October 7, 2019 - Dozens of cat advocates streamed into a public hearing in Los Angeles on Monday to express their concerns over the City’s proposed plan to begin supporting TNR activities again after more than a decade of frustration. The city was forced to stop supporting TNR by a Court injunction in 2005, and ordered to produce an Environmental Impact Review (EIR) under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The good news is that the City’s Draft EIR states that it wants to return to a policy where, “TNR is the preferred method of dealing with the free-roaming cat population.” Unfortunately, as Alley Cat Welfare’s Dale Bartlett testified, the proposed plan includes elements designed to protect the city’s Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESA) that would make TNR practically impossible in certain locations.
 
The city has proposed a feeding ban in all Environmentally Sensitive Areas and a one-mile buffer zone around the areas. In those areas, which comprise a huge portion of the city, feeding would only be allowed as bait inside traps, limited to 30 minute increments, would be required to be monitored at all times, and could only occur during limited daytime hours when many cat advocates are busy at their day jobs. The restrictions are far too stringent and would make the trapping of free roaming cats who live in or near an ESA impossible. As a practical matter, regularly scheduled feeding prior to trapping is necessary in order to acclimatize cats to the feeding schedules which eventually lead them to enter traps. Thus, limiting feeding to the baiting of traps will lead to fewer cats captured, which is clearly not the desired outcome.
 
ACR asked the city to remove ESA’s from the proposal, and our comments were echoed by other leading local and national TNR supporters. We were the only group to suggest that, if for legal or political reasons the city remains insistent on keeping the ESAs in the proposal, they should at least amend the language in their proposal to allow feeding when it is a necessary component of an active TNR effort, rather than restricting feeding to the actual baiting of traps. As we explained to the City’s representatives, “Efforts to manage any free roaming colonies that exist inside or adjacent to any Environmentally Sensitive Area should be prioritized and certainly shouldn’t be hamstrung by well-intentioned restrictions.”
 
The deadline for written comments on the City’s proposed program is October 28, 2019. We need all cat advocates to email the head of the program and tell them that you strongly support the return of TNR to Los Angeles, but with the removal of ESA’s from the proposed program.
 
Send your email by October 28 to:
 
Dr. Jan Green Rebstock
 jan.green.rebstock@lacity.org and please cc: dale@saveacat.org
 
For more information on the proposed program, including the 1400+ page Environmental Impact Report, click here.

While cats have earned a reputation for being standoffish and aloof, a new study shows that our feline friends are more attached to their owners than previously thought. According to researchers at the University of Oregon, cats can form bonds with their owners similar to those formed by dogs and even infants. The study found that when cats live with a caretaker, the majority of them turn to humans as a source of comfort.

Researchers recruited both kittens and adult cats, as well as their owners, to participate in an experiment that has been used to test bonds between dogs and primates with their caretakers. In the study, cat and kitten owners entered an unfamiliar room with their animals. The caretakers then spent two minutes in the room with their cat, then left the animal alone for two minutes, and then returned for an additional two minutes. The study found that about two-thirds of the cats and kittens greeted their owners when they returned, then resumed exploring the room, and periodically returned to their owners. Based on this behavior, researchers concluded that the cats and kittens were securely attached to their owners, and considered them a safe base in an unfamiliar situation. Perhaps surprising to some, the findings among cats are nearly identical to the findings in studies conducted on dogs and infants, showing that cats form bonds with humans nearly as frequently.  

And this wasn’t the first study that suggests cats like us more than we think. A 2017 study also conducted by the University of Oregon found that a majority of cats preferred interacting with a person over eating or playing with a toy. Furthermore, additional research has shown that cats know their name, and are sensitive to human emotions and moods.

So, it logically follows that some of this research is also applicable to feral cats. While they may not form the same kind of attachment as housecats do, there is evidence to show that feral cats still do bond with their caregivers. While they generally can’t be touched or held, over time feral cats become to know and trust their caregivers and form bonds with them. Feral cats can respond to their names as well as greet their caregivers, and sometimes will even allow to be pet while they are eating.
So while there is still a lot to be discovered about cats, these studies confirm that they are complex and intelligent animals who are in fact capable of love, despite their sometimes indifferent demeanor.

