Friday, June 4, 2010
Raffle on June 30!
Bring a gently used towel, pet food or a pet food dish to our meeting on June 30 and you'll be entered to win in our raffle - great prizes...watch here for more information!
Do you have an outdoor cat?
The Cook County Ordinance regarding the care of Feral Cat Colonies also discusses the responsibilities of pet owners. This is important because cats that are not properly supervised by their owners can become strays and join a feral cat colony.
A stray cat, according to the ordinance, is a cat that is regularly off the property of the owner, is not under the physical control or restraint of the owner, and is not regularly provided with food by its owner.
The ordinance states that owners of "domesticated cats" (pets) shall provide adequate food, water and shelter for their cats, exercise reasonable care that their cat does not create a nuisance, shall not permit their cats to roam unsupervised off their property and shall not abandon a cat.
Our volunteers take great care to assess cat behavior and can tell if a cat appears to be a pet, versus a stray or a feral cat. However, there is always a possibility that we could trap a cat that is an outdoor pet. If your cat is not wearing proper identification (as required) and is regularly roaming off of your property and we don't know its owner, we could reasonably determine that it needs to be assessed at the Animal Care League. If we accidentally trap a pet with identification, we will release it on the spot.
Please ensure that your outdoor cat can be identified as your pet, and keep a close watch on Fluffy when he goes outdoors. We'll watch out for him too.
A stray cat, according to the ordinance, is a cat that is regularly off the property of the owner, is not under the physical control or restraint of the owner, and is not regularly provided with food by its owner.
The ordinance states that owners of "domesticated cats" (pets) shall provide adequate food, water and shelter for their cats, exercise reasonable care that their cat does not create a nuisance, shall not permit their cats to roam unsupervised off their property and shall not abandon a cat.
Our volunteers take great care to assess cat behavior and can tell if a cat appears to be a pet, versus a stray or a feral cat. However, there is always a possibility that we could trap a cat that is an outdoor pet. If your cat is not wearing proper identification (as required) and is regularly roaming off of your property and we don't know its owner, we could reasonably determine that it needs to be assessed at the Animal Care League. If we accidentally trap a pet with identification, we will release it on the spot.
Please ensure that your outdoor cat can be identified as your pet, and keep a close watch on Fluffy when he goes outdoors. We'll watch out for him too.
Cook County Ordinance Regarding Managed Care of Feral Cats
Our friends at the Tree House Humane Society in Chicago have created a web resource to help communities create TNR programs, which is a great resource. One of the items on it is the Cook County Ordinance relating to the management of feral cat colonies.
We operate under this ordinance, and we'll be highlighting some of the ways that this ordinance impacts the work we do, and our work with animals in the community.
First, here are the items in the ordinance that we are responsible for implementing when we care for a colony of cats:
1. Registering the colony with the Sponsor. (In our case, the Animal Care League.)
2. Taking all appropriate and available steps to vaccinate the colony population for rabies, preferably with a three-year vaccine and to update the vaccinations as warranted and mandated by law.
3. Taking all appropriate and available steps to have the colony population spayed or neutered by a licensed veterinarian.
4. Eartipping the left ear of a colony cat that has been vaccinated and spayed or neutered so that colony cats can be readily identified.
5. Having an microchip inserted into each colony cat by a veterinarian in accordance with professional medical standards. The Sponsor and the Feral Cat Colony Caretaker shall be the named contacts for purposes of the microchip.
6. Providing the Sponsor with descriptions of each cat in the colony and copies of documents demonstrating that the cats have been vaccinated, micro-chipped, and spayed or neutered.
7. Providing food, water and, if feasible, shelter for colony cats.
8. Obtaining proper medical attention for any colony cat that appears to require it.
9. Observing the colony cats at least twice per week and keeping a record of any illness or unusual behavior noticed in any colony cat.
10. Obtaining the written approval of the owner of any property, or any authorized representative of the owner, to which the Caretaker requires access to provide colony care.
