TNR

Award-Winning Documentary Catnip Nation Now Available on DVD

Feline Lifestyle| 3 Comments

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Guest post by Catnip Nation Director Tina Traster
This post contains affiliate links*

According to Kathleen O’Malley, Director of TNR Education for the New York City Feral Cat Initiative, “there are about as many feral cats in the United States as there are pet cats. So that would put them anywhere from 70 to 90 million.” Catnip Nation, an award-winning 75-minute documentary, addresses the fates of these cats, and the human conflicts that determine those fates. The central conflict is between compassionate people who want to care for the cats by providing food, water, and shelter, and those who want to make these acts of compassion illegal.Continue Reading

The Birchmere Cats: A Model for a Successful Community Cat Program

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The Birchmere is a legendary music venue in Alexandria, VA, just outside the nation’s capital. It first opened in 1966, and has since then launched the careers of such musical luminaries as  Mary Chapin Carpenter, Lyle Lovett, Shawn Colvin, Jerry Jeff Walker, Dave Matthews, Vince Gill, John Prine, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, and k.d. Lang – and these are just a few of the artists counted as good friends of the Birchmere.Continue Reading

Tiffanie McCullough: Passionate About Cats, TNR, Feline Nutrition, and Busting Stereotypes

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I first met Tiffany McCullough at Cat Camp NYC earlier this year, but didn’t have much of a chance to chat with her until we saw each other again at CatCon. We only talked for a few minutes amid the (wonderful) craziness that is CatCon, but I knew right then and there that I had met a kindred spirit, and that I wanted to introduce you to this amazing woman.Continue Reading

Trap King Sterling Davis: Helping Cats, and Busting Stereotypes

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I first met Sterling Davis, the Trap King, at CatCamp NYC in May, and I was impressed with his passion for cats and for creating change in the world. Sterling is one of the most genuine people I’ve ever encountered, and I’m excited to introduce this multifaceted cat rescuer to you today.

Sterling’s mission is to change the stereotypes of not only men in cat rescue, but also bridge the gap in communication between black communities and animal rescue and local shelters.Continue Reading

The Cat Rescuers Documentary: Saving Lives and Raising Awareness About Feral Cats

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This post is sponsored by The Cat Rescuers

When filmmaker Steven Lawrence and his wife Helen moved into a new house in Brooklyn, they were very surprised to learn that a colony of 40 feral cats lived in their backyard. Well-meaning neighbors had been feeding the cats, unknowingly contributing to a population explosion. Steve and Helen couldn’t just turn a blind eye to the situation. After doing some research, they discovered that there is an entire community of cat rescuers in Brooklyn. They also realized that street cats were a city-wide problem.Continue Reading

Operation Catnip Trains Veterinarians to Help Community Cats

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An innovative Florida program that has been spaying, neutering, and vaccinating community cats since 1998 is about to share its successful model with the nation.

Founded by Dr. Julie Levy, director of the Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Program at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, the trap-neuter-return (TNR) program known as Operation Catnip has been running free high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter clinics for community cats in Gainesville for more than 16 years. Since its founding, the organization has cared for more than 45,000 cats. In 2014 alone, they helped 2,693 cats and prevented the births of a projected 6,142 kittens who might have been born to the now-sterilized cats in the first year following surgery.Continue Reading

Loews Hotels in Orlando under fire for inhumane trapping of cats

Feline Lifestyle| 19 Comments

Oreo Loews Hotels feral cat

The Loews Hotel properties in Orlando, located on the grounds of Universal Studios, had a model feral cat colony until this January, when the management of this self-proclaimed “pet friendly” chain decided that the cats needed to be trapped and taken to local shelters because they presented a threat to guests’ well-being. This decision, sure to be a death sentence for the affected cats, unleashed a firestorm of media outrage, and Loews suspended trapping and said the cats could stay.

Unfortunately, Loews has now reversed course again, and has begun trapping cats. In his article Loews Loathes Cats, which was also picked up by the Chicago Tribune, Steve Dale calls the situation inexplicable, adding that “according to an internal memo, if employees at the hotels feed the cats, this is potential cause for dismissal!”Continue Reading

National Feral Cat Day

Feline Lifestyle| 10 Comments

National Feral Cat Day

Today is National Feral Cat Day. This annual event is coordinated by Alley Cat Allies as a way to raise awareness about feral cats, promote Trap-Neuter-Return, and recognize the millions of compassionate Americans who care for them. Each year people in communities across the country hold hundreds of events on National Feral Cat Day to draw attention to the cause and make a difference in the lives of cats. This year there are over 300 events planned in all 50 states.

This year’s motto for National Feral Cat Day is “Compassion for Cats: Coast to Coast.” Continue Reading