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PACIFIC ANIMAL FOUNDATION - NOVEMBER 2012 E-NEWSLETTER |
Hi Everyone:
It has been a while since our last e-newsletter but that's because we're busy helping animals! We want to let you know some of the things that are keeping us occupied and we want to thank you for your wonderful support of PAF.
It's taken far too long for the large traditional animal 'welfare' organizations and municipal governments to acknowledge the plight of feral (wild) cats and the practice of 'Trap/Neuter/Return' that has been enormously successful in various parts of the world.
TNR both humanely reduces the number of feral kitten births and improves the quality of life for the TNR'd adult feral cats who live in every community. Preventing these kitten births has a direct impact on reducing numbers of kittens and trapped feral cats who are turned in to municipal pounds and animal 'shelters' every year by concerned citizens. Small, grassroots TNR rescue groups have been providing the absolute evidence for at least 20 years that TNR works! The groups have shown the leadership in the communities and have provided the necessary information to the general public and municipal officials about feral cats and TNR.
The success of TNR around the world is impossible to ignore and NOW, finally, the large humane organizations and municipal officials are getting the message. If a community wants to lower the numbers of cats and kittens coming into shelters and reduce animal control costs then start an 'official' TNR program. Killing heallthy feral cats for animal control purposes is both unethical and inhumane.
ALL OF YOU who help promote TNR and support feral cats with your volunteer efforts can take a bow. We're moving the agenda along to 'welfare and concern' for ferals and changing outdated attitudes! PAF sent an email to BC Mayors and Councils earlier this year to help educate municipal officials regarding TNR and you can find our email at this link. See Email to BC Municipal Councils – Spring 2012
As well, the Black Cat White Dog Newspaper published our 'Open Letter to BC Mayors and Councils' in its April edition. Click 'Open Letter' to read it.
We want to thank Louise and the BCWD Newspaper for kindly publishing other PAF articles. It's a great informative and entertaining paper and you can find all the past digital editions on their website if you missed an issue. Some of our articles are contained at the following links – please enjoy and pass along!
Finding Pet Friendly Rental Accommodation – Pet Resumés
Planning Ahead – Peace of Mind for Pet Guardians
Helping Ferals Cats Through Winter
Here are some of the stories of our continued work on behalf of animals.
SIENNA:
At the beginning of October we received a call from a North Vancouver resident who noticed a mother cat and kitten in his garage. He couldn't get near the mother so he knew he needed help and found PAF. Back in June we had learned that a female feral cat with kittens was reported within a block of our new call. Concerned residents had caught those June kittens for adoption but the mom was not trapped and disappeared from the area immediately. We now suspected this mom was the same one with a new Oct. litter and we really wanted to catch her to stop this continuous reproduction cycle every 60 days.
We brought over a trap and tied the spring door open so it wouldn't snap shut. We advised the resident to start leaving food in the trap for the mom cat at a regular time every morning so we could get her on a feeding schedule to have a better chance to catch her. We only caught a glimpse of the kitten which dashed out of the garage and we estimated it to be about 7 weeks old. Mom began showing up each morning to eat the food and several mornings later we untied the trap, set it and, on our first attempt, caught both mommy and the kitten in a baby trap set up right next to mom's trap!
Off to the vet clinic for both! We named the male kitten, Tigger, and he immediately went to Taylor, an experienced foster home, where he tamed up within a day or two and began purring, kneading and playing. Feral mom was spayed, vaccinated, tattooed, de-fleaed and de-wormed and 2 days later we released her back in the same yard. She is a brown torti-tabby with a beautiful orange stripe down her back so we gave her a lovely autumn name – Sienna. The compassionate next door neighbours fixed up a little feeding box in their garage and we also placed a cozy shelter box with a warm blanket inside the original garage (with a catnip pouch) so we think Sienna will be well looked after . . . finally!
The vet estimated Sienna to be about 4 years old so likely she has had 2 litters for each of the previous 3 years. If TNR had not happened for her how many MORE kittens would be flooding into that neighbourhood and little Sienna's body would likely have just worn completely out until she died of exhaustion. If authorities are serious about either tackling the feline over population crisis and reducing municipal animal control costs or being humane (or both!) then enacting TNR is the obvious and overdue answer.
