2010 Feral Cat Day: Governor Markell's Proclamation and Safe Haven Spay/Neuter Clinic

Town Cat Trap-Neuter-Return   Greenwood & Safe Haven Partnership on Stray Cats The partnership between the Town of Greenwood and Safe Haven to humanely reduce the number of stray cats in town continues into the second year. The Town of Greenwood & Safe Haven agreed in 2008 to co-fund Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) of stray cats. TNR is the only proven method of effectively reducing the number of stray/feral cats in an area. "It was been a joy to work with the caring people of Greenwood, we have met dozens of kind people who feed and look after the strays in their neighborhoods," states Safe Haven Director Anne Gryczon. The first TNR clinic in Greenwood was held on National Feral Cat Day,October 16th of 2008. Pictured at left are: (standing left to right) Greenwood Mayor Willard Russell, who along with his family, feeds the homeless cats in his neighborhood); Vet Assistants Jeannie Thompson & Mary Woods; (kneeling left to right): Councilman Dan Nelson, Safe Haven Volunteer Lori L'Armand, Safe Haven Director Anne Gryczon, & Dr Jane Weise. Problems with Stray Cats   The Town of Greenwood had tried trapping and removing cats in the past. That method did not prove to be effective because removing stray cats only encourages other cats from nearby areas to expand their territory into the newly available neighborhoods. Safe Haven became involved in 2008 when there was a nuisance complaint involving a small female cat who, before she was spayed, attracted unaltered male cats who would spray to mark their terrain on a family's porch. Now without the unwelcome suitors, the family is happy to feed her and allow her to lounge on their porch. Success with Trap, Neuter & Return in Greenwood  When Safe Haven returned for the 2009 TNR clinic, Safe Haven Director Anne Gryczon heard from many people that the 2008 TNR clinic had been effective. Gryczon states that "many people have mentioned that this is the first year they have not seen homeless kittens in Greenwood."  Safe Haven trapping volunteers were pleased to see many of last year's neutered ear-tipped cats around town looking happy and healthy. Ear tipping is the nationally accepted method of identifying neutered stray cats.   Janet Elliott, resident of Greenwood, is shown below with her outside cats, neutered in September 2009. She has been caring for and about the stray cats in her neighborhood for over 20 years. Mrs. Elliot very kindly heats her garage in the winter to keep her charges warm and cozy.

Click to download State application for $20 spay/neuter certificate

DO's and DON'Ts of FERAL CATS Source: Best Friends Magazine, May/June 2008 Please Note: Safe Haven can help you with all of the DO's.  Email us at spayneuter@safehavende.org  DO’s: • Get advice, support and equipment for trap/neuter/return through the feral cat grassroots network in your area. Ask your veterinarian for contacts. • Line up a vet or spay/neuter clinic to perform free or reduced rate spay/neuter surgeries. • Trap the cats yourself. It’s easier than you think! • Return the cats and provide simple, long-term care. DON’Ts: • Don’t bring feral cats to a shelter. Almost all feral cats are killed in shelters because they are considered unadoptable. • Don’t contact animal control to trap the feral cats and kittens.They will be killed because they are considered unadoptable. • Don’t borrow a trap from a shelter or animal control. You may have to bring the cats in, and they will be killed because they are considered unadoptable.

Stray Cat Trap-Neuter-Return Donation Button

TRAP-NEUTER-RETURN  The most effective & humane way of reducing the number of feral/stray cats in a given area is Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR).  According to a recent national Harris poll," 81% of the US public, supports TNR.  There is consensus that removing cats does not reduce their numbers in the long run.  If a stray cat colony is removed from an area, another colony of feral cats will soon occupy that same territory.   As long as there is a dumpster, and other un-neutered cats in the vicinity, there will be cats.  While some people might say that the answer is not to feed stray cats, the truth is that will not greatly reduce the number of stray cats.   It will, however, make the lives of stray cats more harsh due to hunger and increased susceptibility to disease. And that is inhumane.

Industrial Area Trap-Neuter-Return An owner of a Sussex County industrial facility had allowed a stray cat colony to live on the site for about 18 years.  In the photo below, the cats were congregating after working hours to wait for the worker who fed them.  Safe Haven was able to do TNR on almost all of the 2 dozen cats in the colony.  Cats congregate after working hours waiting for Frank to bring dinner

Farm Trap-Neuter-Return Anyone who goes beyond the beach towns knows that Sussex County has a great many farms.  Safe Haven has done TNR at a number of farms and rural areas where stray cat colonies live.  Tom Rafail and his family (shown above) have kindly taken care of and fed the many cats that have wandered onto their rural Sussex County property.  To stabilize the cat population, Safe Haven paid to have all the cats Trapped-Neutered-Returned (TNR).  L to R:  Veterinary Assistant Jeannie, Dr. Jane Weise (with Sacco, now spayed), Tom Rafail, his granddaughter Eliza, and grandson Justin.  The Murphy family (shown below) has been kind enough to help the stray cats who have wandered unto their farm over the years.  Safe Haven used a combination of it's allocation from the State Department of Agriculture Spay/Neuter Fund for Feral/Stray animals, along with a contribution from a generous private donor, to spay the female cats on the Murphy property.  Norma Murphy is shown below with her granddaughter Alyssa (who has a special talent for socializing feral kittens) and some of the happy, now spayed, cats they care for and about.