National Feral Cat Day.....

Today is National Feral Cat Day started by Alley Cat Allies.

The rescue we work with started out doing TNR as their main goal....and while they do adoptions and rescues, their main purpose is still very much TNR. From helping those that request help to going into neighborhoods (they are working in a trailer park right now) to help out, there are many trappers and colony care takers in this group. One couple takes care of two colonys and feeds about 100 pounds of food per month. All of the cats are fixed and vaccinated - and they can track new cats and make sure they see if any of the current colony needs medical care. The rescue helps with their expenses as much as possible, but they cover a lot themselves as well. It is an act of love.....  If you go to the rescue's facebook page, you can even vote for your favorite feral cat house as part of a contest they are having. :)

Of course, for us, this is personal.....  our baby Bug was found as a tiny kitten born to a feral mom and abandoned - but raised as a bottle baby and then adopted.

Of course, the great Junior was trapped later that summer and now lives with us.

Junior checking out the tiny kid in baby jail

In our neighborhood, mom and the neighbor lady (on their own) TNR'd 6 adults and trapped an additional 5 kittens (the memorial kittens) after Junior and Bug.

Grace and Audrey

Jimmy Stewart

Annie (or Oakley) either the kittens mom or aunt

 Blackie (not the daddy but a big boy hanging around with his girls)

And of course, there is our Allie girl that gave us the alcohol kittens and after being spayed, ear tipped and released, lives in our garage.

So, how can you help?  Support a local TNR group....either with your time or donations. Honestly, there is a great satisfaction to putting out a trap and coming back to find a cat in it and helping to stop overpopulation (mom still does her happy dance when it happens). Can't do that? Consider donating money or old towels/sheets (to cover traps), food or even live traps (check your local farm stores - you can find them on sale sometimes). Any little bit helps. And contact your local humane agency and let them know that your support TNR - not trap and kill (which a lot of communities are still doing). And for fun, you can follow the Spartanburg Animal Services in South Carolina on facebook....they are being a great example of animal control being feral friendly!!!

National Feral Cat Day.....

Alley Cat Allies is celebrating National Feral Cat Day....  TODAY!!!

Most of you know that we are BIG fans of TNR. And we are lucky enough to live in a city that has a very good local low cost clinic (SOS) that will take feral cats - the same day you trap them (ok, provided the clinic is open, but still.....)

TNR is how this guy came to live with us:

(who knew this would grow into the 16 pound orange menace)

And there are the cats we have trapped in the neighborhood over the last two years - and the kittens that we caught and have been adopted. Bug's mom was TNR'd, so was Doc and Sally's mom and the memorial day kittens.

Most recently there was Allie and the alcohol kittens......

 

Not only have the kittens found home (or are looking), the adults are no longer able to reproduce and are being cared for the best we can (shelter and food).

There are lots of ways you can help:
   1. see if there are events in your area
   2. TNR in your neighborhood - or contact a local group that is doing TNR in your area
       we have two around here that mom supports: Colony Cats and Black and Orange Cat Foundation
   3. Like Alley Cat Allies on Facebook

And there are so many other ways to help. And every little step takes us one more step closer to a day when ferals are not killed for being feral.