Click here for photos: Sienna and kitten
NORTH VANCOUVER FERAL STATION UPDATE:
PAF has a number of feral feeding station and 'sleeping boxes' that we support around the North Shore for TNR'd feral cats but we thought we'd give you an update on one particular station. PAF was initially called to this residential complex in the late summer of 2002 by a concerned resident who had noticed a feral cat with kittens and been calling the various authorities for help. None responded and the resident finally found PAF. There were several stray, tame cats at the complex in various states of health as well as the wily feral mother cat and a litter of 4 kittens. She had been noticed at the complex the previous year but no one did anything.
PAF took the stray, tame cats to the vet to search for ID and spay or neuter if it was required. Eventually all the tame strays got a loving home. We managed to trap the 4 feral kittens and find them homes but mom was very clever, avoided every attempt to trap her and quickly disappeared. The complex is large and next to a green belt so we figured mom was living there and eating rodents. Sure enough, late the next summer she was spotted at the complex again with a litter of 3 older kittens, all black just like her, however, the kittens were quite wild and likely close to 6 months old. With intense work, we were successful and caught everyone (including mom) for TNR.
The residents at the complex had an official meeting and decided they would support and encourage the presence of the feral mom and 3 young cats and look after them. The residents were happy all the ferals were fixed and, because of the green belt and stream nearby, knew the cats would keep the rodents away from their homes. The 'kitty committee' was born and several residents volunteered for specific duties – one is the official daily water bowl caretaker, one is the official food delivery caretaker, one is the official watcher for when the straw in the sleeping box needs changing and one is the official phone representative to let PAF know when they need more cat food and straw bedding.
Last year Taylor's husband, John, replaced our first feral station from 2003 with a brand new station. We estimate mom cat must be about 12 years old now and the 3 offspring of the summer of 2003 litter are 9 years old. They are all seen regularly and look to be in good shape. There is a mistaken common myth that is constantly repeated by even large animal organizations that feral cats all live short, miserable lives BUT . . . the TNR groups know that the evidence and research show that most feral cats CAN live decent, long lives IF they are spayed/neutered, vaccinated and have a regular food source. The game changer is being sterilized. Our longest living PAF feral lived until she was about 17.5 years old and we have many ferals at our stations that are now well over 10 yrs. old and into their 'teen' years.
Click
here for photos:
SNAPPS UPDATE:
Most of you are already aware that, for many years, PAF has responded to animal distress calls from various compassionate Squamish Nation members on the North and West Vancouver reserves. A little more than 2 yrs ago PAF began working regularly with several nation members to address many of the outstanding issues involving owned and unowned animals on the reserve.
PAF was invited to a Squamish Nation Band Council meeting in June 2010 and the various concerns and issues were put forward. Subsequently, over the next year a loosely formed group of nation members spearheaded by Lorrie Cole emerged, and together with PAF, began formulating a plan to incorporate a new Society called 'Squamish Neighbourhood Animal Partnership and Protection Society' (SNAPPS) to be run by Squamish Nation members. The following articles were published this year in the BCWD News and you can read what PAF and SNAPPS have been doing!
From January 1st, 2012 to date, SNAPPS has officially helped 110 animals on the Squamish Reserves by spaying/neutering feral cats, owned animals and/or providing some help with emergency care for some accident or health issue. Education is an important factor in making changes to animal welfare and PAF and SNAPPS take every opportunity when dealing with community members to mentor and assist to push that agenda! We invite you to take a look at the SNAPPS website at www.snappsociety.org
BCWD articles:
Leading the Way - SNAPPS moves forward
Kudos to the Squamish Nation - (p.4 left side)
Thank you to all of you for your strong and on-going support to PAF so that we may continue to help animals. Please talk to your friends, co-workers, relatives, and municipal authorities about TNR and how successful it is. TNR benefits feral cats by improving their quality of life and also benefits the community at large by reducing shelter intake, animal control budgets, and burgeoning feline populations. YOU are a part of the effort to change outdated methods and to demand more humane and ethical care for our animals. Please speak out so together we can continue to make progress.
With warm thanks for your dedication,
Lana Simon, Director
Pacific Animal Foundation