Project CatSnip
PROJECT CATSNIP IN PALM BEACH COUNTY today there is a severe feral cat overpopulation crisis. Estimates on the number of the cats run into the thousands and they can be found in virtually every community, whether it s rural, suburban or urban. These cats are too wild to be handled or easily adopted. They range from lost or abandoned cats who s former owners did not get them spayed/neutered to pet cats that were unsterilized and allowed to roam. COUNTDOWN TO ZERO is a collaboration between governmental agencies, private organizations, businesses, volunteers and residents working together to end euthanasia of adoptable cats in Palm Beach County by responsibly spaying and neutering feral and stray cats. Project Catsnip is key to accomplishing the Countdown to Zero (C2Z) initiative. OUR BELIEF: Our community has the expertise, the means and thus the obligation to aggressively implement strategies that will reduce the number of animals needing temporary shelter and end the euthanasia of adoptable animals in Palm Beach County. OUR MISSION: At all times and in every way, we are advocates for animals. We ensure their safety and comfort, strive to alleviate their suffering and work to place and keep them in homes that provide a responsible lifetime commitment to them. We speak out publicly to promote and defend their interests. We oppose all forms of animal cruelty. We promote spay/neuter and other critical programs focused on our goal of preventing the euthanasia of adoptable animals in Palm Beach County by 2024. We oppose taking the lives of healthy or treatable animals. We provide services that promote responsible pet ownership and humane attitudes toward all life because we understand the critical role people play in improving the welfare of animals in our community.
COMMUNITY CATS DID YOU KNOW that one female cat can start reproducing as early as six months old and will have up to three litters a year. Just one female cat can have as many as 120 kittens in her lifetime. Multiply that by a colony of 10 female and 10 male cats and the overpopulation rate is out of control in a short period of time. Imagine 1,200 cats behind your place of business, grocery store, hair salon, gym... the number of unwanted cats and kittens grow with each female that is not sterilized. High sterilization rates in targeted colonies will drastically reduce the colony on tax payers in Palm Beach County. PREGNANCY CYCLES The time between late spring and early autumn is known as kitten season. During this time of year, unaltered cats reproduce very fast. During Kitten Season, a female cat will come back into heat every 14-21 days until she is bred. It s not unusual to discover unattended kittens seemingly abandoned by the mother. During kitten season, as many as 50 tiny kittens might be brought to Peggy Adams in a single week. COMMUNITY CATS live a dim existence with the constant threat of outside elements (weather, vehicles, wildlife predation). In addition, these cats exhibit nuisance behaviors--frequent loud noises that unneutered/unspayed cats, foul odors left by unneutered male cats marking their territory and urinating/defecating in yards. Nationally, an estimated 6-8 million animals entered shelters across the country. Only 30% of dogs and 2-5% of cats were returned to their original owners. Half of those animals left were adopted into new homes. The remaining 3-4 millions pets were euthanized.
COLONY LEVEL TARGETING TRAP, NEUTER, VACCINATE AND RETURN is a program for community cats - free-roaming feral, stray and lost cats who live outside and do not belong to anybody. These cats are captured in humane Traps, brought to Peggy Adams Human Society to be N eutered and Vaccinated and then Returned to their colony. Once returned the cat population is halted and the colony will diminish through attrition. TNVR involves trapping all the cats who live in a colony, getting them spayed and neutered and vaccinated for rabies and left ear. Cats that are too wild to be adopted will be returned to the original territory where a caretaker provides food and shelter over the long term and also monitors the colony for any newcomers and any problems that might develop. VACUUM EFFECT is a term to describe when feral cats live in groups called colonies and have strong social bonds with their colony members. They will only gather, live and remain in an area as long as the colony is close to a food source. Reproduction occurs rapidly within the colony. Traditional animal control efforts remove and euthanize colonies. But since the food source remains, a new colony of unsterilized cats will form at the food source and the cycle continues. This is known as the Vacuum Effect. If you trap, neuter, vaccinate and return the entire colony, there is only enough food supply for them but now they are not reproducing. The cats will live and die by natural attrition. This attrition will eventually free up space for other colonies to vacuum to the sterilized colony. For this reason, surrounding colonies must also be targeted for TNVR.
