Michael R. Moyer, V.M.D. Rosenthal Director of Shelter Animal Medicine University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine moyermr@vet.upenn.edu 267.981.0628 mobile
Success in sheltering has been elusive for cats, source of cats in shelters, a brief review of free roaming cats, every aspect of cat sheltering is distinct from dogs
Homeless dogs and cats are a social problem, not a veterinary problem, not a biological problem, not a legal problem. Don t look to veterinary medicine, vaccine technology, or laws to solve it quickly.
Cats are habitat flexible ( plastic ), furtive, and fecund; they are an invasive nuisance species with public health risks to some, but they are free-roaming-family to others
Problem: Number of feral/freeroaming cats is unknowable, but estimates suggest that it is equal in number to the approximately 75 million owned cats.
Problem: For estimation purposes, Julie Levy of UF suggests 0.5 free roaming cats per household. Philadelphia is 590,000 households or 245,000 free-roaming cats.
Barn cats Stray cats Neighborhood cats Community cats (new, very good description)
A cat that cannot be handled, is unsocialized (with humans), and not suitable for placement in a home as a pet (Slater) Any unconfined, un-owned cat regardless of its socialization status (Levy and Crawford) The cat in the trap in front of you (Moyer)
Free roaming cats may be a larger problem today due to remarkable success in control of free-roaming dogs. With removal of a significant predator for free-roaming cats, a possible check against their population expansion was removed.
In many shelters, feral cats have a zero chance of live exit.
1. Ignore
Feral Cat Intervention Options 1. Ignore 2. Trap & kill
Feral Cat Intervention Options 1. Ignore 2. Trap & kill 3. Trap/neuter/release
Many large TNR programs do not routinely screen for feline retroviruses
The following illustration is a summary of six large feline spay/castration programs, including 103,643 cats, between 1993 and 2004
Percentage of Pregnant Feral Cats
The Free Kitten Problem: Only 7% of cats (on average) come from a shelter source.
Source of Pets MLK 2010 MLK Cats 124 cats, 93 with source data 0/93 from breeder 41/93 from relative 3/93 from pet store* 17/93 from shelters 29/93 stray 1/93 other MLK Dogs 100 dogs, 75 with source 16/75 from breeder 32/75 from relative 10/75 from pet store 10/93 shelter 7/93 stray
The Free Kitten Problem: Only 7% of cats come from a shelter source MLK data for cat source This means un-spayed, unvaccinated, unbonded to owner (often)
The Free Kitten Problem: Only 7% of cats come from a shelter This means un-spayed, unvaccinated, unbonded to owner (often) Competes with you as the major source of kittens and cats
Cats arrive with latent viruses which break from stress
Cats arrive with latent viruses which break from stress Cats are typically less adaptive to change in housing; higher stress
Cats arrive with latent viruses which break from stress Cats are typically less adaptive to change in housing; higher stress Shelters (and vet facilities) grossly underestimate the amount of floor space cats need
Cats arrive with latent viruses which break from stress Cats are typically less adaptive to change in housing; higher stress Shelters (and vet facilities) grossly underestimate the amount of floor space cats need Cleaning/husbandry differences: Cleaning In Residence programs.
Cats arrive with latent viruses which break from stress Cats are typically less adaptive to change in housing; higher stress Shelters (and vet facilities) grossly underestimate the amount of floor space cats need Cleaning/husbandry differences: Cleaning In Residence programs. Retrovirus screening opinion
How to improve cat live exit rates? Keep them out! pre-release spay/castration subsidized spay/castration TNR
How to improve cat live exit Keep them out! rates? Give them back (owner reclaim); microchipping Give them away (only 7 percent of cats come from a shelter, major source of cats are stray and neighbor); you must increase market share
How to improve cat live exit Keep them out! rates? Give them back (owner reclaim); microchipping Give them away! (only 7 percent of cats come from a shelter, major source of cats are stray and neighbor) you must increase your market share
Barriers to adoption Location barriers How do you work around the fact that you are probably in a crappy location? When was the last time people stopped in just because they happened to be in the neighborhood? Are you taking cats to places where the people are?
Barriers to adoption Location barriers Hours of operation Think 7-11, not olde tyme banker s hours Evenings and weekends, people, or you re shutting out 80% of the market Convenience, not ease of staffing
Barriers to adoption Location barriers Hours of operation Lack of customer service mindset Clients, not criminals! Getting to yes (adoption) rather than shutting them down
Barriers to adoption Location barriers Hours of operation Lack of customer service mindset Illness stress results in URI; hard to sell snot dermatophytosis in kittens; hard to sell rot
Barriers to adoption Location barriers Hours of operation Lack of customer service mindset Illness Visual barriers unhealthy cats on display crowded confused overwhelming displays
Barriers to adoption Location barriers Hours of operation Lack of customer service mindset Visual barriers Policy barriers indoor only no declaw prior vet reference site visit no vet students!
Barriers to adoption, cont. Policy barriers Price barriers Alternative sources are all FREE! Two for one programs Sponsorship programs
Barriers to adoption, cont. Policy barriers Price barriers Alternative sources are all FREE! Two for one programs Sponsorship programs
Barriers to adoption Policy barriers Price barriers Process delays stray holds bite holds Medical holds RESCUE HOLDS (though, sadly, not much for cats )
Questions?