Sunday, October 31, 2004

November 7-13, 2004:
National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week (NASAW)
HSUS - Programs - Companion Animals - Animal Sheltering Online
[Excerpts]
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is gearing up for this year’s National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week, which takes place November 7-13, 2004. This event is designed to help you reach out to your community and highlight the truly lifesaving work done by animal shelters like yours around the country.
Since this year’s celebration follows the presidential election, The HSUS has created a special election-theme flyer with the slogan “Elect to Adopt” to promote the great animals your organization has for adoption. The flyer features the adorable Mutts® characters—created by the talented Patrick McDonnell—at their political best! Download and print the flyer to post at your shelter and around your community.

Free spay/neuter program offered by Friends of Watsonville Animal ...
Register-Pajaronian, CA
The Friends of Watsonville Animal Shelter has implemented an unlimited free spay/neuter program for the feral cats/kittens of Watsonville and Freedom. ...

YMCA youth basketball sign-ups being held
[Scroll down]
Staunton News Leader - Staunton,VA,USA
... All proceeds will assist the organization in fulfilling its mission to provide no-kill alternatives to feral, stray and homeless cats across the Shenandoah ...

Fresh start for Second Chance
Arizona Daily Sun, AZ
... Non-adoptable animals -- aggressive dogs, feral cats, and animals with terminal or non-treatable diseases -- will not be accepted. ...

Everyone not purring over plan for shelter
Daytona Beach News-Journal, FL
... Lichter said one voter told her that, instead of putting stray animals in a shelter ... pay to provide shots and veterinarian care to the dogs and cats taken to the ...

Wanted: Felines with "Cattitude!"
Kansas City infoZine, MO
Jefferson City, MO - Here's your opportunity to make your favorite feline friend a calendar star AND win $100 in Scratchers or a brand-new digital camera! ...

Editorial: Rabies occurrence requires pet diligence
Amarillo Globe News, United States
... plea: Make sure pets are vaccinated; don't let them roam - although rural residents will have a more difficult time keeping their dogs and cats secure; avoid ...

Homeless cats group wants to take over from SPCA
Richmond Review, Canada
... its No. 5 Road pound. Carol Reichert, president of the Richmond Homeless Cats Society, appealed to city council Oct. 13 to consider ...

Mexico rats survive cat onslaught
BBC News, UK
Mexican health officials say they have failed in their effort to deal with a ... people of Atascaderos appealed for help in dealing with an estimated 250,000 rats. ...

Public Pulse
Omaha World-Herald, NE
[Scroll down to, excerpted here]
Humane solutions exist
In regard to the article in the Oct. 24 World-Herald on feral cats, a big problem would be partly solved by spaying and neutering them. There is an overpopulation because non-neutered and unspayed cats produce at an alarming rate.
A trap-neuter-return program is another humane solution. A national organization, Alley Cat Allies, started the program in the United States.
Pat Fritz, Omaha

Carnival of the Cats (Sundays 6pm Central)

Saturday, October 30, 2004

Avian influenza – situation in Asia: altered role of domestic ...
WHO (press release), Switzerland
... its pathogenicity in chickens and mice (a laboratory model for mammals), and has expanded its host range to include mammals, such as felines, not previously ...

Pet rescue groups join forces
Miami Herald (subscription) - Miami,FL,USA
... The organization will maintain a no-kill, or ''limited admit'' philosophy, by which all animals are considered indefinitely adoptable unless they suffer ...

Woman, animals win round one in suit
Bakersfield Californian (subscription) - Bakersfield,CA,United States
... She'd asked the court to stop the county from euthanizing feral cats and animals left at the shelter by their owners as soon as they enter the shelter. ...

Financial problems blamed for Spay Shuttle shutdown
San Luis Obispo Tribune - San Luis Obispo,CA,USA
GENERAL - Since August, the South County has been without its only low-cost alternative for pet sterilization. The Spay Shuttle, operated ...

Crisis for cat lovers
Helping Paws animal shelter forced to shut its doors
South Coast Today, MA
Outside, a chilly late October wind blew down Main Street in Buzzards Bay. Inside, within the cozy confines of the Helping Paws Humane Society, Barbi, a recently rescued alley cat, stretched a snow-white paw skyward, yawned, sighed and dozed back to sleep.

Bid for SN plates and save cats' lives
Mansfield News - Milford,MA,United States
... country as there are pets. That adds up to 60 to 100 million feral cats and the number continues to grow! The S&N on the plate stands ...

Mystery of the 39 stiffs revealed
Hobart Mercury - Hobart,Tasmania,Australia
By ELLEN WHINNETT. THE Department of Environment has 39 dead feral cats stored in a freezer at Taroona, Environment Minister Judy Jackson confirmed yesterday. ...

Friday, October 29, 2004

Bridgewater woman pushes for help with feral cat population
Brockton Enterprise - Brockton,MA,United States
... year. "I suggested the trap-neuter-and-return program, but they said they just want the cats off the property," she said. Waterford ...

Cleveland crawling with cats
Cleveland Plain Dealer - Cleveland,OH,USA
... city nor the county dog wardens will pick up cats, and Cleveland's Animal Protective League stopped its trap- neuter-release program for stray cats last fall. ...

Top vet heads study into pioneering remedy for cats
ic Liverpool, UK
Veterinary Surgeon Professor John Innes, of the University of Liverpool, will be one of seven specialists pioneering possible treatments for cats with chronic ...

Move over, would you love?
The Times, UK
Television watching has been met with cries of “Ooh” and “Ahh” from soft-hearted viewers, as images of grannies and their rescued cats filled their ...

* Friday Cat Blogging
Watermark (sbpoet.com) and can do a google.com search to see others, current and previous!

* Carnival of the Cats (Sundays 6pm Central)

Commissioner candidates say pact with city is right for animal ...
Muncie Star Press - Muncie,IN,USA
... the time. Teal said this week that he recently trapped six feral cats in his barn and took them to Randolph County. "My biggest ...

Veterinarians can now issue licenses for pets
Carlsbad Current Argus - Carlsbad,NM,USA
CARLSBAD -- Licensing a cat or dog in Carlsbad got a little bit easier ... Somebody who violates an animal control ordinance could get a $500 fine," Riordan said ...

Animals concern residents
DesMoinesRegister.com - Des Moines,IA,United States
There are too many raccoons, stray cats and other nuisance animals roaming around the Fairgrounds neighborhood in east Des Moines, some residents say. ...

Animal rescue organization investigated
Hickory Daily Record, NC
... “We have been an active foster home for Cats’ Cradle, and have nursed stray kittens and cats back to health who were literally at death’s door because of ...

Family of felines left on doorstep
Shropshire Star, UK
... Oswestry. The couple whose house they were abandoned near spent three days trying to find the felines' owners, but without success. ...

What happens to roadkill?
Sydney Morning Herald (subscription), Australia
... It becomes meals on wheels for those further down the food chain. It is eaten by feral cats - I have seen them sitting waiting and they are big. ...

Dibblers find new home in national park
ABC Online, Australia
... The dibbler was once common in WA's wheatbelt and south-west, but habitat destruction and feral predators like cats and foxes saw their numbers dwindle. ...

Police seek leads in cat-cruelty cases
KMSB, AZ
The Animal Control division of the Mesa Police Department is investigating a pair or cruelty cases in which two cats were abused in the same general area ...

Thursday, October 28, 2004

O'side women crusades to help colonies of homeless cats
Oceanside/Island Park Herald - Oceanside/Island Park,NY,USA
Gluvna said she is concerned with this policy, and seeks to institute a system in Nassau County in which adult feral cats are spayed, neutered and released ...

Coastlines
Feral cats get help from shelter ‘Friends’
Santa Cruz Sentinel, CA
Friends of the Watsonville Animal Shelter is offering free spay/neuter services for feral cats and kittens in the Watsonville and Freedom areas. Feral cats have been born in the wild, or strayed from home and reverted to a wild state.

On Fridays, Bloggers Sometimes Retract Their Claws
New York Times, NY
... He soon began doing it each Friday, attracting fans who just wanted to see the felines. "I had a lot of people who were looking forward to it," he said. ...