We've got a ​new petition that we hope you'll sign to try and protect the feral cats of Australia. If you haven't seen the recent news story about the mass culling of cats going on right now, you can read it here.

When the Australian government in 2015 announced its plan to kill 2 million cats by 2020, we were appalled just like you. We crafted a petition and wrote to the Minister for the Environment, Greg Hunt, and Ambassador to the U.S., Kim Beazley, to let them know about the humane solutions available for managing feral cats. While trap-neuter-return (TNR) by itself may not be enough to manage the outdoor cat population-especially in wild, unpopulated rural areas-that certainly doesn't mean we need to resort to the lethal methods being used in Australia today.

For example, exclusionary fencing can be used to create safe areas for both wildlife and cats; a government-supported spay/neuter program could greatly reduce the number of cats reproducing outside. We believe that when communities come together around principles like "no-kill," "adopt-don't-shop," and "compassionate conservation," they find ways to value and support each and every life, be it furry or feathered. The mass culling of animals is always a tragedy and never the answer. 

Unfortunately, the Australian plan was put into place and hundreds of thousands of cats, if not more, have already been killed. Please take a moment to lend your voice to feral cats in Australia and sign and share our petition. 

Lilies
All true lilies are toxic and poisonous to cats. Ingestion of even a small amount, be it a nibble on a leaf or grooming pollen from a paw, can lead to acute kidney failure. Despite their prevalence in homes and bouquets this time of year, Easter and all other lilies should be kept away from cats. No matter how beautiful or sweet-smelling, they aren’t worth the risk to your cat’s health.

We’re fortunate to meet so many compassionate people who love their cats deeply, but it breaks our heart to hear the stories some tell about how proper veterinary care isn’t accessible to them and their feline companions. They often live in underserved communities where there are no vet clinics or animal hospitals, and other times the standard cost of vet care is simply too high. 

One way we reach out to these kind people and their cats is by finding ways to offer low-cost or free services. Last week we sponsored three free spay/neuter and rabies vaccination clinics in partnership with Angels of Assisi, the Roanoke Valley SPCA and Cats Unlimited in Roanoke, VA. Our goal was to spay or neuter and vaccinate as many cats as possible and when the community heard about the event, they signed up and filled every appointment. The demand for these services is so great in the area that Angels of Assisi filled 100 appointments in a single day from one social media post!

From young to old and feral to friendly, each cat who arrived at the clinics received a health exam, was spayed or neutered, and then also vaccinated for rabies. For some cats, this was the first vet care they’d ever received. Many of them have at least part-time access to the outdoors so staff applied a lot of flea and tick preventative. While the cats were sedated, they got a complimentary nail trim too.

In particular, it was an exciting day at the Roanoke Valley SPCA, as this was their first ever event held specifically for feral cats. There are unique aspects to working with feral cats that clinics and staff must consider and plan for and we’re so excited that they’ve stepped forward to be a resource for feral cats in their community. 

​Our work and partnerships with clinics in Roanoke has now resulted in 998 cats being spayed or neutered and vaccinated at no cost to cat caretakers.  Thank you so much to the staff at Angels of Assisi, the Roanoke Valley SPCA and Cats Unlimited for their dedication to cats and their help making these events so successful. We can’t wait to visit again!

A bill to increase penalties on animal abusers in Virginia has passed out of committee and could be headed for state house and senate floor votes soon. The bill, SB 1604, would make “cruelly and unnecessarily beating, maiming, mutilating, or killing a dog or cat,” a Class 6 felony. The bill was introduced by Virginia State Sen. Bill R. DeSteph, Jr. (R) of Virginia Beach.

The penalty for such actions now is only a misdemeanor and as written, current regulations require that an animal die from the abuse or torture in order for the offender to be charged with a felony. The animal must also be a companion cat or dog, leaving other animals, like community cats, unprotected.