11. Taking all reasonable steps to (1) remove kittens from the colony after they have been weaned, (2) place the kittens in homes or foster homes for the purpose of subsequent permanent placement, and (3) capture and spay the mother cat.
12. Reporting semi-annually in writing to the Sponsor on (1) the location of the colony, (2) the number and gender of all cats in the colony, (3) the number of cats that died or otherwise ceased being a part of the colony; (4) the number of kittens born to colony cats and their disposition, (5) the number of cats placed in animal shelters or in permanent homes as companion cats, (6) the number of cats vaccinated, (7) the number of cats micro-chipped, and (8) the number of cats spayed or neutered.
In our case, we have elected to have cats tested for FeLV (feline leukemia) and FIV as well, which is not mandated by the ordinance but is beneficial for the strays and household pets who are outside. We have assigned monitor positions for each colony but our feeders and trappers also monitor each colony as well.
We operate under this ordinance, and we'll be highlighting some of the ways that this ordinance impacts the work we do, and our work with animals in the community.
First, here are the items in the ordinance that we are responsible for implementing when we care for a colony of cats:
1. Registering the colony with the Sponsor. (In our case, the Animal Care League.)
2. Taking all appropriate and available steps to vaccinate the colony population for rabies, preferably with a three-year vaccine and to update the vaccinations as warranted and mandated by law.
3. Taking all appropriate and available steps to have the colony population spayed or neutered by a licensed veterinarian.
4. Eartipping the left ear of a colony cat that has been vaccinated and spayed or neutered so that colony cats can be readily identified.
5. Having an microchip inserted into each colony cat by a veterinarian in accordance with professional medical standards. The Sponsor and the Feral Cat Colony Caretaker shall be the named contacts for purposes of the microchip.
6. Providing the Sponsor with descriptions of each cat in the colony and copies of documents demonstrating that the cats have been vaccinated, micro-chipped, and spayed or neutered.
7. Providing food, water and, if feasible, shelter for colony cats.
8. Obtaining proper medical attention for any colony cat that appears to require it.
9. Observing the colony cats at least twice per week and keeping a record of any illness or unusual behavior noticed in any colony cat.
10. Obtaining the written approval of the owner of any property, or any authorized representative of the owner, to which the Caretaker requires access to provide colony care.
11. Taking all reasonable steps to (1) remove kittens from the colony after they have been weaned, (2) place the kittens in homes or foster homes for the purpose of subsequent permanent placement, and (3) capture and spay the mother cat.
12. Reporting semi-annually in writing to the Sponsor on (1) the location of the colony, (2) the number and gender of all cats in the colony, (3) the number of cats that died or otherwise ceased being a part of the colony; (4) the number of kittens born to colony cats and their disposition, (5) the number of cats placed in animal shelters or in permanent homes as companion cats, (6) the number of cats vaccinated, (7) the number of cats micro-chipped, and (8) the number of cats spayed or neutered.
In our case, we have elected to have cats tested for FeLV (feline leukemia) and FIV as well, which is not mandated by the ordinance but is beneficial for the strays and household pets who are outside. We have assigned monitor positions for each colony but our feeders and trappers also monitor each colony as well.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Update on our newest cats! There's not three, there's EIGHT!
Our latest foray by TEAM WHISKERS brought eight felines to the Animal Care League on Tuesday June 1! Three adult male cats, and five kittens!
First, an update on our male cats, Rusty, Midnight and Scruffy:
Rusty is an orange tabby who is 1-2 years old, and was neutered, tested and vaccinated by the ACL. He has been returned to the colony.
Midnight is also 1-2 years old and is pure black. He was neutered, tested and vaccinated by the ACL. He has been returned to the colony.
Scruffy was another story - a 4-5 year old black and white male cat, he was very injured and ill when we brought him into the Animal Care League. The veterinarian assessed his injuries and the state of his health and determined that he was FIV+, which means Scruffy had feline immunodeficiency virus. FIV is communicated to other animals most often by biting, and is very infectious. Cats with FIV that become sick with other infections can make other cats and household pets very sick.
