Alley Cat Rescue: Struggling to do what's right.

Protect Our Nation's Cats

Petition to stop the killing

More than 70% of all cats brought into our nation’s animal pounds
and shelters are killed – feral, stray, and owned cats. Everyone
deplores this killing. Many characterize it as “necessary evil.”
Alley Cat Allies knows that there is nothing necessary about
this evil. Today’s animal control system developed over 100
years ago to address certain serious harms that dogs posed to
humans. It was, and is still today, based on ownership of animals.
Animal control laws attempt to control animals by controlling
their owners. They are a collection of owner duties to prevent
damage, for example, duties to leash, to muzzle, to fence, and
to vaccinate. Animals who do not have owners (the stray
population) or whose owners cannot comply must be impounded
and adopted or killed. This system is widespread and deeply
entrenched; it is written into all state and many local
government laws, and it commands government buildings,
equipment, and personnel, and government contracts, budgets,
and revenues. But in the past three decades, radical change has
taken place in the stray animal population. Cats, not dogs, now
comprise a vast majority of the stray population. Many, if not
most, of these cats are not socialized to humans because they
are offspring of a lost or abandoned owned animal. They are not
owned animals. Nevertheless, far too many animal organizations
ignore these changed demographics and insist that the historic
system based on owner liability continues to be a viable way to
control the stray animal population. They claim that the solution
lies in broadening existing laws to include cats, increasing
enforcement, imposing more fines—in short, doing more of the
same. And, in the interim, continue to accept that killing is a
necessary evil.

Alley Cat Allies is changing the fate of our nation’s cats by leading
massive campaigns to stop the killing of cats across the country.

CLICK HERE to Sign a petition to show that you want the killing
of feral cats to stop. You can be a part of this life-saving grassroots
movement!

Content Provided by Alley Cat Allies

Monday, July 11, 2011

Struggling to do what's right.

It was brought to my attention that apparently I am a crappy rescuer because I do not have all my cats checked for FLiV. Everything I do here is from my own personal account. So, when I TNR, unless the vet suggests it for a particular cat, I will not run blood work. Kittens I have offered for adoption have also not gone checked because I usually advice people to do their own. I am not an adoption agency. It is not often I get kittens for fostering. Most cats I get either go to a no kill shelter or I have to keep if they are not released back to their colony.

It was very upsetting for me to get berated by this person and quite frankly I was irritate to say the least. For someone to accuse me of doing a bad thing when I save lives is pretty pathetic.

Please educate yourself on FLiV/FIV. Cats can only transmit this through blood (a bite or sexual intercourse) So, keeping a cat indoors is best. Having them neutered is also important. If you are the type of person that would put a cat down because it had these diseases, then you should not be on my page. These animals deserve homes just as much as any of the others.

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

What's A Feral Cat?

Exert from the
Feral Cat Coalition

Feral cats are the 'wild' offspring of domestic cats and are primarily the result of pet owners' abandonment or failure to spay and neuter their animals, allowing them to breed uncontrolled. Feral cat 'colonies' can be found behind shopping areas or businesses, in alleys, parks, abandoned buildings, and rural areas. They are elusive and do not trust humans.

Many people assume their animals will survive when they move away and leave them behind. Contrary to popular belief, domestic animals do not automatically return to their "natural" instincts and cannot fend for themselves! Already, U.S. animal shelters are forced to kill an estimated 15 million homeless cats and dogs annually. The alternative to humane euthanasia for almost every stray is a violent end or slow, painful death. Many "throwaways" die mercilessly outdoors from starvation, disease, abuse --- or as food to a predator.

A pair of breeding cats, which can have two or more litters per year, can exponentially produce 420,000 offspring over a seven-year period, and the overpopulation problem carries a hefty price tag. Statewide, more than $50 million (largely from taxes) is spent by animal control agencies and shelters for cat-related expenses.

Studies have proven that trap-neuter-release is the single most successful method of stabilizing and maintaining healthy feral cat colonies with the least possible cost to local governments and residents, while providing the best life for the animals themselves. Spaying/neutering homeless cats:

Stabilizes the population at manageable levels

Eliminates annoying behaviors associated with mating

Is humane to the animals and fosters compassion in the neighborhoods

Is more effective and less costly than repeated attempts at extermination --- costs for repeatedly trapping and killing feral colonies are far higher than promoting stable, non-breeding colonies in the same location. Vacated areas are soon filled by other cats who start the breeding process over again

How can you be a part of the solution?

Exert from the
Feral Cat Coalition

Spay or neuter your own pet! Sterilizing animals is an important step in maintaining their good health.

Become a volunteer and encourage your personal veterinarian to become involved!

If someone you know is caring for stray, unowned cats let them know about our services. Education is the key, so make others aware of the feral cat problem and tell them how they can help!

If you are interested in starting a program in your area, contact the Feral Cat Coalition. We have detailed information that will help you get up and running....plus, some of it is just interesting reading. Most of our printed information is available by following the links below. If, for some reason, you are unable to take advantage of this information in electronic form, or if your needs extend beyond the scope of topics covered here, feel free to contact us.