I n d y F e r a l I n c . i s a r e s o u r c e f o r c a r e t a k e r s a n d f r i e n d s o f s t r a y & f e r a l c a t s i n c e n t r a l I n d i a n a

A Q u a r t e r l y N e w s l e t t e r P r o d u c e d b y I n d y F e r a l I n c .

I n s i d e

2006 Calendar

Adopt a Catfrom IACC

Kitten SeasonHow to Prepare

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W W W . I N D Y F E R A L . O R G

Photo ContestMore Winners!

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The recent ordinance revisionsfrom the City of Indianapolis willallow IndyFeral to work in part-nership with Indianapolis Ani-mal Care and Control officersand the public on a broaderscale. The goal is to promoteuniform standards of care forfree-roaming cat colonies whilestill mitigating cat nuisancecomplaints.

Partnering with IACCIACC officer Katie Sweeney isthe new TNR/IndyFeral liaison.She is currently completing TNRtraining with IndyFeral.Sweeney graduated from Pur-due University in May 2004with a B.S. in Animal Scienceand a concentration in Pre-Vet-erinary Medicine. She startedworking for Indianapolis AnimalCare and Control in July 2004as an Animal Control Officer,which led her to IndyFeral andTNR in December of 2005.Sweeney and IndyFeral presi-dent Lisa Tudor will be workingtogether in the field to educatethe public and increase aware-ness about TNR. In addition,they will be developing toolsand training material gearedspecifically toward animal con-trol officers.

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Annual Repor t3

IndyFeral Implements Trap-Neuter-Returnwith Indianapolis Animal Care and Control

Help Spread TNRDoor hangers are now beingused as a tool by animal careand control officers and neigh-borhood groups to help in-crease the awareness of TNR.The door hangers are a greatway to let people who are feed-ing strays learn about TNR.IndyFeral is specifically lookingfor volunteers to help pass outdoor hangers in the 46201,46203 and 46219 zip codes tohelp promote the free surgeriesavailable from the grant. If youare interested, please emailAmelda@indyferal.org.

The Indianapolis City Councilpassed a special resolution lastmonth recognizing IndyFeral forreceiving a $20,000 grant fromPetSmart Charities to supportthe Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR)ordinance.IndyFeral president Lisa Tudor,

City Council Recognizes IndyFeral’s Efforts

IACC officer Katie Sweeney is the newTNR/IndyFeral liaison.

Photo by Greg Brush ©2005

Education, understanding thenature of feral cats, and utiliz-ing humane deterrents must beprovided to the public and toanimal control officers if feralcats are ever to be accepted inthe mainstream public humaneprograms and allow for theparadigm shift from trap andkill to non-lethal control.

Supporting TNRIndyFeral received a $20,000grant from PetSmart Charitiesthat will be used to offer 800spay-neuter surgeries for un-owned, free-roaming cats indesignated zip codes.IndyFeral and Indianapolis Ani-mal Care and Control (IACC)have targeted three high-priorityzip codes located on the nearEast side of the city which havea disproportionately high num-ber of free-roaming cats. Thosezip codes are 46201, 46203and 46219.“IndyFeral and IACC’s collabo-ration is a great example of tak-ing the initiative to improve thelocal community,” Patty Finch,Grants Manager for PetSmartCharities, said. “Targeted pro-grams like these are making ahuge impact on pet overpopula-tion nationwide.”

vice president Greg Brush andspayday intake volunteerKathleen Egan were present atthe session March 27.The Council applauded Indy-Feral for striving to improve thelives of feral and stray cats andpromoting ideals that are more

reflective of a caring and hu-mane community.The Council congratulated In-dyFeral for receiving the grantwhich will be used to offer 800spay/neuter surgeries for un-owned free-roaming cats inmanaged colonies.