Group aims to reduce feral cat population
Millstone Examiner - Millstone,NJ,USA
... Local cat lover Jaymie Witherspoon is dedicated to helping feral cats while also trying to tame and find homes for feral kittens that have been roaming ...

Keep an eye out for feral cats
Kangaroo Island Islander - Kingscote,South Australia,Australia
... Nearly every one of the 50 feral cats in a recent toxological analysis was infected with toxoplasmosis, the main cause of maiden ewe miscarriage, which costs ...

Stu Bykofsky | More inhumane treatment of animals
Philadelphia Daily News (subscription), PA
... Logan's Audrey Stansbury said she and her daughter Jane brought in a feral cat and ... fiscal year ending June 30, PACCA put down some 22,500 dogs and cats of the ...

Rosarito animal shelter is in a tight spot
San Diego Union Tribune - San Diego,CA,USA
... The cats sat inside a used trailer bought by the group. ... they agree on one point: Rosarito Beach, a city of 90,000, has a serious problem with stray dogs. ...

Sunderlage Barn to be torn down
Pioneer Press Online - Glenview,IL,USA
... danger of collapsing. The barn last stored village-owned snow fencing and is home to several feral cats. Demolition costs are estimated ...

"Charming" Hagerstown? Just maybe
Hagerstown Morning Herald - Hagerstown,MD,USA
... That's news. The last time anyone from Washington County saw a loft, it was filled with oat straw and a nest of feral cats. After ...

Spay and Stay gets day in court
Pioneer Press Online, IL
... The program Adler founded with Sandra Kooper of Libertyville is a feral and stray cat ... Stay and Spay has already treated 1,065 cats in Lake County, Kooper said. ...

Rabies-Infested Bats Found At Humboldt State
The Eureka Reporter, CA
... Vaccinate domestic animals, especially dogs and cats. ... acts as a firewall of protection in the event the pet comes in contact with a wild or feral animal. ...

Whether deer or cats, positively no more feeding of animals
Hanover Eagle, NJ
... animals, the township adopted an ordinance last Wednesday proposed by the Board of Health to prohibit the feeding deer, feral or wild cats, skunks, raccoons ...

Wednesday, October 27, 2004

The cat that walks alone is a happy cat, says vet study
Guardian, UK
Scientists at the University of Edinburgh have found that the pressures of shared living bring sensitive felines down with stress-related illness. ...

Prairie State Pheasant Forecast
Illinois Game and Fish Magazine - IL,USA
... Pheasants are a prey species for everything from hawks and owls to coyotes, foxes, raccoons and feral cats. Predators must be good at what they do to survive. ...

Stoneham Notes
Stoneham Sun - Concord,MA,United States
... The mission of the Stoneham Feral Cat Society is to educate and assist the general public in the care and management of feral cats in our town. ...

Want a cat?
Jamaica Observer - Jamaica
... In the meantime, Dr Paul Turner, veterinarian at the JSPCA, advised that feral cats, when taken home should be kept in a confined space for a month, while they ...

Panel ask county for spay-neuter funds
Press-Enterprise (subscription) - Riverside,CA,USA
... report on the Riverside City-County Animal Shelter voted Tuesday to request $150,000 from the Board of Supervisors to fund a pilot spay-neuter voucher program. ...
... If county supervisors approve the request, the Pet Over Population Coalition ... direct callers to organizations that will provide the sterilization services free ...

Modern Bobwhite Hunting in Florida
Florida Game and Fish Magazine, FL
... It's partly owing to the influx of more people and more houses and, as a most unfortunate consequence, an increase in the abundance of feral cats. ...

Rabies Cases Result In Pet Euthanizations
WSOCtv.com, NC
... Animal Control Bureau will also offer this reduced rate to all reclaimed dogs and cats impounded by the Animal Control Bureau. If you find a stray animal, do ...

The Latest Craze - Fashions for Your Cell Phones.
Emediawire (press release) - Ferndale,WA,USA
... way. Carry Cell™ donates a percentage of proceeds to various charities with the main focus on No Kill Animal Shelters. Contact ...

Mayor pays visit to city's ailing animal shelter
Stamford Advocate, CT
... One room in the shelter is dedicated to 26 cats, which came from a house discovered last month filled with 80 felines, many inbred. ...

Biotech firm seeks to create hypoallergenic cats
USA Today, United States
... The four-person company has yet to engineer any cats, which will be spayed and neutered to prevent breeding with naturally born felines. ...

Her cats are a crowd
Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription), PA
... I'm not some crazy woman with a lot of cats. I have a goal.". Murray's goal is to run a cat rescue and train the felines for pet therapy. ...

Distemper outbreak shuts Posey shelter
Evansville Courier & Press (subscription), IN
... has closed its cat shelter permanently because of an outbreak of feline distemper, a highly infectious and potentially fatal viral disease found only in felines ...

Tuesday, October 26, 2004

Feline fan near a crossroads
Newsday - Long Island,NY,USA
... of him and his more than 50 mostly affectionate and sometimes feral castaways. ... 94th Street was cited in September by the Health Department because of the cats. ...

Simi OKs a plan for cat breeding and dog breeding
Ventura County Star - Ventura county,CA,USA
... approving a series of recommendations that will allow limited dog and cat breeding in ... to the Planning Commission in the form of a proposed ordinance, then will ...

'Velvet's Law' gains steam
Monterey County Herald - Monterey,CA,USA
... Then she heard about the similar death of a cat in Carmel early this month. ... pesticide use, and a state law would be more enforceable than a county ordinance. ...

Spay/neuter program
Indianapolis Star - Indianapolis,IN,USA
Spay-Neuter Services of Indiana is offering reduced surgical fees for spay or neuter procedures through the end of October. While ...

County faces suit in animal deaths
Bakersfield Californian (subscription), United States
... the county of Kern Monday for routinely euthanizing dogs and cats before a ... community awareness of the plight of animals -- both domestic and feral -- in Kern ...

Around the Region
Modesto Bee, CA
... and tea. For tickets, call 567-3570. The guardians' mission is trapping and neutering feral cats, and returning them to the wild. ...

Newark area cautioned against rabies
The News Journal, DE
... said people should use common sense and not approach any stray, suspicious or ... Caldwell said all pet owners should have their cats and dogs inoculated against ...

Court to look at animal control
Seguin Gazette Enterprise, TX
SEGUIN — County Commissioners will be taking a hard look at the high cost of boarding and euthanizing stray dogs and cats. The ...

Pownal to host rabies clinic
North Adams Transcript, MA
... A rabies clinic for dogs and cats will be ... The committee is addressing how to best deal with the number of stray, abused, and neglected animals in town. ...

Monday, October 25, 2004

WEATHER POLICY, ANIMAL CONTROL ISSUES
[Excerpt]
County Administrator Clay Goodman ..... described opportunities for partnerships with PAWS, Inc. for volunteer support at the Montgomery County Animal Shelter, for education programs, and for programs to reduce problems associated with feral cats.
[This is a downloadable pdf file. The only info it contains on feral cats is excerpted above.]
Montgomery County, VA

Some ideas for a spay-neuter ordinance
Modesto Bee - Modesto,CA,USA
Animal rescue groups have been directed by the Board of Supervisors to submit a county spay-neuter ordinance proposal within 60 days. ...

Yonkers woman with 100 animals linked to rescue community
White Plains Journal News, NY
... and her children were taken by child-welfare authorities, after officers went to the apartment and found the family living in filth among 97 cats, seven dogs ...

New Kitten Dies Days After Being Adopted from Animal Control
WFIE-TV, IN
... She said, "Cats were sick with their eyes matted shut.". Then Pruiett found out two other cats of the same litter she adopted from also died. ...

Officials seek answers on mountain lions
San Jose Mercury News (subscription), CA
... lions started venturing into Palo Alto neighborhoods this year, city naturalist Deborah Bartens has spent sleepless nights wondering why the cats are suddenly ...

Prairie chicken's vanishing act
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch - St. Louis,MO,USA
... pressure on quail and other grassland birds. "The coons just annihilate them." Forbes added feral cats to the list of predators. ...

Liberal concepts and political heritage
Hampton Roads Daily Press - Newport,VA,USA
... responsibility. And simply trapping and spaying or neutering already feral cats as Poole suggests will not alleviate "owner responsibility.". ...

