats they bring in from outside.

You cant legislate No Kill because so many directors and organizations like PETA and kill shelters just seeing killing as the only answer. They dont want solutions and in their hearts, they are not looking for solutions. 

there are millions of people out there making a difference for cats. We still have a ways to go but I see light at the end of the tunnel. 

7 of us decided to do TNR in 2006 because we were so discourage with the treatment of cats (or lack of treatment) at the local shelter. We have made a huge difference in our community. It doesn't take a huge budget or a huge shelter to change the world for cats. Just a willing heart and compassionate volunteers to pitch in!


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## cat-guy

I see a lot of strays in my neighborhood because there is a big old warehouse surrounded by high grass and trees. Sometimes I've wished I could TNR and put out food and water. Did you get approval from somebody before starting TNR? Also are you worried that you might spay/neuter a pet instead of a stray?


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## MowMow

cat-guy said:


> Also are you worried that you might spay/neuter a pet instead of a stray?


Why would they? If a 'pet' was left to roam unspayed/unneutered then it needs to be taken care of. It'll be released again in the same area it was trapped/caught so if so inclined, it can return home after it's surgery.

On a side note: Personally, I don't think a person who would let an unaltered pet run lose deserves to own it and it should be removed and rehomed to a responsible household.


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## Baron Von Moggy

cat-guy said:


> Also are you worried that you might spay/neuter a pet instead of a stray?


This is not something that I personally would worry about.

When I found Moggy he was not neutered. Having him neutered was at to top of my list to do (after he was fattened up a little).

Even though I knew within a day that Moggy would have a home with us forever, I still checked lost and found pages for about six weeks. I was wondering if he had escaped from a loving home and would feel horrible if they were missing him and I did nothing to help reunite them. If I had found his original home I would not have felt guilty about having him neutered.

But all of that is irrelevant in Moggy's case as I never found a lost ad for him, so I can only assume he was left behind after a move or dumped


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## cat-guy

MowMow said:


> Why would they? If a 'pet' was left to roam unspayed/unneutered then it needs to be taken care of. It'll be released again in the same area it was trapped/caught so if so inclined, it can return home after it's surgery.
> 
> On a side note: Personally, I don't think a person who would let an unaltered pet run lose deserves to own it and it should be removed and rehomed to a responsible household.


I agree with you, but I can imagine some people might be very angry at me if their prized tomcat came home neutered with his ear snipped. This is one reason I wish these programs were managed by the government and spay/neuter was mandatory.

My other concern is whether somebody might think I was hoarding cats and creating a health hazard if I was feeding a colony ferals. I assume they need vaccinations in addition to sterilization to prevent the spread of disease.

Just curious how these TNR programs work.


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## cat-guy

Baron Von Moggy said:


> ... But all of that is irrelevant in Moggy's case as I never found a lost ad for him, so I can only assume he was left behind after a move or dumped


It is sad that people abandon their cats. My previous cat was a stray, but she was already spayed. She had an allergy to the enamel in her teeth, and I wonder if the previous owner couldn't afford to go to the vet. Or maybe the new apartment didn't allow cats. (I had a hard time finding an apartment that allowed cats after I adopted her.)

One more rule for my fantasy town: all apartments must allow cats. (Maybe there could be a small percentage of cat-free apartments for people with allergies.)


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## 10cats2dogs

A Prized Tom Cat shouldn't be out running around in the first place!
AND if LOST, I would think the owner would put up posters, put an ad on Craigslist, newspaper, etc...!
Increasing the odds of getting the Tom back-Intact!
IMHO...


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## MowMow

IMO the only 'prized' Tom would be a purebred high quality championship bloodline cat. There would be NO reason this Tom would be wandering around outside and I would THINK that this owner would go crazy putting up posters/ads/contacting everyone in their town about returning this 'prized' Tom if he slipped outside.

If it's just a random Moggy that someone left intact so it could be a 'prize' Tom then it's all about ignorant human ego and I could care less if they are unhappy their cat was fixed.


