Across the country, 347 organizations have registered with Alley Cat Allies about the special events they are having today to raise awareness and help to humanely reduce feral cat populations across the nation. One group has created the Teal Nail Project, asking people to wear teal-colored nail polish to help raise awareness. I couldn’t resist being a part of that.
Here at Ari’s Garden, we have two soon-to-be-released books that will teach people about, and raise money for, the most successful and humane way of dealing with feral cat populations—trap, neuter, return. The books are a pairing of sudoku puzzles with facts and photos of kittens, cats, and how to help with feral population problems. The book pictured above is for ages 12 and up, while the other book is a Good Fun for Kids! book—aimed at the younger crowd. A minimum of 10% of the books’ profits will be donated to cat rescue organizations. These books will be available through Amazon at full retail price, but will also be made available to cat rescue groups at a discount so that they can be sold to raise money.
Here are just a few of the facts found in these books:
- A single pair of unaltered cats and their kittens can produce 420,000 cats in just 7 years.
- About 3 million cats and kittens enter shelters every year.
- 7 out of every 10 cats that enter a shelter will be euthanized, just because there is no adoptive home for them.
Obviously, the key to this problem is having owners spay and neuter their cats, a point that cannot be stressed enough. As for strays and ferals, those cats without owners, the key is for volunteers and non-profit organizations to trap, neuter, and return ferals to their home territory, and placing for adoption those cats who are socialized but unhomed.
Long-term, comprehensive TNR programs have been shown time and time again to make a huge difference. So don your teal nails, volunteer, donate, or just spread the word. It’s National Feral Cat Day, after all, and it’s a great cause!