City Hall Clips
Fulton Valley News - Fulton,NY,USA
... 3. In response to getting cat calls of the animal kind, Fifth Ward Alderman Theresa Chalone and Sixth Ward Alderman Kim Roy are encouraging residents to keep ...

Garden District has champion caretaker
Daytona Beach News-Journal - Daytona,FL,USA
... She was among the first new tenants two years ago, taking it upon herself to adopt the area's stray cats, giving them the monikers of poets and continents, a ...

30 years of barks and meows
Danbury News Times, CT
... And, unlike 30 years ago, when, as Tracey said, some vets balked at dealing with feral cats, Brenner is on the premises twice weekly to spay, neuter, examine ...

Neighbors caring for neighbors?
Bismarck Tribune, ND
... His cats were always smart -- survivors. ... own, paying his rent on time, being kind to children and other neighbors, and caring for whatever half-feral cat that ...

Rescuing animals suits him to aT
Newsday, NY
... Thirty-eight cats currently make their home in Social Tees - including the "king of the shop," Oskar, a black and white stray cat - as do a dozen dogs in need ...

Community Calendar
Arlington Herald, WA
... Benefits Purrfect Pals Shelter for Felines in Arlington. $75. 360-652-9611, bcathey@juno.com. * COMPASS Cooperative Auction, Nov. 13, Everett. ...

Halloween may be unsafe time for black cats
Sun-Sentinel.com, FL
... Broward County's Animal Care and Regulation Division has warned that the folklore-aligned felines could be subject to increased risks of pranks -- perhaps ...

Feline Fixers To Meet For Planning
Pasco.TBO.com, FL
PORT RICHEY - A solution is not yet in sight to please both feline fanciers and people who consider free-roving cats a nuisance. In the meantime, a new group is attempting to tackle the feral cat problem.

Towns not wild about feral cats
Omaha World-Herald, NELINCOLN - On any given day, Jo Siel says, she can walk out on the porch of her home in Franklin, Neb., and find a half-dozen stray cats lying around. "There are just stray cats all over this town," Siel said of the farm community of 1,026 people, about 45 miles south of Kearney.

Project makes a difference
Visalia Times-Delta, CA
... In addition to those projects, Love of Animals Inc., kicked off a 100-day project to provide free spay and neuter surgeries for low-income families. ...

Sunday, October 24, 2004

First National Feral Cat Summit
Best Friends Animal Society/No More Homeless Pets/Weekly News, Utah
[Excerpt]
New York City - The first annual National Feral Cat Summit was a sold-out affair, attracting feral colony caretakers and representatives from shelters, animal control and rescue groups from 25 states -- as well as Canada and the Galapagos Islands.
Held October 16 in New York City, the event was hosted by Neighborhood Cats, In Defense of Animals (IDA), and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).
The one-day conference focused on the practical application of trap/neuter/return (TNR), which involves trapping cats in a colony, getting them spayed and neutered, returning them to their territory, and then providing food and shelter. TNR is the only method proven to reduce street cat populations over the long-term, thus lowering euthanasia rates.
[Excerpt]
The Neighborhood Cats TNR Kit, which was provided to attendees, contains a TNR handbook, a video on how to perform mass trapping, a sample pro-TNR policy presentation, a guide to implementing a community-wide TNR program and a sample TNR workshop outline. All materials are available to the public and may be obtained by e-mailing headcat@neighborhoodcats.org.

* Carnival of the Cats (Sundays 6pm Central) -- NEW! now has it's own dedicated website.

Pad helps keep Kitty warm
Evansville Courier & Press (subscription) - Evansville,IN,USA
By Newsday. Keeping feral cats warm is a wintertime concern for those who watch out for these feline free spirits. One high-tech ...

PURR-FECT ART
New York Post - New York,NY,USA
... All proceeds will benefit the Humane Society of New York's Free Spay/Neuter Clinic and Neighborhood Cats, a non-profit group that volunteers to solve the city's homeless-cat overpopulation crisis by trapping feral cats, getting them ...

People, pets pound pavement for annual animal fund-raiser
Myrtle Beach Sun News - Myrtle Beach,SC,USA
... Alexander said. The Grand Strand Humane Society is one of several organizations in the area battling pet overpopulation. Horry County's ...
... The move was seen as a victory by Sav-R-Cats International of Myrtle Beach, which traps feral cats, neuters them and then releases them. ...

Halloween rock treats
Cincinnati Enquirer - Cincinnati,OH,USA
... $4; proceeds will be used to care for abandoned, homeless and feral cats in Columbia Tusculum. 21 and older. (513) 871-6249; www.communitycats.petfinder.com. ...

Valley residents open ‘no-kill' shelters
Brownsville Herald - Brownsville,TX,USA
... "There'sa really bad overpopulation problem down here," Johnson said. "It's really crazy.". In the Valley, many pet owners can't afford to spay or ...

Residents make time to volunteer
Salem Statesman Journal - Salem,OR,USA
... Saturday, members of the Salem Friends of Felines were gathering aluminum cans at the Salem Saturday Market to raise money to help spay and neuter pets in ...
... The money also is going to be used to take care of cats waiting for adoption at the group's no-kill adoption facility inside Petsmart on Lancaster Drive NE. ...

Subj: Network Alert (New resources on site)
Date: 10/23/2004 10:24:20 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: feralcatnet@yahoo.com
The Feral Cat Network website has many new resources for the feral community.
*Free Downloads: (.doc files -- Microsoft Word is required.)
http://www.theanimalspirit.com/download.html
-- TNR Policy Presentation
-- TNR Workshop Outline
-- Natural Care For Ferals
-- Community TNR Program Lecture
The above documents provided by Neighborhood Cats are from the recent National Feral Cat Summit held in NYC on October 16.
*Books, Videos, & More:
Visit: http://www.theanimalspirit.com/materials.html

Tracking city's shadowy visitors
San Jose Mercury News (subscription), CA
... too, has been mapping mountain lion sightings over the past several months, and found they correspond with areas where people are feeding feral cats or other ...

More mountain lions spotted in Bay Area
Monterey County Herald, CA
... He found they correspond with areas where people are feeding feral cats or other wildlife. As the food chain is beefed up on one end, bigger animals move in. ...

Saturday, October 23, 2004

Each week you can check out:
* Friday Cat Blogging
(see yesterday's post on Watermark. Follow links or do a google.com search to see other Friday cat bloggers!
* Carnival of the Cats (Sundays 6pm Central) -- NEW! now has it's own dedicated website, thanks to Laurence of This Blog is Full of Crap!
* Friday Ark (photos of cats, dogs, spiders and ?) on The Modulator.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Songbirds continue decline
Team identifies habitat in state to aid creatures.
Columbia Daily Tribune - Columbia,MO,USA
... Forbes said there is an "edge effect" that prevents predators such as feral cats or raccoons from venturing very far into habitats such as grasslands. ...
[Feral Cat Blog! Resources:
From Audubon Magazine September-October 2004:
State of the Birds USA 2004
The American Bird Conservancy's (ABC) website has a section on Globally Important Bird Areas of the United States. IBA's were first mapped in 2002.]

Report Shows Number Of Birds In Florida Are Low
Local6.com - Orlando,FL,USA
... Fire suppression, feral cats, vehicle strikes, food source disruption and a lack of adequate funding to manage public lands follow on the list. ...
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Humane society, clinic planned
Indianapolis Star - Indianapolis,IN,USA
... Velda R. Boenitz, Myron Frank and Tammy Sollenberger will operate The Hamilton County Low Cost Spay Neuter Clinic. If the county ...
... After more than a year of discussing how to handle pet overpopulation and disagreeing with the Humane Society for Hamilton County about whether unwanted ...

Shelter animals hope for homes
Milford Daily News, MA
... The cats have been vaccinated, spayed or neutered and tested for FIV and FeLV. ... She was trapped two years ago as a feral cat and was neutered and released. ...

All quiet on the lion front
Palo Alto Weekly, CA
Based on tracks found, police believe the lion may still be in the area, feeding on feral cats and other animals, said Police Agent Dan Ryan. ...

Penn renews contract with animal control
The Evening Sun, PA
... The shelter also will euthanize and package stray animals to be sent for rabies testing, accept properly trapped feral cats and provide educational literature ...

