Rumpydog

Tammy:  Thank you for taking an interest in cat issues and I am pleased to help “enlighten” our canine cousins.  Most dogs are only interested in what the cat is eating and those little morsels they leave in the litterbox that seem so tasty.  I am honored.

Rumpy: I love ALL animals! Now I know that every community has feral cats, whether they admit it or not.

Tammy: Yes they are and the biggest problem is that people feed the cats, but don’t get them fixed or medical attention.

Tammy: We live in a fishing village. So for many years the myth that a cat “belongs” or will live well in a fishing village was the belief of choice for most.  The cats outnumbered the humans and they were sick and dying.  I knew the cats had to be fixed, but the local vets wanted over 100.00 per cat.

Rumpy:  That could get pretty expensive!

Tammy: Luckily, the first low/no cost spay/neuter clinic had just opened in Jacksonville and that’s how I learned about TNR.  I felt this was a much more economical and humane solution to the problem other than letting them continue to breed and die.  And it would stabilize and eventually reduce the population.

This kitty was caught in a humane trap and was neutered.

Rumpy:  So what exactly did you do?

Tammy: I borrowed some traps from the clinic and began trapping.  They had just received a grant to spay/neuter all feral cats in my area since our reputation for being a “cat village” was well known.  So I started trapping and haven’t stopped since.

Rumpy:  Hooray! And what’s been the result of all that hard work?

Tammy:  It has been incredible.  For a few years we had no kittens born in my area; however with the economic downturn, many cats were dumped here and in the past 2 years we’ve only had 3 litters born.  It has cleaned up our community and the caretakers are able to handle the cats, so the feeding stations and colonies are cleaner and healthier also.  It has also educated many people who would otherwise not have been aware of the resources and benefits of TNR.

Rumpy:  What do you mean by “dumped” cats?

Rumpy:  So people actually abandon their cats there rather than surrender them to animal control?

These cats are healthy and well fed thanks to Mayport Cats, Inc.

Rumpy:  That’s wonderful! But it must cost lots of money. Who pays for it all?

Rumpy: Animal welfare volunteers are some of the most dedicated humans I know! So what’s the last word on managing feral cat populations?

Tammy:  Education!  This is the key to clearing the myths about feral cats and abandoning your cat or any animal.  It will NOT be ok on it’s own, even if it is “just a cat”.  Ferals are usually in great shape, it’s the dumped house cat that we find in terrible condition.

Be a part of the solution, even if you don’t like cats, you can still support what cat caretakers are doing or your local spay/neuter clinic.

If you are a caretaker, continue to educate yourself, keep your colony area clean and get them fixed!  Feral cats are the “pit bulls” of the cat world.  Through education, compassion and legislation, these dogs have been elevated to beloved dog status, we can do the same with ferals.

I hope this answers some of the questions dogs and humans may have about cats and ferals.  If you or your readers need any further info, we are more than happy to help!  Thank you on behalf of feral and abandoned cats everywhere.