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Alley Cat Advocates, Inc. was incorporated
in 1999 as a 501(c), not-for-profit organization whose
mission is to provide for the humane treatment of
unowned cats in our community. In striving to accomplish
our mission, our efforts will focus almost exclusively
on directing a Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program in
the safest, most efficient, and cost-effective way
possible.
Trap-Neuter-Return
(also referred to as Trap-Alter-Release)
It is widely (although not unanimously) accepted
within the humane movement that a TNR program is the
most effective way to stabilize and reduce the unowned
cat population. It is also the most humane method.
The basic strategy (there are many variations of TNR)
underlying all forms of TNR programs is to identify
an unowned cat or colony of unowned cats, humanely
trap the cat(s), spay/neuter them, and return them
to their environment. The entire process takes from
one to three days on average.
Alley Cat Advocates' strategy is to provide
TNR assistance to the general public at several levels
by having our volunteers:
- perform all the functions of the TNR program.
- provide training and lend traps to individuals
who are able to perform the TNR work themselves.
- assist individuals with the entire process and
share responsibilities
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How ACA can help
Alley Cat Advocates can assist individuals with TNR
in many ways by providing:
- volunteers, as available, to perform TNR functions.
- Traps, crates and other supplies for individuals
to borrow as necessary. ACA will also keep track
of the whereabouts of this equipment.
- TNR training to interested individuals.
- "recovery space" for post-surgical cats.
- financial assistance to cover part or all of the
cost of appropriate veterinary services.
Alley Cat Advocates' limited resources do not
allow for the following activities.
If your situation is described below, please check
the yellow pages under Animal Shelters, or Humane
Societies for assistance. We cannot provide assistance:
- if the person requesting our help will not allow
the cat to be returned to its environment.
- if the cat is an owned pet.
- in helping find a cat a new home
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Why should we maintain feral colonies?
As sad as it may seem, the number of cats far exceed
the number of homes available. In Jefferson County
alone, every man, woman and child would have to own
45 cats in order to give every cat in the county a
home. Nationally, only 32 percent of households own
any cats. Clearly, at the current rate of reproduction,
there will never be enough homes for all cats.
According to a study done by the National Pet Alliance,
75 percent of surplus cats come from breeding by stray
cats. In a presentation to the AHA/CFA Federal Cat
Conference in 1996, Karen Johnson of the National
Pet Alliance stated that, "Owned cats are not
the cause or the solution to the problem of too many
cats entering shelters. Unowned cat reproduction must
be addressed . . . by making it as easy as possible
for citizens to round up and alter as many stray cats
as possible."
The traditional method of controlling the stray population
has been to trap and remove the animals, and then
to either place them in homes or euthanize them. As
we see from the numbers mentioned above, placing all
homeless cats is not numerically possible; also many
stray cats are not tame enough to make suitable pets.
What about trapping and euthanizing stray cats that
cannot be replaced? Killing healthy animals is distasteful
to most people. It is also not a solution. If the
cats are removed without changing the environment
(i.e. removing the food source and shelter), more cats
quickly replace
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the cats that were removed. It is also more expensive
to continually trap and euthanize cats than to alter
the cats and maintain a colony. In a study done by
the San Francisco SPCA and the National Pet Alliance,
they found that the cost to maintain a 1000 cat population
using the trap/neuter/release method would cost $17,306
initially and $2,660 a year thereafter. To trap/remove/euthanize,
the cost would be just under $80,000 initially and
then just over $60,000 a year after that to keep the
population under 1,000.
The trap/neuter/release method has been used in England
since the 1960s with much success. In the United States,
the first national organization to be devoted exclusively
to the welfare and maintenance of stray cats was formed
in 1990, although the method was being practiced on
a local level well before then. One group, the Feral
Cat Coalition, has made a major difference in the
San Diego, CA area. In their first four and a half
years, they altered more than 7,000 cats. During this
same time period, the San Diego Department of Animal
Control reported a decrease of 45 percent in stray
cat intake, and a 40 percent reduction in euthanasia.
There were no other factors that could be found to
explain the drop.
We want to have the same effect on overpopulation
in the Louisville area. With your help, WE CAN MAKE
A DIFFERENCE !!!
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We are always looking for assistance in a variety
of different ways. If you are interested in supporting
the mission of Alley Cat Advocates, please be sure
to mark one of the adjacent boxes, include your name,
phone number and address, then return it to us at
the following:
Alley Cat Advocates
#204
3044 Bardstown Rd.
Louisville, KY 40205
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