City has first confirmed case of rabies in 10 years
Amarillo Globe News, United States
... pets and to watch for skunks and any stray or wild animal acting strangely, McGee said. Animal Control also impounded and euthanized two domestic cats owned by ...

Winner. Innovator. Cat lover?
The Journal News.com, NY
... During a game in Oakland in 1990, a stray cat wandered onto the field. ... "We have nine cats, three dogs and a rabbit last time I checked," he said. ...

Does the State Have a Rabies Problem?
WLBT-TV, MS
... It's was a normal day at the North State Animal Hospital --cats and dogs, pain-filled paws and hound-sized ... If you see a stray animal, call animal control. ...

Reports: Man Tells Dog to Bite Cat Lover
Kansas.com, KS
... him with a dog leash after he stopped Cheung's dog from attacking a stray cat on ... the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Hong Kong and has 23 cats, the Apple ...

Friday, October 22, 2004

Company donates to miracle cat’s cause
More money is needed to offset remaining quarantine costs
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, HI
... said any money collected in excess of the $2,400 will be used to care for other cats rescued by the animal shelter and its spay-and-neuter program, held weekly ...

Getting pets fixed early solves lots of problems
Arizona Republic, AZ
... Although some pet owners think it's dangerous for their companion animal to undergo spay or neuter surgery, millions of cats and dogs have been safely spayed ...

Volunteers ready for weekend
Thousands to help out on Make a Difference Day
Visalia Times-Delta, CA
[Excerpt]
In Farmersville, a spay-and-neuter project will start Saturday. "Spay It Forward" will start with free spay or neuter operations for 10 Farmersville residents. From there, those recipients will get three free coupons to give to friends and so on.
"This is the first time anything like this has been tried," said Susan Fatica, president of Love of Animals Inc., a nonprofit group in Visalia.
"Spay It Forward" will be 1-4 p.m. in front of City Hall in Farmersville.

Garland Residents Upset With Too Many Stray Cats
KSL-TV, UT
Residents are upset with the number of stray cats just roaming the streets, and they want city officials to do something about it. ...

SPCA targets adoption hike with discount dogs, cut-rate cats
StarPhoenix, Canada
... get these animals into good homes.". The prices for cats and dogs have dropped by between $30 and $40. Under the old system the cost ...

Counting pets just good census
The Australian, Australia
By Kate Uebergang. DOGS and cats would be counted in the next national census under a local government plan. The head count would ...

Fighting like cats and dogs better left to cats and dogs
Woodlands Villager, TX
... The ordinance replaces a law passed in 2000 requiring dogs and cats to be restrained to a car or their home, or bound to a leash even when in their own yards. ...

CREATURE COMFORTS: Pack up the cats for case of good luck
Albuquerque Tribune, NM
Rescue cats, especially, with their abandonment issues, restless angst, their suspicions that life is one big disappointment. But ...

Make pets aware of new babies
Nashua Telegraph, United States
... The majority of cats and dogs will adapt well to a new baby in the house, but you can make the adjustment easier by anticipating problems and making changes ...

Thanks to Susan G:
Wis. Teen Diagnosed With Human Rabies
[bitten by a bat]

Silent auction to benefit Wuerthners
Watertown TAB & Press - Needham,MA,USA
[Excerpt]
Uneasy about the number of cats in your neighborhood? Feeding a growing number of homeless cats at your door, or know someone who does? Make life better for them, for you and for your neighborhood by attending a Feral Cat Seminar sponsored by the Watertown Health Department and Charles River Feline Rescue. The seminar will be held Thursday, Oct. 28, 7 to 9 p.m., in the Council Chamber at Town Hall, 149 Main St.
Topics will include controlling cat populations with the Trap-Neuter-Return Program being implemented by the Health Department and CRFR, neighbor relations, improving food and shelter, low- or no-cost spaying and neutering for feral cats and adoption resources and training.
To reserve a seat, call 617-972-6446.

Group cares for city's feral cats
[Feral Cat Blog! Note: This article seems to be a repeat of that originally published a week or so ago.]
Myrtle Beach Sun News - Myrtle Beach,SC,USA
... caught, sterilized and then released. Because they have grown wild, most feral cats are not adoptable. Some people think it is best ...

Humane Society Silicon Valley Spearheads Homeless Cat Coalition to Lower Euthanasia Rate of Cats; Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Clinic for Feral Cats This Weekend
Business Wire (press release) - San Francisco,CA,USA
... a nominal donation, volunteer veterinarians organized by Peninsula Fix Our Ferals will perform the surgeries and provide basic medical care for 50 feral cats. ...

Plan scratches surface of feline ownership: Waltham council ...
Daily News Tribune - Waltham,MA,United States
... or themselves," Bailey added. Bailey said some type of cat ordinance is a "step in the right direction.". "But it's a larger issue ...

Mantua pet limit forces woman to sell home
Cherry Hill Courier Post - Cherry Hill,NJ,USA
... "I'm not some crazy cat woman," Murray said. "My goal is to rescue animals.". Mantua Mayor Tim Chell said the ordinance predates his stint on the township ...

Blade outdoors editor honored
Toledo Blade - Toledo,OH,USA
... by the Outdoor Writers Association of America for newspaper articles on conservation and environment for a column in July, 2003, "Stray Cats, Stupid Thinking ...

From rats to cats, campus is home suite home
Yale Daily News
... Common dorm room pets include anything from rats and cats to the surprisingly popular ... be allowed to," said Joanna Becker '05, who adopted her stray cat Gremlin ...

Cited Homeowner Claims Cats Were Too Hard To Catch
NBC4.TV, CA
LOS ANGELES -- A cat-lover, whose home was declared a public nuisance because authorities said dozens of felines turned the house into a urine-soaked, feces ...

Cat-Infested Home Declared a Nuisance
Myrtle Beach Sun News, SC
TEMPLE CITY, Calif. - A cat-lover whose home was declared a public nuisance because dozens of felines turned the house into a urine-soaked, feces-strewn mess ...

Cat owners get clause in leash ordinance
Woodlands Villager, TX
... yard. Ward has trapped the Kelley cats twice and said she takes all the felines she catches to Montgomery County Animal Control. ...

Thursday, October 21, 2004

Animal Shelter unveils plans, clears path to animal safety
Manning Times, SC
... dogs,” said Banning. “We also want a run for cats. Feral cats can never be trained, so we want a place where they can live.”. ...

Morris Twp.: Don't feed animals
DailyRecord.com, NJ
No more free lunches for local wildlife. During its regular meeting on Wednesday night, the six-member board of health, citing health issues, unanimously approved a controversial ordinance banning the feeding of deer, skunks, foxes, raccoons, feral cats and bears.

Jury says Concord man didn't kick gray tabby
Contra Costa Times (subscription), CA
... the prosecution alleged Jenkinson had kicked a gray tabby named Tiger more than five times in his north Concord neighborhood that was overrun with feral cats. ...


Animal task force shows claws
Newark Star Ledger, NJ
Guard dogs on commercial properties would be outlawed, towns could not legally stop people from feeding feral cats and a medical diagnosis would be required to ...

County posts pet-friendly judgment
Houston Chronicle, TX
... Montgomery County has faced complaints of feral and domestic cats roaming neighborhoods for years and adopted a leash law in 2000 that required cats and dogs ...

PAWS seeks homes for felines
Woburn Advocate, United States
... (The remaining cats were deemed not ... Volunteers from PAWS and the Stoneham Feral Cat Society kept a watchful eye on the animals as they emerged from surgery and ...

Annual Cars for ARF show this Saturday
OurSports Central (press release), WI
Now in its sixth year, ARF is asking area motor enthusiasts to show their metal muscle and support its programs for companion animals and feral cats. ...

Stoneham notes
Stoneham Sun, United States
... The mission of the Stoneham Feral Cat Society is to educate and assist the general public in the care and management of feral cats in our town. ...

Uprooted residents struggle to start over
Charleston Post Courier (subscription), SC
... Curtains flap through a broken window, disheveled chairs lie discarded on what was once a concrete patio and at least a dozen stray cats roam through knee-high ...