What does FIV do to a cat?
Infected cats may appear normal for years. However, infection eventually leads to a state of immune deficiency that hinders the cat's ability to protect itself against other infections. The same bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and fungi that may be found in the everyday environment--where they usually do not affect healthy animals--can cause severe illness in those with weakened immune systems. These secondary infections are responsible for many of the diseases associated with FIV. Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine
House cats with FIV can be isolated and treated, but strays that cannot be brought indoors to be treated will suffer with FIV and the infections that it brings, so Scruffy was euthanized. So sad to make this decision, but we did not want Scruffy to suffer or affect other healthy cats.
Our five black and white tuxedo kittens were found at 1 month old - their eyes were open, but their ears were barely unfolded! There were four males and one female, CUTE as a button all of them, now we have to bring in momma too! Our friends at the Animal Care League have checked them out and they are healthy and doing fine. They are being fostered at ACL because the colony caretaker ordinance of Cook County does not allow us (nor would we want to) release kittens back outside. They are able to be socialized and welcomed into good homes! ACL volunteers have named them after the Chicago Blackhawks, and we're sure that the Blackhawks will win the Stanley Cup now, paws down!
First, an update on our male cats, Rusty, Midnight and Scruffy:
Rusty is an orange tabby who is 1-2 years old, and was neutered, tested and vaccinated by the ACL. He has been returned to the colony.
Midnight is also 1-2 years old and is pure black. He was neutered, tested and vaccinated by the ACL. He has been returned to the colony.
Scruffy was another story - a 4-5 year old black and white male cat, he was very injured and ill when we brought him into the Animal Care League. The veterinarian assessed his injuries and the state of his health and determined that he was FIV+, which means Scruffy had feline immunodeficiency virus. FIV is communicated to other animals most often by biting, and is very infectious. Cats with FIV that become sick with other infections can make other cats and household pets very sick.
What does FIV do to a cat?
Infected cats may appear normal for years. However, infection eventually leads to a state of immune deficiency that hinders the cat's ability to protect itself against other infections. The same bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and fungi that may be found in the everyday environment--where they usually do not affect healthy animals--can cause severe illness in those with weakened immune systems. These secondary infections are responsible for many of the diseases associated with FIV. Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine
House cats with FIV can be isolated and treated, but strays that cannot be brought indoors to be treated will suffer with FIV and the infections that it brings, so Scruffy was euthanized. So sad to make this decision, but we did not want Scruffy to suffer or affect other healthy cats.
Our five black and white tuxedo kittens were found at 1 month old - their eyes were open, but their ears were barely unfolded! There were four males and one female, CUTE as a button all of them, now we have to bring in momma too! Our friends at the Animal Care League have checked them out and they are healthy and doing fine. They are being fostered at ACL because the colony caretaker ordinance of Cook County does not allow us (nor would we want to) release kittens back outside. They are able to be socialized and welcomed into good homes! ACL volunteers have named them after the Chicago Blackhawks, and we're sure that the Blackhawks will win the Stanley Cup now, paws down!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Watch the Forest Park Review on Wednesday!
Guess what? We're going to be featured in an article in the Forest Park Review on Wednesday June 2nd! Forest Park Review columnist John Rice will highlight our new C.A.T.S. for Forest Park organization, our activities, and our upcoming meeting on June 30.
The article will feature photos of cats we have successfully served, highlight our sponsorship relationship with the Animal Care League and call for volunteers and village residents to attend our next meeting.
We're appreciative of John's help in getting the word out - please pick up a copy and read the article!
The article will feature photos of cats we have successfully served, highlight our sponsorship relationship with the Animal Care League and call for volunteers and village residents to attend our next meeting.
We're appreciative of John's help in getting the word out - please pick up a copy and read the article!
Three More Cats Trapped Today!
TEAM WHISKERS is at it again! Three more cats have been trapped today and brought to the Animal Care League for TNR assessment. We'll have an update on their names and their status soon. TEAM WHISKERS has now trapped 8 cats in their colony, since May 25!
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