COLUMBUS ANIMAL CARE & CONTROL COMMUNITY CAT PROGRAM

HOARDING OF CATS

• What happened in Miami, could not happen here:

– State Law Prohibits abandoning of animals

– CACC met w/Dept. of Agriculture and went over our process

– Local Ordinance Regulates Community Cat Program (CCO) or Trap/Neuter/Release (TNR)

HOARDING OF CATS (CONT.)

• Hoarding exists in every community.

• Hoarding exists here in Columbus, Georgia.

• Columbus Animal Care and Control has always addressed hoarding issues.

• Most hoarding cases develop from individual mental issues.

Columbus Animal Care & Control

• Hoarding is not the result of TNR (Trap/Neuter/Release).

• Hoarding will happen whether we have a CCP, practice TNR or not.

• The Miami film showed a shelter dropping cats off at a residence in an uncontrolled manner.

CACC Hoarding Investigative Process

• The CACC hoarding investigative processes used to bring forth compliance and resolution includes working with the following agencies:

– APS (Adult Protective Services)

– State Inspector/Dept. of Agriculture

– Rabies Control Officer

– Local Rescues

BACKGROUND

• Trap and Kill Method

– Discontinued the trap/kill method when we obtained the Pet Smart Charities Grant.

– Prior to being awarded these grants we impounded on average 3,254 cats and killed on average 2,286 cats per year. (2010-2013 stats)

– Since inception of these grants we have impounded 3,295 cats and have euthanized 1,055 cats.

TRAP AND KILL METHOD

Ineffective

Fails to curtail population growth

Costly

Leads to compassion fatigue:

• High employee turnover in shelters

• Taints public image

Publicly unpalatable

Mating Facts

• Cats can become sexually active as young as 4 months.

• Females will remain in heat or cycle quickly until they are mated.

• Females can give birth to 2-4 litters per year.

• Litters average 3-5 kittens

(One female, 4 litters = 20 kittens x 5 females @ 20 kittens each = 100 kittens per year.)

CACC STATISTICS

2010 3123 303 2816 79.44

2011 3171 591 2567 64.04

2012 3402 1107 2265 52.62

2013 3318 1392 1496 711 38.26

TRAP, NEUTER & RELEASE (TNR)

What is Trap, Neuter & Release? Trap/Neuter/Release is the non lethal alternative to the trap-and-kill method of controlling cat populations.

TRAP, NEUTER & RELEASE (TNR)

• PET SMART CHARITIES/FERAL FREEDOM PGM

– Pilot Program started in September 2013

– Pet Smart Charities Grant for $58, 250

– A total of 1,036 Cats went through TNR Program

TRAP, NEUTER & RELEASE (TNR)

• BEST FRIENDS ANIMAL SOCIETY/Community Cat PGM

- Launched August 2014

- Grant Award is $600,000.00

- Our goal is to have 2,000 cats go through this program each year for the next 3 years.

- Any cat deemed unhealthy by a participating

licensed Veterinarian will be euthanized, unless

medically Best Friends will accept those costs.

TNR Benefits

• Long term, TNR lowers the numbers of cats in the community more effectively than trap-and-kill.

• Good Samaritans in our neighborhoods provide food, water and shelter for community cats, and TNR provides a non-lethal, humane way to effectively manage these community cat populations.

• Our programs will afford friendly cats or young kittens the opportunity to be placed into forever homes.

• Stopping the breeding and removing some cats for adoption is more effective than the traditional trap-and-kill method in lowering the numbers of cats in a community long-term.

TNR Benefits Cont.

• TNR reduces shelter admissions and operating costs.

• Create a safer community and promote public health by reducing the number of unvaccinated cats.

• TNR improves the lives of free-roaming cats. Males no longer fight over territory or female cats and female cats are no longer forced to endure the physical and mental demands of giving birth and fending for their young.

• Sterilizing community cats reduces or even eliminates the behaviors that can lead to nuisance complaints.

NUISANCE BEHAVIORS

• TNR Controls Nuisance Behavior

– Dramatically less noise/no mating or fighting

– Dramatically less smell/no spraying from male cats

– Less roaming

– Controlled breeding

– No kittens

– Increased mediation/educational opportunities to resolve neighbor disputes.

Cat Deterrents

• Provide non-lethal, proactive strategies

• Deter cats away from areas where cats are not wanted (e.g., backyard, garden)

Video about cat deterrents: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nnOibg6nYc

Deterrents

• ACC/BF has purchased “Scarecrows” to be loaned to residents.

• Other deterrents:

– Cat Scats

– Coffee Grounds

– Citrus peels

– Lattice fencing for flower beds

QUESTIONS?????

Best Friends Animal Society Community Cat Program 678-689-4323

Animal Care & Control Center 706-225-4512