Elder cats find home for life at Purrever
commercialappeal.com (subscription), TN
By Matt Woo,. For years, Rita Wood dreamed of owing a cat sanctuary where stray or adopted felines needing a loving home can spend the rest of their lives. ...

Wednesday, October 20, 2004

From JAVMA News November 1:
Roundtable to field feline sarcoma questions
The Vaccine-Associated Feline Sarcoma Task Force will convene a roundtable discussion at the American Animal Hospital Association headquarters in Denver on Dec. 6. A list of questions submitted by veterinarians and cat owners will be posed to roundtable participants, and a report will appear in an upcoming issue of the JAVMA.

In the Journal of American Medical Association (must be member or subscriber), United States:
Bird Flu in Cats
Stephenson JAMA.2004; 292: 1810
... slaughters of poultry in affected Asian countries and claimed the lives of at least 29 people so far in 2004, can also infect domestic cats, Dutch scientists ...

Seniors with pets tend to have better health
Arizona Republic, AZ
... Veterinarian Tracy Wight reports that pets, particularly cats and dogs, help her older clients feel less lonely. ... Cats are easier in that regard. ...

Here is the only debate that counts: Cats vs. dogs
Press & Sun-Bulletin, NY
... This set off a lengthy conversation on the comparative merits of dogs and cats. ... Licking of oneself: This is a natural behavior for both cats and dogs. ...

Counties consider bounties for cougars
DesMoinesRegister.com, United States
... Iowa counties are talking about offering bounties for dead mountain lions - prompted by concern that livestock or even children will be mauled by the big cats. ...

66 dog and cat adoptions end crisis at shelter
San Diego Union Tribune, CA
... Last week, after stories about the problem ran in The San Diego Union-Tribune and on TV news, Minger said, 28 dogs and 38 cats were adopted. ...

Animal control regulations may address vicious dogs [Sarasota County]
Venice Gondolier, FL
[Excerpt]
The commission agreed to reconsider another problem, the county's soaring feral cat population at a later date. Advocacy groups support vigorous spay and neuter programs, but concede they don't address the threat the wild cats pose to birds, squirrels and other wildlife.

SPCA claws out after stray cats dumped
Cape Argus (subscription), Africa
... warning in terms of the Animals Protection Act to the proprietor of a Bloemfontein-based pest control company called Stopest after he dumped cats - trapped at ...

Salem mayor vetoes cat law
Today's Sunbeam, NJ
... Gage said the city already has an animal control officer, who can be called to remove stray cats from private or public property. ...

Another rabid racoon found in Davie
Sun-Sentinel.com, FL
... are also checking on the rabies vaccination and licensing of cats and dogs. ... are increasing their surveillance of the area and impounding any stray cat or dog.

Perfect Presents for Pets 2004 Holiday Gift Guide Launched at ...
PR Newswire (press release)
... Pet Presents - Gifts featuring your pet's name, initials, or breed -- Cat Climbing Castles - Fun furniture, towers and gyms for felines -- Ultimate Luxuries ...

Oct. 31 black day for felines
Arizona Republic, AZ
... of Cruelty to Animals and Humane Society of the United States went out this month, warning that Halloween can be a dangerous time for pets, particularly felines ...

Commissioners replace leash law
The Montgomery County Commissioners on Monday replaced the cat leash law that drew much controversy last month, but the Woodlands neighbors whose dispute lead to the changes downplayed their significance.
Conroe Courier, TX
... yard. Ward has trapped the Kelley cats twice and said she takes all the felines she catches to Montgomery County Animal Control. ...

Critter Corner by Susan D. Lawson
Victorville Daily Press, CA
... activities. As an added precaution, most shelters and rescue groups will not adopt out black or orange felines during this time of year. ...

Maintenance, animal housing in latest round of county budget talks
Northwest Arkansas Times, AR
... A motion suggested by JP Joe Patterson to reduce the budget for the county’s spay and neuter program to $50,000 and budget $50,000 for sheltering costs ...

Tuesday, October 19, 2004

Editorial
York Daily Record - York,PA,USA
[Scroll down to bottom, excerpted here]
Finally, Lower Windsor Township officials have made the right decision to water down a controversial proposed pet ordinance.
A former proposal would have made it a crime, perhaps punishable by jail, to feed wild cats. That would just be ridiculous.
The compromise ordinance, requiring people to keep their animals under control and prevent them from bothering others, is a much better approach.

The cat law needs improvement
Lahontan Valley News - Fallon,NV,USA
At the time, feral cats were rather common. ... Forward to 2004; we have a law and a shelter (two of them) and the same number of feral cats, if not more. ...

City: eight is enough when it comes to pets
Seguin Gazette Enterprise - Seguin,TX,USA
... This can be a health hazard, Kuhn said, because the stray cats don't get the recommended shots and have no one to care for them if they get hurt. ...
She took in a pregnant cat but had trouble finding homes for the kittens ... Seguin has an ordinance that states city residents can have no more than four cats and ...

Rabies: The Full Picture
Daily News, Sri Lanka
... In general stray dogs are not in a habit of biting people (they may be, however ... majority of the bites were by domestic animals - ie 72% (61% dogs and 12% cats). ...

SPA seeks donations to cover expenses of operation on cat
Fremont News Messenger, OH
O. Howard Hertz is a stray cat who was apparently run over by a car and taken ... Three-legged cats can get around just fine, but he will need to be an inside-only ...

Mexicans Offer Rewards to Rat Killers
Newsday, NY
By Associated Press. MEXICO CITY -- Officials in northern Mexico are offering rewards to people who kill hordes of rats that dozens of cats could not conquer. ...

North Mexico Town Offers Bounties for Rats
Newsday, NY

Cat Owner Faces Charges of Animal Cruelty
The Harvard Crimson, MA
... restraining order to save her cats, veterinarians from the Animal Rescue League told the Waltham District Court that the ringworm-infested felines presented a ...

Humane Society: Black Cat Adoptions On Hold Until After Halloween
NBC4.TV, CA
... for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles takes similar action every Halloween in an effort to head off possible harm to the felines, which are ...

Monday, October 18, 2004

Feral cat policy now less restrictive
Will no longer be illegal to feed animals
York Dispatch - York,PA,USA
... have approved several revisions to the ordinance, introduced earlier this summer in an effort to deal with a growing number of stray and feral cats in the area ...

Press Is Newcomer With Penchant For Maritime History
TheDay, CT
[Excerpts]
... The new book, “Scratch the Boatyard Cat,” is about a real cat that inhabits the world of the Willow Point Marina at West Mystic which specializes in the ...
… This soft-cover 56-page book has colored illustrations throughout, bringing to life the account of a small feral cat who found a home in an old wooden boat at the boatyard. She was befriended by a lad named Josh, who really did grow up in the neighborhood and has learned all about caring for wooden boats by working at Mystic Seaport. Scratch has strange encounters with local wild life, workers at the yard and with the neighbors, all of whom appear in the wonderful illustrations. There's even a sort of moral to the tale — those who live there must share the waterfront with others, both friendly and otherwise. …
…The whimsical illustrations ensure that this book is not just for children — it's for anyone who loves the shore, the water, old boats, cats and the mechanisms of a down-to-earth boatyard. ...

It followed me home
Glenwood Springs Post Independent - Glenwood Springs,CO,USA
... Stray cats are not new to Garfield County but domesticated stray animals such as the cat and dog Wade found are becoming a problem, Fields said. ...

Local guide
Billings Gazette - Billings,MT,USA
... Animal Shelter's Animal Control Board is continuing to look at and propose possible ordinance changes on the Small Animal (dog and cat) Containment law and is ...

Animal population targeted
The State - Columbia,SC,USA
... today through Saturday. The weeklong fund-raiser is designed to raise money for a spay-neuter program for low-income residents. ...

Politics/Government:
Animal shelters don't get their hopes up
Most won't receive funding increase even as strays, crowding continue to pose problems.
Indianapolis Star - Indianapolis,IN,USA
... Indianapolis Animal Care and Control Administrator Jeff Bennett doesn't believe increased budgets will necessarily solve the real problem: pet overpopulation. ...
[See this sidebar:]
"Here's how each county in the Indianapolis area handles animal control:"

At your service SERVICE GROUPS
Daytona Beach News-Journal, FL
... Humane Alternative: Deals with overpopulation of stray animals, primarily cats, though humane, no-kill programs. (386) 274-7029. ...