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## Mitts & Tess

> Cat Guy-
> I see a lot of strays in my neighborhood because there is a big old warehouse surrounded by high grass and trees. Sometimes I've wished I could TNR and put out food and water. Did you get approval from somebody before starting TNR? Also are you worried that you might spay/neuter a pet instead of a stray?


no we didnt get approval to TNR. We became a 501c3 though. There are so many strays and feral cats around here we are busy all the time. Half the cats we trap were once someone companion cat. We vet it and make sure it is s/n, vaccinated and brought back to health. Companion cats go into foster care in our homes to be adopted out and ferals are s/n and vaccinate and back to their colonies where we provide food for caretakers to feed the colonies. 

People are constantly calling us to help or to get their cat s/n. Which we do. If we come across a cat that is out roaming free it gets s/n. Too bad if it was someones pet and they failed to s/n it. its all fair game.

We have several colonies which havent had any more kittens being added to it cuz every new cat which come in we can see whether it has a tipped ear or not.


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## wolfheartmoon

cat-guy said:


> ^ I wanted to add a couple of corrections.
> 
> In my fantasy cat adoption service a cat with health problems would be placed with an owner that can afford the vet expenses. But we wouldn't allow cats to be rejected due to age or appearance.
> 
> Also, I didn't intend to criticize cat breeders. I am sure there is a lot I don't understand about the purpose of cat breeding.


Cat breeding is because, if yes we spay neuter them all, like I said, all we would have left is ferals. 
There's also that certain breeds are wanted for certain features.
Myself? I want a Siamese cat in the future, because they are vocal, intelligent, loving, and very beautiful cats.
I'd also love to own a Russian Blue and a Abyssinian.


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## cat-guy

MowMow said:


> If it's just a random Moggy that someone left intact so it could be a 'prize' Tom then it's all about ignorant human ego and I could care less if they are unhappy their cat was fixed.


It makes sense to me. The Alley Cat Allies website discusses the need to educate the community about TNR before starting.


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## cat-guy

10cats2dogs said:


> A Prized Tom Cat shouldn't be out running around in the first place!


I agree with you. I suppose the vet would or should scan for a microchip before performing the procedure too.


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## cat-guy

Mitts & Tess said:


> no we didnt get approval to TNR. We became a 501c3 though.


Thanks. There is a charity in our county that does s/n for free and also loans traps. I see a lot of strays and I would like to help them, but I know there would be a learning curve and possibly more effort and expense than I can sustain. I should do something.


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## gizmothecat

There are too many non-responsible people in the world...it will never happen


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## NebraskaCat

As a pure point of fact, it is true that there will always be irresponsible people and it may be true that the ultimate best-case outcome won't be achieved. But that shouldn't keep us from striving to continually improve the conditions through education, TNR, and support of those doing the ground-level work.


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## Mitts & Tess

Cat Guy start a thread in the Feral section of Cat Forum and the TNR people can coach you. Its always easier to TNR if you work with a rescue that does TNR. We have trapping buddies to do it with. Plus food banks and pet Pantry's give food away in our area. Many members here are solo trappers too. You can have the expertise of seasoned trappers as a resource on the forum if you want to attempt this. The feral cat issue will be solved one feral at a time.


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## gizmothecat

NebraskaCat said:


> As a pure point of fact, it is true that there will always be irresponsible people and it may be true that the ultimate best-case outcome won't be achieved. But that shouldn't keep us from striving to continually improve the conditions through education, TNR, and support of those doing the ground-level work.


....Agreed!


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## Mitts & Tess

> There are too many non-responsible people in the world...it will never happen


There are millions of people working in rescue and TNR. I personally believe it will happen. On the feral cat portion we are solving it humanely one cat at a time. My little group has done over a thousand cats in our area. 

A decade ago there were 12 million dogs and cats being put down in the US. Now its down to 4 million, which is high, but were moving in a forward directions. I know in my area lots of people are working towards making Tucson a No Kill city and many groups are No Kill. There is lots of possitive stuff going on to help cats and dogs in the US.