I N C O R P O R A T E D

A r e s o u r c e f o r c a r e t a k e r s a n d f r i e n d so f s t r a y & f e r a l c a t s i n c e n t r a l I n d i a n a

W W W . I N D Y F E R A L . O R G

IndyFeral Inc.P.O. Box 30054

Indianapolis, IN 46230-0054(317) 596-2300

As part of our belief in respect andcompassion for all living creatures,IndyFeral Inc. seeks to reduce stray andferal (wild) cat overpopulation throughthe non-lethal method of Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR), not trap and kill.

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Lisa TudorGreg BrushVerna BoggsDebbie Marlett

BoardAmelda ButlerMaureen OwenRebecca Seifert

Board of Directors

Corporate Officers

Email Subscriber Listcontact@indyferal.org

Mission

IndyFeral is a 501(c)(3) nonprofitorganization staffed entirely byvolunteers. We are dedicated tohelping stray and feral cats in theIndianapolis area by creating resourcesto assist with the feeding, shelter,spay/neuter, and medical care forthem.

IndyFeral was established as a meansof changing the way stray and feral catshave been traditionally viewed anddealt with in our community. Acting astheir advocate or voice, IndyFeral willstrive to improve their lives andpromote ideas that are more reflectiveof a caring and humane community.

Who is IndyFeral?

If you would like more information onhow you can help feral cats in yourcommunity or know of a feral catcolony, please contact IndyFeral. Wealso encourage you to visit our web siteto learn more about TNR and feralcolony management.

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Get Involved

What is TNR?TNR is a process by which unowned,free-roaming stray and feral (wild) catsare humanely trapped, evaluated,vaccinated and sterilized by aveterinarian and then returned to theirfamiliar habitat.

We encourage people to make effortsto use the resources of adoptionorganizations to attempt to place tame

PresidentVice President

SecretaryTreasurer

Newsletter designed by Ana Radovanovic©2006 IndyFeral Inc.

Excerpted from “Baby Boom: Coping with Kit-ten Season,” by Rebecca Simmons, The Hu-mane Society of the United States (HSUS).

It’s the time of year when catsgive birth, flooding animal sheltersacross the nation with homeless lit-ters. Kitten “season” is really threeseasons in one, starting in spring,peaking in late spring or early sum-mer, and ending in fall.

Domino EffectSo why does kitten season occur?“The warm weather coincides withfemale cats’ heat cycles,” says CorySmith, program manager of animalsheltering issues at The HSUS.“When female cats go into heat,male cats come running from nearand far. Cats’ reproductive hor-mones are very powerful.”And no matter where the cats are,they don’t have far to go. “In everycommunity in the nation, there isan over-abundance of unsterilizedcats both owned and un-owned,says Smith. “A frenzy of matingtakes place each year.”The easiest way to help reducethe overwhelming numbers of un-wanted cats is to spay and neuteryour own cat and encourage othersto do the same.Unaltered cats are driven by theirhormones and tend to sneak out-doors primarily in search of a mate.Mating just once can start a domi-no effect that can result in dozens,even hundreds or thousands of un-wanted animals.” Smith said.These unwanted cats and kittens,when not left on the street to fendfor themselves, often turn up inhigh volume at the local animalshelter.

Shelter StrainKitten season presents manychallenges for shelter staff andthe cats in their care. Resourcesalready hard to come by—like

Feral kittens at play. Kitten “season” is really three seasons in one, starting in Spring, peakingin late Spring or early Summer, and ending in Fall. The easiest way to help reduce the numbersof unwanted cats is to spay and neuter your own cat and encourage others to do the same.

Kitten Season Is Here AgainWhat That Means and What You Can Do

food, money and space—are of-ten stretched to their limit asshelters, that often take in thou-sands of animals every year, areinundated with homeless cats.Typically, the adult cats feel themost immediate effects, as theyare often overlooked by potentialadopters when kittens are inabundance. As shelters struggleto accommodate as many cats aspossible, the risk of illness alsoincreases.“As we reach our capacity, theclose quarters cause the cats ad-ditional stress, and they begin tospread germs, get sick—and thewhole population suffers,” saysCorbin.