Feline foster care program to be implemented
Mesabi Daily News, MN
Marge, a good-sized gray stray found in Eveleth, is among nearly 40 cats in residence at the Mesabi Humane Society’s Range Animal Center in Virginia. ...

It's paws up from AVA for adoption
Straits Times, Singapore
... of strays in the community. There are an estimated 80,000 stray cats and 20,000 stray dogs in Singapore. Last year, the AVA and ...

Luxury life for a full kitty
Melbourne Herald Sun, Australia
... They claim their own space in a grassy rear yard, or a sunny spot indoors. Doors in every room allow the felines to check whatever takes their fancy. ...

Hampton Falls woman, others launch Rescue Anonymous Inc.
Portsmouth Herald News, United States
... Whether it belongs to a purebred Siamese, a roughed-up tabby or a calico diagnosed with leukemia, all felines have a home in her home. ...

Cougars on the prowl in Alpine
Provo Daily Herald, UT
... including this most recent one, have officials once again trying to figure out what can be done about the big felines in the mountainside town. ...

Sunday, October 17, 2004

Group Hopes New Station Will Curb Feral Cat Population
Southern Pines Pilot, NC
... The station features a system of doors, rafters and cubbyholes that traps feral cats, where they are held there after being spayed or neutered and given other ...

This week's Carnival of the Cats will be hosted by Signaleer.
[I think it's posted Sundays by 6pm eastern time.]
* Carnival of the Cats FAQs on This Blog is Full of Crap.
* Previous Carnivals on Blogrolling.com

10/17 Event raises awareness, money for feral cat project
Daily Sentinel, TX
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Eleven cats and kittens were showcased at Saturday's National Feral Cat Day observance, and the O'Malley Alley Cat Organization sold dozens of cheese enchilada dinners to raise money to trap, spay and neuter feral cats before returning them to the wild.

Feral Cat Day
KTRE - Lufkin,TX,USA
They're known as feral, or stray cats. ... That's why the O'Malley Alley Cat Organization is helping to raise funds to stop the growth of these feral cats. ...

US feral cat population in tens of millions
Henderson Gleaner - Henderson,KY,USA
... called colonies. Feral cats are different from stray cats, which have spent time with humans and have just been lost or abandoned. ...

A purrfect day out
The Japan Times - Japan
... made cruelty to animals a criminal offense and had 100,000 stray dogs kenneled in ... Nowhere is such oddity more evident than at Cats Livin, a facility in Tokyo's ...

Steamed!: Turn for the worse
Durham Herald Sun - Durham,NC,USA
... At the very least, spay/neuter and vaccinate pets. Even better, do not get a dog or a cat if you do not intend to give that animal ...

Kittens aren't reliable toy testers
Ventura County Star, CA
To you cat lovers who insist that felines will be the first to conquer the world, please note that we tried to include cat products in our field test, but our ...

Saturday, October 16, 2004 (National Feral Cat Day!)

Feral cats unwanted, but not forgotten by volunteers
Raleigh News, NC
... to care for them beyond meals. Because they have grown wild, most feral cats are not adoptable. Some people believe it's best to ...
[An Associated Press story picked up by multiple news outlets.]

Learning to live with wildlife
San Jose Mercury News (subscription), CA
... In our neighborhood, we have skunks, possum, deer, bobcats, owls (they also kill cats!), wild turkey, raccoons, rattle snakes and coyotes. ...

Spinster's will sees charities, church and cats share £2.1m
The Scotsman, UK
A THRIFTY pensioner who travelled everywhere by bus has left more than £2 million in her will - including legacies to her beloved cats. ...

Elyria APL director arrested after conflict over cats
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH
Elyria- The director of Lorain County's Animal Protective League was arrested Thursday after trying to stop a man from dropping off four cats, police said. ...

Sixty cats discovered in vacated house
Press-Enterprise (subscription), CA
... The shelter is looking for homes for the cats, which are said to be healthy and well-behaved. ... Many of the cats are tortoise-shell and calico. ...

Press Release - Source: PETsMART
2-Millionth Adoptable Pet Finds Home
Saturday October 16, 8:00 am ET
Illinois PETsMART Adoption Center Focus of National Lifesaving Milestone
PHOENIX, Oct. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Louie entered the Metro East Humane Society in O'Fallon, Ill., homeless, abused and facing an uncertain future and went home today a celebrity -- the 2-millionth pet adopted from one of PETsMART's nearly 700 in-store adoption centers. It took seven years to reach the 1-millionth adoption and only three years to reach the 2-millionth, showing the accelerating popularity of pet adoptions by Americans.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC):
FWC KICKS OFF STATEWIDE EFFORT FOR FLORIDA’S WILDLIFE LEGACY INITIATIVE
Florida's Wildlife Legacy Initiative - Fact Sheet

ANIMAL SERVICES JOINS EFFORT TO END FELINE OVERPOPULATION
Orange County Animal Services, Orlando, FL
[Excerpt]
In observance of the Fourth Annual National Feral Cat Day (NFCD), Orange County Animal Services will host a feral cat education event in conjunction with CARE Feline Rescue, Inc., on Saturday, October 16th. There are two locations: the Animal Services shelter on 2769 Conroy Road, and Jay Blanchard Park during the Dog Days in the Park event at from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

ASU-Beebe | National Feral Cat Day - October 16, 2004
Arkansas State University Beebe
Special Features. • National Feral Cat Day - October 16, 2004
Frequently Asked Questions About Stray and Feral Cats
Facts About Feral Cats--and Feline Overpopulation
Ecology Club to Celebrate Feral Cat Day

Annual Town Cats Volunteer Meeting and Open House
to be held at our Morgan Hill Center on
Saturday, October 16, 2004 from 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Town Cats, CA

Feral Cat Alliance, CA
CLEAN UP YOUR LIFE
and help homeless cats at the same time
In Honor of Feral Cat Day
October 16, 2004
Yard sale

Pennsylvania HOUSE RESOLUTION 885 PN 4497
... Designating October 16, 2004, as "National Feral Cat Day" in 2 Pennsylvania. 3 WHEREAS,
It is estimated that there are tens of millions of 4 feral cats in the ...

Animal Control officers stress importance of regular pet vaccinations
Dublin Courier Herald - Dublin,GA,USA
... Also county ordinance (SEC 10-3-A & B) reads: A) The owners and keepers of all ... No person shall own, keep or harbor any cat or dog over six months of age unless ...

At week's end
Hampton Roads Daily Press, VA
In the absurdly long time the Hampton City Council spent trying to craft an ordinance to deal with feral cats, it heard from dozens of citizens. ...

Bonkers In Yonkers
The London News Review, UK
As the end of the year approaches, our thoughts rarely stray from the big question: has it been a good year for cats? The annual ...
The LNR Cat Blog

CBC Saskatchewan
CBC Saskatchewan, Canada
... half the dogs and about 20 per cent of cats are licenced in Saskatoon. The city pays $800,000 per year for animal control, such as catching stray animals and ...

Sixty cats discovered in vacated house
Press-Enterprise (subscription), CA
The felines' owner was unemployed, had been evicted, and couldn't take care of the animals, said Jennifer Pennell, a health educator with the San Bernardino ...

Veterinarian charged with cruelty to abandoned cats
Virginian Pilot, VA
... years. He said he has raised and shown cats since he was a teenager. “I’ve devoted my life to felines,” he said. “That’s ...

Nfld. cat burglar caught with missing kitten following SPCA break ...
Halifax Daily News, Canada
CLARENVILLE, Nfld. -- Newfoundland RCMP have caged a cat burglar with an apparent fondness for felines. A 21-year-old man faces ...

To market, to market-ArtDogs in first auction
Kent Good Times Dispatch, CT
... Guild serves regional animal rescue needs as well as working with the Kent animal control officer, while Kent Kats helps to place homeless felines and also ...

A black day for felines
Arizona Republic, AZ
... of Cruelty to Animals and Humane Society of the United States went out this month, warning that Halloween can be a dangerous time for pets, particularly felines ...

Cats rule, dogs drool
Talon Marks (subscription), CA
... Whoever may disagree just doesn't understand feline companionship. The crown has been passed, felines are the king of pets and dogs can bark all they want. ...