NEED HELP TRAPPING A CAT? Need help trapping community cats for TNVR? Call one of our TNVR partners. There are many community cat organizations that provide assistance with TNVR trapping. Some are 501c3 organizations who use volunteers. Some operate through your generous donations while others charge a fee per cat. Contact them NAME PHONE EMAIL Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League (561) 686-3663 peggyadams.org Palm Beach County Cat Coalition (561) 267-8879 esg5962@aol.com The Darbster Foundation (561) 704-8405 Tami Schreuers (561) 876-7203 Save a Pet Inc. (561) 835-9525 Rjaye49@comcast.net Palm Beach Island Cats (561) 512-4884 Carol Fuller (561) 707-7539 Palm Beach Cats Rescue & Humane Society Inc. Community Cats of Lake Worth Purrzilla Cat Trapping (954) 857-3801 Michele Owens (561) 601-2953 FERAL VS. STRAY Feral, stray, and pet cats are all members of the same species; they are all domestic cats. But stray cats and feral cats are also different from each other in a very important way in their relationship to and interactions with people. Feral cats are the "wild" offspring of once domesticated cats. Feral cats do not trust humans and can not be handled. A "stray" cat is a lost pet that is friendly and can be handled. It is unfortunate that these cats have been left to fend for themselves. Our goal is to work with caretakers in our community to sterilize the cats and to eventually reduce the number of feral cats through attrition. pbcatreasure@gmail.com
COUNTDOWN TO ZERO PROGRESS IS BEING MADE! Reducing the free-roaming cat populating using spay/neuter and lowering euthanasia rates at shelters to support the C2Z program in Palm Beach County. Did you know we euthanize 7,500 cats a year in Palm Beach County? Did you know that it costs taxpayers $400 per cat whether the cat is maintained in a shelter or euthanized? Facts: 1) There are over 200,000 community cats living in Palm Beach County 2) It would cost the county $88M to shelter all the community cats 3) 14,000 cats enter the PBC Shelter System annually 4) 80% of those cats are euthanized 5) Only 1% of cats are ever claimed by an owner 6) 19% of cats entering the shelter are adopted 7) Cat intake in Palm Beach County from 2007 to 2013 has reduced 43% with euthanasia rates decreasing 53% over the 6 year period. While great progress has been made, we are far away from our goal of zero euthanasia cases by 2024. 2007 2013 % change+/- Adoptions 4,379 3,746-15% Euthanasia 13,269 6,246-53% Intake 18,404 10,579-43%
USEFUL INFORMATION PEGGY ADAMS ANIMAL RESCUE LEAGUE www.peggyadams.org/ feral-cat-trapping-request-form
ANIMAL RESCUES AND SHELTERS WEST PALM BEACH Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League 3100/3200 N. Military Trail West Palm Beach, FL 33409 (561) 686-3663 peggyadams.org Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control 7100 Belvedere Road West Palm Beach, FL 33411 (561) 233-1200 pbcgov.com/publicsafety/animalcare Paws 2 Help 2061 Indian Road West Palm Beach, FL 33409 (561) 712-1911 paws2help.com PALM BEACH Passion for Paws Inc. PO Box 373 Palm Beach, FL 33480 (561) 420-0553 passionforpaws.info LAKE PARK Adopt a Cat Foundation 1125 Old Dixie Highway Lake Park, FL 33403 (561) 848-4911 adoptacatfoundation.org BOYNTON BEACH Warm Hearts Pet Rescue 550 Industrial Way Boynton Beach, FL 33426 (561) 588-0083 facebook DELRAY BEACH Dezzy's Second Chance Bauhinia Road Delray Beach, FL 33483 (954) 588-7045 dezzyssecondchance.com BOCA RATON Tri-County Animal Rescue 21287 Boca Rio Road Boca Raton, FL 33433 (561) 482-8110 tricountyanimalrescue.com Animal Rescue Force of South Florida 5115 South Dixie Highway West Palm Beach, FL 33405 (561) 586-2126 animalrescueforce.org Save A Pet West Palm Beach, FL 33401 (561) 835-9525 saveapet.com ROYAL PALM BEACH A Second Chance Pupppies & Kitten Rescue P.O. Box 211924 Royal Palm Beach, FL 33421 (561) 333-1100 asecondchancerescue.org Justin Bartlett Animal Rescue P.O. Box 210572 Royal Palm Beach, FL 33421 (561) 684-1010 justinbartlettanimalrescue.org All for One Pet Rescue P.O. Box 213325 Royal Palm Beach, FL 33421 (561) 228-4550 allforonepetrescue.org LAKE WORTH Stray No More P.O. Box 6106 Lake Worth, FL 33466 (561) 683-4537 straynomore.org R U 4 Me Pet Rescue PO Box 6221 Lake Worth, FL 33466 (561) 736-1313 ru4mepetrescue.rescuegroups.org JUPITER Furry Friends Adoption & Clinic 401 Maplewood Drive Suite 10, Jupiter, FL 33458 (561) 747-5311 furryfriendsadoption.org LOXAHATCHEE Pet Haven 14607 87th St North Loxahatchee, FL 33470 (561) 351-2315 pethavenrescue.org NATIONAL CHAIN STORES OFFERING ADOPTION Pet SuperMarket petsupermarket.com Pet Supplies Plus petsuppliesplus.com Petco Petco.com PetSmart Petsmart.com