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The
Problem
Feral cats are abandoned domestic
cats or their offspring, which have reverted to a "wild" state. There are
large colonies of feral cats living in Moscow, Pullman, Palouse, Lewiston,
Clarkston and other nearby areas. Pullman and Moscow in particular have
tremendous populations of feral cats in and around the university campuses.
These cats are living a very harsh existence and often die of disease,
starvation, or predation.
Part of the Solution
Feral Cat Solutions is a non-profit
program based on the principle of trap, spay/neuter, release and maintain.
This program is a full management plan in which feral cats already living
outdoors in cities, towns, and rural areas are humanely trapped, evaluated,
vaccinated, and sterilized by veterinarians. Kittens are adopted into good
homes while healthy adult cats too wild to be adopted are returned to their
familiar habitat under the lifelong care of volunteers. Similar programs
are in existence across the country including statewide programs in
California, Hawaii and Utah as well as single-county and shelter-run
programs.
Rehabilitating and locating homes for
feral cats is not often a viable option, but by eliminating the ability of
these cats to continually breed, we can stabilize the population size and
improve the health of individual cats.
We hold regular spay/neuter clinics
at local veterinary hospitals and shelters. We try to spay or neuter
approximately 40-50 cats in each clinic. In our two years of existence, we
have cared for over 500 feral cats.
Services Provided to
Feral Cats
Cats that test positive for FeLV or
FIV are humanely euthanized to prevent spreading the disease(s) to the
entire feral cat colony and to prevent suffering of the individual animals.
By decreasing the prevalence of FeLV/FIV in the feral cat population, pet
cats will be protected from these deadly transmissible feline diseases.
Benefits of Our Program
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FCS spay/neuter clinics reduce
population size, thus reducing the number of homeless cats in the area.
Sterilization particularly improves the lives of female cats that will no
longer have to support litters of kittens under challenging conditions.
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Over time, limiting the ability of
feral cats to breed reduces the number of cats predating on wildlife.
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Spaying and neutering reduces the
spread of diseases such as Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV), which are spread
through maternal transmission to kittens and through inter-male
aggression.
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Feral cats share space with humans
and their pets. By vaccinating for rabies, a buffer zone is created that
decreases the risk of exposure to companion animals.
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FCS is an educational resource. We
provide information about how to best manage feral cat populations, and we
teach and encourage good care practices for owned cats so that a future
generation of feral cats may be prevented.
How Can You Help?
FCS is entirely run by volunteers and
operated on donated funds. We need dedicated, hardworking volunteers at our
spay/neuter clinics, caretakers for feral cat colonies, volunteers to assist
in trapping, volunteers to tame kittens and provide foster homes, and barn
homes for feral cats that must be relocated. FCS is also in need of cat
food and monetary donations. We also accept doghouse donations as shelters
for feral cats. Checks should be made payable to Feral Cat Solutions, and
donations are tax deductible. Your help can really make a difference;
please call for more information.
Responsible Pet Ownership
Every year in the United States an
estimated 5 to 7 million cats are euthanized in animal shelters. By
becoming responsible pet owners and spaying and neutering our pets we can
help reduce the number of unwanted animals. Local shelters are full of
wonderful, adoptable animals that should become new pet family members
rather than allowing pets to breed and add to the overpopulation problem.
If you are in a situation where you
can no longer keep your animal, be aware that domestic pets (cats, dogs,
ferrets, rabbits, etc.) have lost the instincts that would allow them to
survive without humane assistance. Make sure that your pet either has a new
home or transfer ownership to an accredited shelter. Abandonment is cruel,
illegal and should never be an option! |
Humane
Society of the Palouse