FYI: For Your Information
Glenwood Springs Post Independent, CO
[Scroll down to]
... In observation of National Feral Cat Day, the Street Cat Coalition will host a combination information/bake sale/”cuddle a kitten” booth from 9 am to 1 pm ...

Kittens scooped up from certain death along Clearview road
Barrie Advance, Canada
... Maybe it's a combination of both," she said. "If people would only spay and neuter - that would cut the numbers of unwanted animals back," she said. ...

National Feral Cat Day (NFCD) 2004 and National Feral Cat Summit

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
National Feral Cat Day
Saturday, October 16, 2004
National Feral Cat Day was founded by Alley Cat Allies in 2001 as one special day for those who advocate nonlethal feline population control.
National Feral Cat Day 2004 Events

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Inaugural National Feral Cat Summit
Saturday, October 16, 2004 - on National Feral Cat Day
in New York City

Neighborhood Cats
in partnership with
In Defense of Animals (IDA)
&
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)
present
The National Feral Cat Summit

Sponsors:
PETsMART
Petco
Maricopa County Animal Care & Control
Mayor’s Alliance for New York City’s Animals
Animal Care & Control of New York City
Humane Society of New York

[both events previously posted on the Feral Cat Blog!]
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Friday, October 15, 2004

Cats take over Torrington
The Torrington Telegram, WY
... A pair of breeding cats can exponentially produce 420,000 offspring over a seven-year period, according to the Feral Cat Coalition. ...

Feral Cat Day Observed
KTRE, TX
... Lots of feral cats in Nacogdoches are now being vaccinated, spayed and neutered. Wild ones are released to their colony, but shelters provide a safe haven. ...

Battered cage thwarts kitten-rescue attempt
The Penn Online
... "The police checked things out," said Moore, who has seven rescued cats at home. "They said if we saw them getting out of the drain pipe, the cats must be OK.". ...

The Lookout
Newburyport News, United States
... There will also be a variety of cat-related booths featuring furniture, toys and T-shirts, information on feral cats, educational literature and some fund ...

Saturday marks National Feral Cat Day
Group is working to raise awareness about neutering
[Feral University Rebel Rescuers (FURR) is a campus group that was started to help deal with the wild feline population on campus.]
Daily Mississippian - MS,USA
... When FURR is called, the veterinarians come and retrieve the stray cats. If the cat is young, it is more likely to be immediately ...

[Feral Cat Blog! Note: This pdf link does not work; I've tried several workarounds to no avail, including trying the link on the main webpage for The Observer. Please send corrected link if you have it!]
[PDF] The Observer October 2004 (Cornell 4-H Newsletter)
... These organizations make a supreme effort to spay, neuter, and vaccinate feral cats and then release them or place them for adoption. ...

NPS PROJECT SUMMARY, Arizona
FUNDING AGENCY: National Park Service
Conservation and Management of Jaguars, Mountain Lions, and Other Felids in Four Southern Arizona Parks
... surveys, and other non-obtrusive methods to gather baseline data on jaguars, ocelots, mountain lions, bobcats, jaguarundi, and feral cats. ... Annual report due October 15, 2004.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
From the October 15, 2004 issue of JAVMA News:
AAHA endorses abandoned and feral cats statement
[Feral Cat Blog! Note: Hmmm -- this was published in July. Wonder why they republished now?!!!]

Coalition presses microchip makers for global scanner
Scanner sought that reads U.S. and ISO chips

Study finds cats are susceptible to avian influenza H5N1 virus
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Rescue group spays, neuters stray campus cats
North Texas Daily - USA
... Feral cats reproduce at alarming rates and lead very short lives. ... One ear is tipped so that the cat can be distinguished from other feral cats. ...

Campus Briefs
The Shorthorn - Arlington,TX,USA
Proceeds from the sale, sponsored by the UTA Campus Cat Coalition, will go toward medical expenses for stray and feral cats on campus, a part of the ...

Free fish derby gives kids chance to get hooked
Ledger Dispatch - Antioch,CA,USA
... Saturday is National Feral Cat Day (yes, you read that right, a national day for feral cats), and an Antioch group is having a homeless and feral cat awareness ...

Judge: Shelter can borrow against trust
Indianapolis Star - Indianapolis,IN,USA
... Several animal welfare organizations -- Spay-Neuter Services of Indiana, Alliance for Responsible Pet Ownership, Home for Friendless Animals, Southside Animal ...

Marie Sweeney, 75, ... cared for flowers, animals
The Argus, CA
... visit her there. "She fed stray cats that would come by every day," said her daughter, Diane Perry of Emeryville. "And there were ...

Looking to get a leash on loose dogs
Kaufman Herald, TX
... The ordinance requires all dogs and cats to be vaccinated for rabies and for ... making a very serious attempt to help county residents control stray or roaming ...

Sweetpea considering regional animal shelter
Holden Landmark, MA
... square-foot building that can hold 20 dogs and 20 cats, and includes ... pets want their property, family and streets protected from roaming stray and abandoned ...

Malta Bend council discusses emergency plan, betterment meetings
The Marshall Democrat-News, MO
... The council said that while the stray dog problem seems to be getting better, stray cats continue to be a nuisance in the town. ...

GAIN sues licensing board to save sterilization program
Agana Pacific Daily News, GU
... About once each year since 2000, GAIN has sponsored a free sterilization program to try to minimize the number of stray boonie cats and dogs on Guam's streets. ...

No litter real cat-astrophe
Townsville Bulletin, Australia
... "It is the same as food and water. Ms Diaz said 20 adoption felines and 20 stray cats and kittens as well as a number of small dogs used the litter. ...

Happy holidays
Richmond Times Dispatch - Richmond,VA,USA
... explain to people that feline overpopulation can be controlled via nonlethal means and to spread the word about the wonders of the trap-neuter-return movement. ...

Suspect called fixture in animal-rescue circles
The Journal News.com, NY
... cats could start to develop symptoms. Several felines were taken by a rescue agency on Wednesday. And KittyKind, a New York City ...

World's best coffee filtered by felines [civet cats!]
New Zealand Herald, New Zealand
LONDON - It costs £420 ($1110) a kilogram and has a flavour that has proved impossible to imitate. But now the origin of the taste ...

Opinions
Independent Record, MT
[Scroll down to]
Feral cats
Re: Dr. Tia Nelson's column on how overpopulation is killing our cats and dogs in the Sept. 14 IR. Spay/neuter programs are the best methods of controlling overpopulation and reducing euthanasia at our shelter. Even though one year after a S/N program you see only 10 percent of its full impact, any benefit multiplies over time because it prevents future generations.

Thursday, October 14, 2004

Abandoned Cats In Elmhurst May Be Running Out Of Lives
Queens Chronicle, NY
... return rescuer. The program was started a few years ago to control the enormous number of feral cats on the streets. He has also ...

Around Town
Billerica Minuteman, United States
The Billerica Cat Care Coalition will be hosting information tables on feral cats in our town. Please stop by any of the info table ...

Get yer ‘Calendar Vets,’ starting this Friday
Carbondale Valley Journal, CO
[Excerpts]
The number of feral and otherwise homeless cats in the Roaring Fork Valley, according to area animal experts, is experiencing the kind of growth spurt that land developers refer to as a “boom.”
The answer to all this, says local cat rescuer Cindy Sadlowski, is a widespread, effective spay and neuter program that offers sterilization services at an affordable cost. Sadlowski started her own rescue program, Street Cats Coalition, in which she and a group of helpers would roam the streets capturing stray and feral cats, and have them spayed or neutered to prevent unwanted population growth.
The program is now under the financial umbrella of the locally based non-profit animal rescue organization, C.A.R.E. (Colorado Animal Rescue).

MetroWest Humane Society
Ashland, MA 01721
... National Feral Cat Day- October 14 2004. ... of widespread knowledge about TNR programs,
however, the MWHS was involved in the rescue of many feral cats. ...
MWHS | Animal Legislation

Residents can help address county's feral cats
Brownwood Bulletin, TX
... Feral cats will probably never be suitable pets, Smith said, and differ from stray cats which were domesticated but later strayed or became lost or abandoned. ...

