World Spay Day Rocked...Thanks to You!
Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Dear Friends,

All of us here at Prevent A Litter are so grateful for your contribution of $ towards our World Spay Day event. The grand total raised was $4,550.00! So, while World Spay Day has come and gone, the impact of your gift will last for quite some time through our Coins for Critters Fund! We already have about ten more furry kids lined up for free spays and neuters!

In total, we had 6 canine and 22 feline kids in attendance for our World Spay Day event. Meet two of our participants, Trixie & Toby:

Trixie and her mom live within the city of Richmond but did not know about the city spay & neuter ordinance. Richmond Animal Care & Control officers cited Trixie’s mom for the violation and gave her a period of 30 days to correct the problem. Trixie’s mom pleaded saying it would take at least three months to save up the money to have Trixie spayed. The officers suggested she call P.A.L. to see if we could help. It was kismet! Miss Trixie came to the event, was spayed and vaccinated for rabies, and walked out of the P.A.L.’s clinic leaving all of her legal woes behind her. Through her tears, Trixie’s mom offered thanks to all of those that made this possible!

Underneath Toby’s scars and scabs lies a beautifully sweet purr box. Toby and his two female offspring were brought in by a long time P.A.L. client who works as a mailman. Along his route he finds all kinds of animal “situations” that could use intervention. Our client had been trying for a year to convince Toby’s guardians to get these kitties spayed and neutered. Finally, with an offer of free services, the caretakers consented. Here’s hoping Toby’s fighting days are over and no more kitties are born into his rough and tumble lifestyle!

Thank you for making these stories possible and many others!

Sincerely,

Victoria Fenwick
Prevent A Litter
 

National Feral Cat Day - October 16, 2012
Discover the truth about feral cats.

- A stray cat is not a feral cat.
- A stray is a cat who has been abandoned or who has strayed from home and become lost. Stray cats can usually be re-socialized and adopted.
- A feral cat is an unsocialized cat.
- Either he was born outside and never lived with humans, or he is a house cat who has strayed from home and over time has become unsocialized to humans.
- Feral cats should not be taken to local shelters to be adopted.
- Feral cats are not pet cats, and they will be killed at most shelters. Because they’re unadoptable, they sometimes don’t even make it to the shelter, but are killed in the animal control truck. Even no-kill shelters are not able to place feral cats in homes.
- Feral cats can have about the same lifespan as pet cats.
- They contract diseases at about the same low rate. The incidence of disease in feral cat colonies is no higher than among owned cats.
- Feral cats are not the cause of wildlife depletion.  Studies show that the overwhelming cause of wildlife depletion is destruction of natural habitat due to man-made structures, chemical pollution, pesticides, and drought - not feral cats.
- Trap and remove doesn’t work. Not only would you have to continue to remove cats, this process is extremely costly. Other cats simply move in to take advantage of the available resources and they breed prolifically, quickly forming a new colony. This “vacuum effect” is well documented.
- Trap, neuter, and return does work.  No more kittens. Their numbers gradually go down. The annoying behaviors of mating cats, such as yowling or fighting, stop. The cats are vaccinated and they are fed on a regular schedule. This ongoing care creates a safety net for both the cats and the community.

Information from Alley Cat Allies

Please check back for upcoming events.