What TNR can do for YOU!

(and the cats in your life)

Curly, July 2012

This past summer, I came downstairs one morning to find a new cat huddled outside our back door.  His head was two sizes too large for his scrawny frame, and his face bore the scratches so common among young males on the street, trying to eke out their place in the 'hood.  I immediately gave him two things - food, and the next spot on my mental to "do" list.  The first, he gobbled down with great enthusiasm.  The second, he was blissfully unaware of.

Curly, February 2013

Eight months later, Curly is the biggest, handsomest cat on the block, sporting his ear-tip like a proper badge of honor...and is a perfect gentleman to our resident colony "queen" Peaches.  She often lets him eat right beside her at mealtime.  I'd almost forgotten that scared adolescent when I found the photos...and had to share. In this case, a picture really is worth a thousand words. That's a happy cat.

Do you have an amazing "before and after?"  We'd love to hear about it, and see pictures...send to us at tnr@siferal.org, and let us know if we have your permission to share!

February Smittens bring April Kittens

'tis the time of year when a young cat's thoughts turn to...well, you know...


If you suspect that one of the cats in your neighborhood is pregnant and/or just gave birth, you have several options.

Most importantly, kits should not be taken away from their mother until 5 weeks of age at the very least - otherwise they stand very little chance of survival.  Of equal importance is that there is no such thing as a shelter that will pick up kittens...that has little to do with them being overwhelmed, it is unfortunately just reality - the only "shelter" on SI is Animal Care and Control, and they are a city-contracted KILL shelter, so that's not a good option for them anyway - not to mention that if the mother is feral, she would be euthanized at the shelter as un-adoptable.  Visit our Kitten Info page for helpful guides to everything from newborns, to development, to socialization, and our TNR/Rescue Resources page for a link to a pretty extensive list of NYC Rescues that might or might not be able to take the kits once they've been weaned.

TNR and the REAL No-Kill equation

an interview with SIFI's Founder, Elena Bass

~ transcribed and edited by Esther Koslow - published by SRAC (Shelter Reform Action Committee)

Some of our readers may be unfamiliar with the acronym “TNR.”  It refers to a method of controlling the free-roaming cat population in any given area, and stands for “Trap/Neuter/Return.”

Here’s how Neighborhood Cats (New York’s leading feral cat interest group,) and the Staten Island Feral Initiative (a Staten Island-based TNR education and advocacy organization) explain the need for TNR:

The Problem: Too Many Cats Living on the Streets

Tens of thousands of street cats live in the alleyways, backyards, and outdoor spaces of New York City. They are the offspring of lost or abandoned pet cats and, unneutered, they go on to spawn new generations. These cats often group themselves together in packs known as “colonies.” Many of their nuisance behaviors can be attributed to instinctual behaviors that would likely cease if they were sterilized. These behaviors include noise from fighting and mating, the perpetual birthing of kittens, and the smell from the spraying of pheromone-laced urine.

Because the majority of these cats are not socialized to humans, they are not candidates for adoption. The breeding of these street cats not only creates a neighborhood crisis, it also results in more cats and kittens entering the shelters — taking away cage space (for the ferals) and homes (for the friendly cats) that would otherwise go to the cats and kittens already there, awaiting adoption. Most feral cats and kittens taken in at City shelters [run by Animal Care & Control] are killed because they are not adoptable as house pets.

Beside the humane cost of needless killing, the City must shoulder higher costs for municipal animal control.  Throughout NYC, TNR is proving effective in humanely managing feral cat colonies and reducing their numbers over time.”

Elena Bass

We recently interviewed ELENA BASS, Founder and Director of the Staten Island Feral Initiative, or “SIFI,” to learn more about the importance of TNR as part of a comprehensive approach to achieving a No-Kill animal-care system.  

Elena emphasizes that, "You don't need to be a cat-lover to support or to practice TNR.  You simply need to share the goal of fewer cats on our streets."

GET YOUR SHELTERS HERE!!!

(photo c/o D. Lagville)

(no FEMA vouchers needed)

Our amazing volunteers constructed 75 shelters in UNDER TWO HOURS this past Sunday!!!  We would have built more but Lowe's RAN OUT of bins! All these shelters will go to colonies in need whose shelters were destroyed by the hurricane - most of them will be headed to the south shore this week, and some to caretakers in Tottenville.

Stay tuned for updates on our ongoing relief efforts, and see below for tips on how to construct these cozy yet inexpensive dens for your own merry band of felines!

(photo c/o D. Lagville)

And we've already received our first official endorsement from a VERY satisfied customer (we immediately sent him a coupon for 100% off his next shelter purchase)...his written testimonial was rather difficult to decipher, but we're pretty sure that, "prr, prr...mmrrrrowww" means "this shelter ROCKS, people!"  If he had opposable thumbs, we like to think we'd get two way up.

all you need is an 18 gallon bin, with double reflective foil insulation for the lining, and then plenty of straw for nesting...and an awning to keep the weather out - 2 cats fit quite comfortable in one of these, if they are wont to cuddle :)

tips:
- a pinch of  "come hither" catnip in the straw is always a hit

- we use heavy-duty zip ties to secure the "awning" in place (see detail to the right for a better idea of positioning for drilling the holes) - if you insert the ties right, they should lay flat along the top of the awning, NOT stick straight up in the air.  You can always trim them if they stick out too much...and remember the key word is "ZIP"...if you don't hear the "zzzzzip" you've put them in backward.

- if the edges are rough where you've cut the door, you can always soften them with a bit of duct or gorilla tape.

- don't use any more tape then absolutely necessary on the INSIDE (often we don't use any) - it'll make it easier to clean out and re-use the insulation if you don't have to rip it apart.

product links:

bins

reflective insulation:
Lowe's
Home Depot

IN BULK:
http://www.insulation4less.com/
http://www.insulationstop.com/
http://www.ecofoil.com/All-Products/Bubble-Foil-Insulation

Straw - contact us, we have plenty!!!

Fostering a "Sandy cat"

If you are interested in temporarily fostering a cat that has been displaced by Hurricane Sandy until his/her Rescuer or guardian recovers from the storm, please complete our foster application HERE...and THANK YOU for caring!

SIFI launches SoS (Survivors of Sandy) relief efforts on Staten Island

SIFI has launched the SoS (Survivors of Sandy) disaster relief effort to provide resources, supplies, and support to animal guardians on Staten Island.

what we're asking for:

- money...those of you who are familiar with us at all know that 100% of your donation will go directly to the animals

Physical Goods...
- pet food - primarily cat food, both wet and dry, any brand - for those who have no resources left even for themselves much less their animals
- carriers and crates to safely house animals whose guardians don't have homes to go back to
- warm blankets, sheets and towels for cats and dogs inside
- winter shelters for feral colonies across the island to replace those destroyed by the storm
(go to http://www.neighborhoodcats.org/HOW_TO_FERAL_CAT_WINTER_SHELTER for examples)

Hands-on help...
- transportation assistance for Rescuers and Caretakers who can't get to their animals or have no way to get them to temporary foster care
- temporary care for the pets and foster animals of displaced guardians and rescuers - many of our Rescuers are STILL pulling animals from the shelter to prevent them being killed in the aftermath, even as they are struggling to get a foothold themselves
- temporary feeders for colonies whose caretakers cannot make it to them

~ Donate securely through Chip-in. (Please contact us directly if you prefer to send a check)
~ for in-kind donations, drop-off at Pet Food City - 477 North Burgher Avenue Staten Island, NY 10310 (718) 273-2900
PFC WILL GIVE 10% DISCOUNT ON ALL DONATED ITEMS PURCHASED AT THE STORE!!!
~ for hands-on volunteer planning, please contact us at info@siferal.org to make arrangements

ASPCA raises TNR clinic prices

New Yorkers pay to volunteer - did the economy bounce back while i wasn't looking?

(a letter from our founder and director)

hi folks-
so...the good news is that we have been making great use of the new ASPCA MASH clinics on SI (let's hope they continue)

the not so good news is that the ASPCA has announced that they will hike their TNR clinic services prices for 2013 - - - don't worry, surgery/rabies/ear-tip will remain $5.00/cat

Revolution will be raised from $10 to $15 (a 50% cost increase)

FVRCP will be raised from $5 to a whopping $15 (a 200% cost increase!)

what this means is that the cost of surgery/rabies/ear-tip/fvrcp/revo combined will climb from it's current $20 to $35/cat (yes, that's a 75% cost increase, which is truly ludicrous.)