This is a new blog to introduce you to the world of community cats. So, what exactly is a community cat?
Community cats are cats that are unowned and live outside. It is not their choice to live this way but is a result of someone abandoning them. Some are strays too. Either way, they are on their own.
College campuses and apartment buildings see a lot of community cats. These are places where people don’t stay for long. When people move on, they too often decide their cat is disposable and turn him/her loose. We live in a disposable society where sadly even animals are thrown away. Too often, these cats have not been spay/neutered and reproduction happens quickly. The more community cats there are, the more there will be.
This must change and will. And it all starts with a trap-neuter-vaccinate-return (TNVR) program. This program allows these cats to be humanely trapped and taken to a veterinarian for spay/neuter. No more reproduction. After recovery, the cat is then returned to the same location where it was trapped. A caretaker will care for this cat as part of a managed colony – providing food, water, shelter, care and love.
Trap and Kill has been in use for decades and has failed to make any impact in reducing the number of community cats. In fact, during this time, numbers have increased steadily. TNVR has shown positive results wherever it has been implemented.
Opposition to community cats and TNVR is puzzling. TNVR reduces the number of community cats humanely through attrition, is cost effective and it works! Why would anyone oppose such success?
Whose cats are these anyways? They belong to all of us!