To get an vision for how to stop homelessness and No Kill I suggest you read the book by Nathan Winograd.


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## BigDaveyL

Thank you for the interesting stats, we have come a long way, but still have a ways to go.

Thank you for the work for you do in your local community.


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## MowMow

Well, on the one hand I think there will always be cats in need to rescuing from the streets, but I DO think that with continual education and work it will be minimized and the cats can be helped before they sufffer


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## yogakitty

Aside from cats, there are so many other homeless animals there...and close to my heart are pit bulls...dog fighting and inbreeding is a huge problem all around the world and very much so in the U.S. and even in Canada. Its horrid and unspeakably cruel. It makes it hard to see the light in terms of animal welfare when the bad is just, so, so bad.

Thankfully, there are people out there who care and who are working hard. Hence, every little effort helps. One thing that iffs me the wrong way is when people disregard or ignore a request for help or even just awareness because they feel it won't really make a change...it does..one cat and dog at a time it does. You are making the difference for one life....that is still, a living, breathing, feeling creature that you are helping. We need people to think that way. Otherwise we'd still be living in a society where women and black cats are being labelled as witches and demons!


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## gizmothecat

MowMow said:


> Well, on the one hand I think there will always be cats in need to rescuing from the streets, but I DO think that with continual education and work it will be minimized and the cats can be helped before they sufffer



I totally agree with this. I do think numbers will continue to go down....with the wonderful help from rescue groups and those that adopt rescues.


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## cat-guy

Mitts & Tess said:


> Cat Guy start a thread in the Feral section of Cat Forum and the TNR people can coach you. Its always easier to TNR if you work with a rescue that does TNR. We have trapping buddies to do it with. Plus food banks and pet Pantry's give food away in our area. Many members here are solo trappers too. You can have the expertise of seasoned trappers as a resource on the forum if you want to attempt this. The feral cat issue will be solved one feral at a time.


Thanks.  I will start a thread there and get some advice.


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## Mitts & Tess

I see once we get the US to be No Kill we wont stop there and will go from there to other countries to help. I will help animals till the day I take my last breath. Im sure there are millions of people who feel the same way! 

a lot of people I know help animals south of our border, Mexico. Ive also contributed $$$ to efforts internationally also.


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## Arianwen

Brilliant thread and I am very much in favour of neutering BUT I also dread a situation where the only cats available are pedigrees - I would choose a "moggy" over a pedigree every time (I have seven of them!!). This is definitely not against those who ,love a specific breed but as first choice it's not me. I have a friend who is a top breeder of Bengals - I haven't even taken freebies from him because I know others would.


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## Mitts & Tess

People keep mentioning we will not have pedigree cats if we s/n all cats. That is hardly an issue. Not the purpose of those of us doing s/n. (Unless your *PETA *and do not want people having domestic pets and target breeds of animals.) We wouldnt support legislated mandatory s/n since we already know that doesn't work and no resources to enforce it. Wed rather focus on proactive solutions like education of why s/n is important, low cost or free s/n, etc.

If you see a problems in your area for cats then change begins with *YOU.* What ever you can do. Take action, whether it is big or small. Nothing will happen if you do nothing. Complaining accomplishes nothing.

There is a young woman in a small town close to us that recently started a FB page where she took photos and listed dogs up for adoption at the animal control. She is doing write up and telling what she knows about the dogs. Its made a difference.

That is one young person who understands the power of social media. Look at the difference Marcia on CF has made doing write ups and volunteering. 

Each effort we make, makes a huge difference for each cat or dog which crosses our path. Whether its s/n, trapping, fostering, doing fund raisers, driving cats or dogs to vet appointment, donating, etc etc etc. 

I know people who would be willing to go help in areas where there is only one vet. To help at s/n events. I know one vet who uses her vacations to do s/n event along with other vets in areas where there is a big need. I personally believe change is happening. We are getting nearer our goal of no more homeless pets.


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