We’re excited to see this change proposed and support passage of the law. Abuse or torture of animals is an extremely serious offence, and it shouldn’t take an animal victim paying the ultimate price in order for human abusers to be held sufficiently accountable.

Take for example Hardy, the cat we helped recover from terrible abuse in early 2018. He’d had his ears, tail, and all four paws mutilated. He was in dire condition when he was found outside and required immediate and costly veterinary intervention to be saved. Under the current regulation, our successful efforts to save Hardy could actually lessen the abuser’s offence in the eyes of the law.

Striking animals, tethering them outside in poor weather, neglecting their care, or dumping them when they’re no longer wanted are all forms of animal abuse. Unfortunately, the laws in our country are somewhat of a patchwork and can vary greatly from state-to-state and between jurisdictions. To see the animal cruelty laws on the books in your state, check out the Animal Legal Defense Fund’s database. There you’ll find a summary and specifics of your state’s laws and how it ranks in comparison to others. To learn more about animal cruelty, its forms, and why it happens, visit our site here.

No matter the season, summer, spring, winter, fall or kitten, we’re out making an impact for cats and working to grow the trap-neuter-return (TNR) community. This past weekend we presented our workshop, Caring for Community Cats, to a wonderful group of folks who were looking for ways to help free-roaming cats.

We began by explaining who free-roaming cats are, where they are, and why they live outside. We covered local regulations too, and then went through the step-by-step of TNR, from assessing the situation at the start of a project, to returning cats and ongoing colony management. Our trained staff also demonstrated how to set up and set humane traps and shared practical tips from our own experience.

​These workshops also serve as a way for community members to connect with our programs and with each other. We’re always uplifted by the positivity that arises when caretakers and advocates for cats get together. More cats benefit when we all come together to work cooperatively; when welfare organizations like ACR provide knowledge and resources, when individuals do their part, and when local governments lend support, the greatest impact can be made.

Thank you to the Mount Rainier Police Department for hosting and providing the event space, and thank you to all who joined us to learn about TNR and caring for community cats. Don't forget to follow our Facebook page to stay up to date on our current work and to find out about upcoming workshops.

​Are you a community group looking to get involved with TNR or a shelter looking to learn more and start a program? Please get in touch! Send us a message at acr@saveacat.org or call 301-277-5595. We'd love to hear from you and find out how we can work together for cats.

Earlier today President Trump signed the Agriculture Improvement Act into law. Better known as the Farm Bill, the law contains crucial new protections for animals.

The Dog and Cat Meat Trade Prohibition Act contained within the bill bans the slaughter, trade and import/export of cats and dogs for human consumption. While consuming dogs and cats is rare in the U.S., this provision is important because only six states have laws prohibiting it. Just as critical is the trade aspect. News reports from Egypt recently suggested that the government was allowing the shipment of unowned cats and dogs abroad for consumption, to places like South Korea where the infamous annual dog meat festival takes place, as a way to reduce the population of stray animals in the country. This practice is now prohibited in the U.S. thanks to the bill.

The bill also contained a measure to help animals affected by domestic violence. The Protecting Animals with Shelter (PAWS) Act provides new domestic violence protections for animals while allocating grant funds for shelters to add, improve and otherwise help find accommodations for pets in these situations. This is so important because one reason victims sometimes give for remaining in a dangerous situation is the question of what would happen to their beloved pet. Currently only 3% of shelters serving victims of domestic violence accept pets as well.  

Other good news for animals comes in the form of clarity around dog fighting and cockfighting, which were previously banned in all U.S. states and are now prohibited in all U.S. territories (Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands) as well. Also good is something NOT in the bill. The Protect Interstate Commerce Act was thankfully rejected and removed. It would have usurped individual state and local laws passed to protect animals, such as humane farming practices and the banning of puppy mills, and made it harder for advocates and local communities to pass laws on behalf of animals.

While the Farm Bill contains some great successes for animals, there is still work to be done. The KITTEN Act, which would bar the USDA from using kittens in painful experiments, has bipartisan support in the House and a version was just introduced in the Senate. You can learn more about the decades of experiments that brought about the KITTEN Act and show your support for it by signing our petition to USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue.