for/The Love of Cats...
Spay/Neuter Today
The most effective way to show your love for cats is to ensure that every cat you meet is sterilized.  Feline overpopulation continues to be epidemic.  In Washtenaw County alone it translates to over 2,000 cat euthanasias annually, almost 6 each day!  It's sad because it"s a problem with a known solution: Stop the reproduction!

Although shelters and euthanasia provide temporary relief, they do nothing to diminish the numbers -- because the remaining community cats -- largely those living either in limited income homes or unowned out in the wild -- continue reproducing.  It's an annual cycle of replenishing and killing -- as new kittens are born, new groups of cats and kittens go to shelters -- where only 1 in 3 are adopted.  The cycle affects even the most beloved pet cat who stands little or no chance of finding a space in a shelter -- much less a new home -- if for any reason they lose their original home.

The only way to end this cycle is through aggressive cat sterilization -- as other communities nationwide are doing -- with community-wide free or affordable sterilization.  We're trying to help locally through two programs targeting the cats most commonly left unsterilized.  Here's how they work:

Feral Colony Assistance Program. In its 4th year, our TNR (trap-neuter-return) program continues funding the sterilization and vaccination of managed outdoor cats -- those with caregivers providing daily food and water and dry outdoor shelter.  We've sterilized over 2,000 cats -- 660 over the last year -- in over 350 colonies.  And we've recently expanded our area from Washtenaw County (the map rectangle) to greater Washtenaw County (most of the map circle).

Snip-N-Chip Pet Cat Assistance Program. We believe that no cat should go unsterilized simply because their guardian can't afford the surgery.  We've tailored a special program to help limited income guardians with this cost.  It's open to residents of greater Washtenaw County with annual incomes under $40,000.  Details for both programs are on our web site, TLConline.org.

Love Cats?  Volunteer With Us.  At our Lodi township farm we have a cage-free retirement home for a small group of orphaned elderly cats.  Our cat care volunteers provide them with love, attention, food and grooming services 7 days a week.  If you like to visit with cats and talk with others who share your enthusiasm, contact us about our volunteer program.  Our shifts are daily from 9-11 a.m. and 3:30-5 p.m.  We ask for a 2-hour weekly commitment for a minimum of 3 months.  To see the farm, visit our website at TLConline.org.

BJ Seeks Permanent Placement
Meet Blackjack -- a beautiful 12-year old black cat who recently returned from his community "assignment". BJ spent the last four years in our Older Cats for Older People Foster Program. We had selected him to live at Sunrise Assisted Living North Ann Arbor on their 4th floor for the memory-impaired. BJ lightened the load of both the residents and their families who enjoyed his company.

We were asked to take BJ back because some of the staff were concerned about him having more than his share of fur balls. He's now living with our other retirement cats. He's a very sweet fellow who loves human companionship and we think he would benefit from a permanent adoptive home. He's in good health -- we're not seeing the fur ball problem they saw at Sunrise -- so if you're looking for an experienced lap cat -- he may be just the cat for you!

Cat News You Can Use
Cat Colonies: Are They Stable? Although trap-neuter-return (TNR) is growing in popularity, policy makers frequently ask for documentation that TNR is a good investment of community resources. Scientific data has been slow in coming, but there is a growing body of evidence supporting TNR. For example, at Central Florida University after a long history of unpopular and ineffective extermination campaigns of cat colonies on campus, several employees began a quiet program of TNR.

Over 11 years, a total of 155 cats were observed. Kittens and socialized adults were removed and adopted -- unsocialized adults were sterilized and returned to the campus. In 1996, 68 cats resided on site. By 2002 there were 23 cats. Of those, median duration of residence was 6.8 years (range, 1.3 to 11.5 years) and all but one were feral. No kittens were observed on site after 1995 but new stray cats continued to appear. These were neutered or adopted before they could reproduce.

This study demonstrated that a comprehensive long-term program of neutering followed by adoption or return to the resident colony can result in reduction of free-roaming cats. And contrary to common perception, the feral cats survived for many years following sterilization. -- Teresa Dockery, "Paws To Think", The Pet Savers Foundation, Spring 2004