An End in Sight?The vast numbers of cats thatshelters accommodate acrossthe nation during kitten seasonwill not drop overnight. But thereare many ways to help reduce catoverpopulation and to bringmuch-needed relief to the ani-mals, and to the people, affectedby kitten season.

For the complete article and more in-formation on pet concerns, please visithttp://www.hsus.org/pets/issues_affecting_our_pets/.Rebecca Simmons is the OutreachCommunications Coordinator for Com-panion Animals at The HSUS.

How to Get Involved

Spay/neuter your pet catsFor more information,please call Spay NeuterServices of Indiana (SNSI)(317) 767-7771 or FACELow-Cost Spay/NeuterClinic (317) 638-3223.

Help your city shelterDonate supplies, be a fosterparent, send money orvolunteer your time. Pleasecall Indianapolis AnimalCare & Control for details(317) 327-1397.

Care for feral catsin your neighborhoodCan’t catch the neighbor-hood mama cat? Feedinga stray cat? Call IndyFeral(317) 596-2300.

Adopt an Adult CatOpen your home to a newcat or adopt a playmate foryour existing pets. VisitIndianapolis Animal Care &Control or call (317) 327-1397.

Photos by Kerry Helfner ©2005

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Annual Report 2005SurgeriesJanuary 1 thru December 31,2005: 2,239. Of these sur-geries, 231 were free to low-income caretakers.

Colony Count1,076, as of December 31,2005.

Food ProgramIndyFeral distributed 10,849pounds of cat food (canned

and dry). Food distributiondoubled from 5280 pounds in2004. The Program providesfood to low-income caretakersto feed feral cats in need.

Shelter Program478 Shelters were distributed-100 Free shelter to low-income caretakers-352 Shipped to 28 statesand 3 Canadian provinces

IndyFeral congratulates the De-cember grand prize Feral PhotoContest winners: Dale Lane andCathy Babcock. Both winners re-ceive an IndyFeral t-shirt of theirchoice.To help spread the word aboutTNR and to help people under-stand the life of a cat in a man-aged feral colony, IndyFeral is pro-moting an ongoing Feral PhotoContest, calling for photographsshowing ear-tipped cats in any set-ting.Each month, we will select twogrand prize photos. The judging willtake place at IndyFeral monthlyboard meetings.The grand prize winners will re-ceive an IndyFeral t-shirt (choice ofavailable colors and sizes).

Each IF quarterly newsletter willfeature two new grand prize win-ners.Submitted photos will be used ininternet, electronic and print publi-cations to promote TNR, IndyFeraland the welfare of free-roamingcats. All photos will be credited.

How to EnterPlease visit our website at:www.indyferal.org for completerules and instructions for submis-sion, or write to IndyFeral.After you have entered the con-test online, you may send photosthrough the website or mail to:

IndyFeral Inc.Feral Photo ContestP.O. Box 30054Indianapolis, IN 46230-0054

FeralPhoto ContestDecember Grand Prize Winners

(Left) “This is Tiggy, adopted from IndyFeral as a kitten by my wife Margi. Sheearned her name from the way she seemed to bounce around the house and be-cause of her beautiful coat. As you can see, sometimes she bounces so high shelands in trees. We limit her outdoor time and it’s always supervised. . . . We’ve en-joyed our IndyFeral cat!” -Dale Lane

(Right) “We recently took Tiger in to Maureen for an absessed paw. Here, he isfeeling better and enjoying our flower pots!” -Cathy Babcock

