Increase in cats to shelters

[pumpster]

Unfortunate considering that they already put away a staggering 90% of stray cats here in NYC shelters.


Droves of cats and kittens are swarming into animal shelters nationwide, and global warming is to blame, according to one pet adoption group


Several shelters operated by a national adoption organization called Pets Across America reported a 30 percent increase in intakes of cats and kittens from 2005 to 2006, and other shelters across the nation have reported similar spikes of stray, owned and feral cats.

The cause of this feline flood is an extended cat breeding season thanks to the world’s warming temperatures according to the group, which is one of the country’s oldest and largest animal welfare organizations.

“Cats are typically warm-weather, spring-time breeders,” said the group’s president, Kathy Warnick. “However, states that typically experience primarily longer and colder winters are now seeing shorter, warmer winters, leading to year-round breeding.”

“Basically, there is no longer a reproduction lull with cat breeding cycles, and unfortunately, it seems more people are bringing boxes of kittens into our agencies during winter now,” she added.

Studies have shown that global warming is altering the breeding seasons of other animals, such as migratory birds and penguins.

One possible solution to stem the tide of cats is to make sure pets are spayed or neutered.

“We have long discussed the benefits of spaying and neutering cats,” said Pets Across America Vice President Bob Rhode. “It is likely that global warming is probably not going to be slowing any time soon, therefore, it benefits everyone when pet owners take action and spay and neuter their pets.”

[~flower~]

See this is where a cat "leash law" would be useful.   They wouldn't be outside breeding, and people would get them altered because the males would be spraying and the females would drive you nuts when in heat. 

[knny187]

Some of you guys might find this intertesting......



Myself & a couple neighbors discovered that a feral cat just had a litter of kittens on the patio of another neighbor.  They are a few weeks old.....still little fuzzy squirts.

Anyways, because we would hate to see them get run over by cars or lets say they make it....reproduce by the hundreds....we called Animal Control to come out & get them.

They said...."we do not pick up feral cats"


So my Neighbor called around & the only person that would take them is the Pound.  Even "Friends of Cats" or whatever they are called wouldn't take them.

My neighbor felt bad, he brought them down, but I told him not to worry because they were very cute & very small....someone will adopt them.

So.....my question is.....what does Animal Control do?

I guess if we threw collars on them, they would have come out & gotten them

We were really baffled by this.  My neighbor was a little ticked off & asked them "What the hell do you guys do?"

He didn't get much of a reply.

 

[~flower~]

That's odd?  At a few weeks old I wouldn't consider them "feral", they would become feral if not taken in though.

  Isn't Animal Control the pound? 

[knny187]

That's odd?  At a few weeks old I wouldn't consider them "feral", they would become feral if not taken in though.

  Isn't Animal Control the pound? 

Well, that was my point.  My neighbor called & said a feral cat had kittens.  They said no...couldn't come & get them.  My neighbor was scared to pick up the kittens because he said they were 'feral'.   

I laughed.  I've been around sooo many cats & kittens to know that at that age...they are normal to be a little skiddish & "hiss" like a tough guy.  But once you pick them up....they are just a little wee thing purring.  It reminded me like in the Movie Shrek.

Yeah, IMO kittens usually don't start becoming really feral until they start provided for themselves 100%.  These kittens were still nursing & didn't know if human contact was good or bad.  They only knew their mother. 

Animal Control = pound ?

I guess so.  They said if he boxed them up & brought them in that it was ok.  But they were not going to come out & get them because they were....quote on quote "free roaming animals".

Like I said....if they had a collar on them or a license tag on them....I guess they would come & get them.

It really seemed odd to me.

[~flower~]

On the Animal Control- Houston show they would of come and picked them up. 

 Pretty much all you can do with a truly feral cat is to catch it, alter it, and release it again and at least it can't breed. 

  Maybe MaxRep will chime in, he is involved with cat rescue.


  It's kind of ironic with the push for AB 1634, yet they had an opportunity to get cats that would contribute to the cat overpopulation and they said no.   


 

[knny187]

I was thinking that I could probably catch the mother cat.

but.....


decided against it. 


I just thought it would be good for the kittens...but I was worried what they would do with her after the kittens were adopted.