Our region is full of Community Cat Colonies. Moreover, most are out of control. This year has been worse with calls about kittens produced by mothers without human owners. This occurs under decks in residential neighborhoods and at trailer parks where living under skirting creates population numbers which become intolerable. Similar places include community parks and open spaces and around trash containers at shopping centers and restaurants. Few people are concerned until the numbers are too high or the health of the colony is in question.
Involvement to relieve these situation is a mission of Stillwater Cat Haven. Just recently Haven Humane, the semi-public animal control agency, with the support of the Anderson City Manager, agreed to participate in an attempt to stabilize the community colonies of the local city park, through TNR. We have been in partnership with this effort, communicating our knowledge of the colonies and helping in the trapping of the feral and abandoned cats at this park. It is the first time that Haven Humane has offered to be part of community colony trapping and we are hopeful we can expand that commitment to other areas of the city.
Most of the kittens rescued in community colonies are adoptable. Without our involvement they could be struggling to survive in the wild uncontrolled environments instead of possible adoption into loving, caring families. Sometimes even those who are too feral to be pets would be in better conditions than their current situation, such as barn cats helping in rodent control which would include supplemental feeding instead of survival in an uncontrolled community colony.
We have so many cats available right now, we are troubled wondering if all can be place in forever homes. We have become a partner with Best Friends, a national 'save them all' animal care organization headquartered in Utah. They developed a December promotion for $25 adoptions and we have used their publication materials to enhance our adoption possibilities. The $25 is less than half of our costs for spay/neuter and care but if it results in movement of our animals to good homes instead of increasing our permanent population here it is most positive in the result.
Our success is in the statistics we have reported to Best Friends and to Shelter Animals Count. From September 2015 through September 2016 we completed 222 spay/neuters, 95 adoptions and 125 feral returns or relocations. We continue to monitor colonies we have worked with by nightly travel to those locations for supplemental feeding and observation of health or new additions to the Colonies.
Since our non-profit incorporation in 2011 through 2015 we reported 792 spayed or neutered cats/kittens. When including this year's totals and our estimate since our first project of colony stabilization in 2000 until the incorporation there is another 700 cats, for an estimated minimum 1500 total cats that have been provided a better living situation, and kept from procreating a significant additional number.
These efforts carry the burden of time and expense. Initially we utilized inherited funds, but now we utilize our own retirement account to augment the funds necessary to continue at our current level of operations. We do need help to do the work we have, and have agreed to compensate those that commit the significant hours they have. Their income becomes a valuable addition to their families and a small boost to our community economy. We have three shift situations; a morning route which visits community colonies we have stabilized and provides supplemental feeding, an evening feeding shift at our facility, and a morning cleaning of the previous night's efforts. Part-time employees are at 70 hours a week and Volunteer time is approximately 130 hours.
We hope you have interest in our efforts and might consider financial support to Stillwater Cat Haven. Donations are tax deductible, we are a charitable non-profit with a tax identification 27-4848192. We would be most thankful for your help.
No comments:
Post a Comment