Cats and Cat Feeders in Your Community

| May 5, 2013

People who feed community cats have been notorious for their secretive and clandestine ways.  Misunderstood perceptions are sometimes held against them and in some cases, especially with the elderly, it’s led to isolation.  Some of our community elders are alone, with friends far away or long since dead, or abandoned by their families.  To many, the cats are their only connection to the outside world.   As a community, we should embrace our Elders , help them out whether they feed cats or not.  Help them like you’d like to be helped when you’re in their shoes, God forbid.

People who feed cats, no matter their age, are paranoid for good reason.  Old methods of trap and kill or ticket and fine have been common.  Sometimes, especially the elderly and timid have been left to the mercy of unscrupulous Code Enforcement personnel.  And all told it was illegal to feed and care for cats.

Things have changed!!!  People who feed cats can legally come out of the closet! There is help for them and for the community.   As of November 2007, every municipality in Cook County is covered by the CC Ordinance, ‘Management of Feral Cats’.  The Ordinance promotes humane, responsible care and reduction of our community cats through a program that sterilizes, vaccinates and promotes responsible cat care.  Cats are humanely trapped, taken to a vet and after recovery, returned to their home territory.  Feeders and the cats in their care are protected as registered cat caretakers.    They and the community get help.  As a Registered Caretaker, no more fines, threats and trap and kill.  For the caretakers, the cats and the community, no more kittens, fighting, yowling, or ‘spray wars’ marking territories.  Cats are healthy, well cared for and safe in their home territory and the colony stabilizes.  It’s a winning solution.  If you’ve been threatened with a fine or told to stop feeding the cats in your care, call us.  We can help.

In larger colonies (cat families) , cats can really become a nuisance.  Cats multiply rapidly and spread when they’ve outgrown their territory, segmenting into other areas of the community to start their own families.  Whether you feed or there are cats in your community, it’s time to TNR your community cats.

Whether you feed cats or live in a neighborhood with cats and want to be part of  the only effective ,humane, economical way to reduce and care for the cats in your community attend a free TNR Workshop on May 4 (1st Sat every month)at 1pm at the Franklin Park Community Center on 25th & Franklin or on Saturday May 18, (3rd Saturday of every month) Quinn Community Center @ St Eulalia’s Church, 8th & the Eisenhower (door #1).  Learn how you can help yourself, your neighbors and the cats.

And, with or without cats, be mindful of the Elders of the community and sensitive to their ways and needs – they could be you some day.

CatVando NFP Corp is a 501c3 not for profit Comprehensive TNR Group based in Maywood, IL.  For more info or to apply for TNR assistance, to volunteer, to support our work  or sign up for our newsletter, visit www.catvando.org,   ‘Like’ CatVando TNR on fb to learn daily activities and see some of our adoptable cats and kittens or find us on www.petfinder.com for more of our adoptable cats and kittens.  Or, if no access to the internet, call 708 829

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