Photo by Dale Lane ©2005 Photo by Cathy Babcock ©2005

Did you know you can adopta cat from Indianapolis Ani-mal Care & Control (IACC)?There are many benefits toadopting an adult cat. Thebest reason is that you are lit-erally saving a life.Because most people wantto adopt kittens, a cat’schoices for adoption decreas-es with age. Sadly, many old-er cats at shelters are eu-thanized.IACC shelter manager Kirs-ten Vantoud said, “I encour-age friends and neighbors toadopt from IACC or othershelters. I ask folks to consid-er a shelter/resuce animalfirst because their need isgreatest.“We have some really awe-some animals. These catsneed to be in a home and willmake wonderful pets if some-one would give them achance.”IACC staff can help you infinding your perfect “cat”match.There is a low pet adoptionfee of $60 which includes ahealth evaluation, spay/neu-ter procedure, age-appropri-ate vaccinations (except forthe rabies vaccination),heartworm or feline leuke-mia/FIV screenng, and identi-fication microchip.

Adopt an Adult Cat from IACC

Photo by Ana Radovanovic ©2005 IndyFeral Inc.

The best reason to adopt an adult cat isthat you are literally saving a life. IACC staffcan help you find your perfect “cat” match.

Animal Care & Control2600 South Harding St.Indianapolis, IN 46221

Shelter Hours:Weekdays: 10am - 6pmWed: 10am - 7pmSat: 10am - 4pmClosed: Sun & Holidays

Phone: (317) 327-1397Fax: (317) 327-1390Website: accd@indygov.org

The City of Lawrence votedMarch 6 to allow for Trap-Neu-ter-Return (TNR) in their city.Proposal Number Four (4)passed unanimously allowingfor the registration, caretaking,feeding, vaccination and TNR offree-roaming cats in managedcolonies. IndyFeral will serve asthe city’s official TNR designee.IndyFeral will work directlywith Lawrence Animal Control

City of Lawrence PassesTrap-Neuter-Return Ordinance

officers Pam Dean and SteveHodgen.The net result to the city ofLawrence will be a reductionof free-roaming cat nuisancecalls, cat impounds and eutha-nasia.At the same time, it providesACC a non-lethal tool for thecontrol of the free-roaming catpopulation, which the publicoverwhelming supports.

Calendar

2006

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A r e s o u r c e f o r c a r e t a k e r s a n d f r i e n d so f s t r a y & f e r a l c a t s i n c e n t r a l I n d i a n a

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“It’s All About the Cats!”

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Every Wednesday IFW Spay DaySpay DayBoard MeetingEarth Day Indiana Festival

Every Wednesday IFW Spay DayIF Fundraising, P & J Fuzzy Paws,845-B Massachusetts Ave, 5 - 8 pmPetFest Indiana State FairgroundsVolunteer Orientation, IFWCat Captain MeetingBoard MeetingSpay DayAnnual Yard Sale, Irvington

Every Wednesday IFW Spay Day“Pets in America,” Indiana State Museum

IndyFeral’s Clinic WishList

Canned cat food

Paper Towels

Cat carriers (any size)

Laundry detergent

6-inch paper plates

Copy paper

Clumping cat litter

New & used nebulizers

Ziploc® sandwich-sized bags

KMR (Kitten Milk Replacement)

In an effort to educate thepublic and create awarenessabout TNR, the city beganbroadcasting Trap-Neuter-Re-turn.Trap-Neuter-Return: A Hu-mane Approach to Feral CatControl is a comprehensiveTNR video. It contains valuableguidelines for managing colo-nies.

Indianapolis cable subscribersmay watch broadcasts onWCTY, Ch. 16 and Lawrence ca-ble subscribers may watch onLawrence Government Channel28.The video is available for pur-chase from Alley Cat Allies:www.alleycat.og/videos.html orcan be borrowed from the Indi-anapolis Public Library.

City Broadcasts Trap-Neuter-Return VideoTrap-Neuter-Return: A Humane Approach to Feral Cat Control

If you have items to donate, you may drop them off duringthe month of May at P & J Fuzzy Paws, or please callIndyFeral (317) 596-2300. Thank you for your support!