Author's sister must deal with ugly reality
Casa Grande Valley Newspapers, AZ
... lived on the property for years, and every time a stray came along, they simply kept it. The animal population grew through litters from dogs and cats as they ...

Wyoming residents fed up with feline problems
Kewanee Star Courier - Kewanee,IL,USA
A handful of Wyoming residents fed up with the problem of stray cats addressed the Wyoming City Council Monday night. ...

Rabies scare on Cedar Lane
Georgetown Record - Beverly,MA,United States
... Although the disease is usually associated with raccoons, foxes, skunks and feral cats, it can infect humans and their pets. Domesticated ...

The View from the Hill
Winchester Sun - Winchester,KY,USA
... Her office building backs up to some pretty dense woods. People rarely go through there and because of that, there is a haven of feral cats. ...

Pair of heroes are cat's meow to pet owner
Seattle Times - Seattle,WA,USA
She now spends her days and nights trapping and rescuing stray cats. Jay Henwood, owner of Jay's Kirkland Autocare, spends his days working on cars.

PB Cats goes on prowl for funds with gala
Palm Beach Daily News - Palm Beach,FL,USA
... "The Town of Palm Beach does hereby endorse non-lethal Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR), when accompanied by ongoing feral-cat management, as the most effective ...

Hampton City Council to audit paving service
Hampton Roads Daily Press - Newport,VA,USA
... to an ordinance that would allow city animal control officers to pick up feral cats. Many residents complained the new rules would unfairly punish cat owners ...

Politics on campus and cops on cops
Miami New Times - Miami,FL,USA
... About this time last year, authorities in Surfside were slapping hundred-dollar fines on people for feeding stray cats; private lawyers who work for the town ...

Halloween Events
Richmond Times Dispatch - Richmond,VA,USA
... include food and beverages). 21 and older. Benefits the SPCA's feral cat spay/neuter fund. www.richmondspca.org/events or 521-1318. ...

The cats' meow
OregonLive.com - Portland,OR,United States
... All in all, it's not a bad hangout for a handful of rescues. Bogart and Legacy are Bengals from the Chapple Hill Cat Sanctuary, a no-kill shelter in Vancouver. ...

Store offers pet shots
Miami Herald (subscription), FL
... vaccination. For cats, only strays or rescued felines will be treated. After the free round, vaccines will cost $10 for dogs, $6 for cats. ...

Adopt-a-Pet aims to curb shelter's cat crowding
Columbus Telegram, NE
... Each cage requires its own litter box and food bowls. As a result, cages with cats are stacked around the room housing felines at the animal shelter. ...

Around The Region
Modesto Bee, CA
... KITTENS AND CATS: Felines First! is offering kittens and cats for adoption this week at PetSmart, 2100 McHenry Ave. Felines First! ...

A kinder, gentler animal shelter
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, AK
... And people need to spay and neuter their pets. ... "What I would like to see is a very low cost spay and neuter program, not once a year. ...

Pet plates expected to drive down animal overpopulation
Westwood Press, United States
... The base cost is $40, $28 of which will benefit local spay and neuter programs. ... Upon renewal, the entire $40 will benefit the spay and neuter programs. ...

After years of decline, the sparrow wins protection
Independent, UK
The house sparrow, Britain's most mysteriously declining bird and the subject of The Independent's long-running campaign to save it, is at last to be given full legal protection by the Government.

Wednesday, October 13, 2004

Toms won't be 'dancing' anymore
Oceana County Herald Journal - Hart, MI, USA
... Fifty male cats were neutered in the one-day event, in hopes of controlling the number of stray and unwanted cats in the county. ...

Group taking action on feral felines
Turlock Journal, CA
By Laura Cook. Concerned citizens are ready to do something about Turlock’s abundance of feral cats. Feral cats are domestic cats that lack human contact. ...

Disease outbreak forces shelter to turn away cats
The Californian, CA
[Excerpted here]
Cats will not be accepted at the Salinas Animal Shelter until Oct. 24, because of a quarantine stemming from an outbreak of feline distemper (panleukopenia).
Shelter representatives ask that residents who trap feral or stray cats stop doing so for two weeks.
Owners who need to surrender their cats should call the SPCA of Monterey County or wait until the end of the quarantine period.
The hiatus will allow the shelter staff to thoroughly disinfect all cat rooms and other areas, thus halting the spread of the disease.
Information: Salinas Animal Shelter, 758-7285.

CATastrophe: Queenan Says Flood of Ferals Due to Refusal to Trap, Neuter
Cape May County Herald - Cape May, NJ, USA
... out.". Hill said Tri-County has 15 active traps operating, bringing five to ten cats per day, the majority being feral cats. "If ...

Gone to weed
Detroit Metro Times - Detroit, MI, USA
... Neighbor Thelma Rines also points out that the place seems to have become home to a number of raccoons, as well as feral cats. As ...

Test shows fox caught in Nahant not
The Daily Item of Lynn - Boston, MA, United States
... He said pet owners should keep their pet on a leash and under supervision, and never feed wild animals or feral cats. Kairevich ...

Not fair to cats
Hampton Roads Daily Press - Newport, VA, USA
Since the cities did not have a requirement for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to pick up feral cats, I had to do the trapping on my own.

Food stopped for feral kitties
Los Angeles Daily News - Los Angeles, CA, USA
GLENDALE -- City officials have ordered residents to stop leaving food for a colony of feral cats living at a power station because a mountain lion has been ...

Stray cats in Fulton
News 10 Now - Syracuse, NY, USA
... only so much the society can do. Fulton is not alone though, the Town of Salina is also dealing with an overload of stray cats. ...
[See previous newspaper article on the Feral Cat Blog! under October 11.]

Challenge cancels shelter meeting
Press-Enterprise (subscription) - Riverside, CA, USA
... The grand jury investigation was undertaken after citizens' complaints were received, said Katie Wider, secretary of the Pet Overpopulation Coalition. ...

Dogs fare better than cats in 2nd chances
Hillsboro Argus, OR
The canine population fares much better than its felines if taken to the county's animal shelter in HIllsboro. More cats than dogs ...

OpenBSD founder pulls no punches
Tectonic, South Africa
... The carcasses of dead felines put him off after some time. "About a month into this, I was so disgusted by all the cats, that I left that place. ...

Records show woman's history of multiple pets
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, AK
ANCHORAGE--A woman suspected of housing more than 100 cats without a proper license had other problems involving animals in the past, city records show. ...
[Original stories previously on the Feral Cat Blog!]

Killing the coyotes would come back to bite us
San Jose Mercury News (subscription), CA
... invaded their neighborhood. Coyotes hunt cats, stalk dogs and have generated hysteria just by walking down a street. Some residents ...

Anonymous animal drop-offs anger SPCA
Virginian Pilot - Norfolk, VA, USA
... We absolutely have seen an increase in that this year.". Norfolk's SPCA is a "no-kill" shelter, meaning it doesn't euthanize animals. ...

Wild goats banished from national park to preserve plant life
Virgin Islands Daily News, U.S. Virgin Islands
... program similar to one that already is used to control the feral pig population ... Mongooses and cats tend to overrun some areas such as Trunk Bay and Cinnamon Bay ...

Animal activists continue their fight
Chicago Daily Herald, IL
... "Unfortunately, in our world it has to happen.". By law, the shelter must hold stray dogs and cats for seven days to give owners time to claim their pets. ...

Yonkers home has 97 cats, 7 dogs
White Plains Journal News, NY
... police officers sent to investigate reports that people were raising dogs for fighting uncovered a real-life animal house yesterday, finding 97 cats, seven dogs ...

Walk Your Tail Off
Westchase.TBO.com
When Judy Walters took two stray neighborhood cats to a SpayDay clinic sponsored by the Animal Coalition of Tampa four months ago, she never imagined she would be volunteering for the Odessa-based organization a couple weeks later.

National Feral Cat Day, Saturday, Oct. 16; Day to Raise Awareness of Nonlethal Population Control of Feral Cats [press release]
U.S. Newswire
Activists around the country are busy organizing activities to mark National Feral Cat Day on Saturday, Oct. 16. From spay/neuter clinics, to information tables to fundraising galas, dozens of events nationwide will raise awareness about Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR), the only method scientifically demonstrated to control feral cat overpopulation.