C AT M ANAGEMENT What To Do About Free Roaming Cats On Your Property

This presentation is brought to you by: Cat Management Services, sponsored by The Foundation For Homeless Cats; in partnership with Maricopa County Animal Care and Control.

What is Your Current Cat Management Program?

Cat Management Not just a cat issue A community issue You are not alone Affects every neighborhood in our county

Cat Management What is your cat management protocol? When asked that question the usual answer is... “We Don’t Have One”

Cat Management These are not your neighbor’s cats These cats have been: neglected abused abandoned Many are un-socialize with humans

Removal Programs/Catch & Kill Killing cats creates public relations nightmares Does not control population Ineffective - success is difficult Not long-term Not low cost If it worked, there would be 0 cats

Removal Programs/Catch & Kill Approximately 400 cats per hour for over 20 years at a cost of 2 BILLION per year- 2,000,000,000 to taxpayers in the United States from Municipal shelters

You Can’t Just Call MCACC No local ordinances MCACC can not come and pick up cats unless they have bitten a person Arizona law states cats are free roaming No licensing/leash laws No mandatory spay/neuter laws for cats

Arizona Animal Cruelty Law Arizona Revised Statutes (ARS) § A person commits cruelty to animals if they knowingly and recklessly: subject animal to cruel neglect or abandonment inflict unnecessary physical injury subject animal to cruel mistreatment fail to provide medical attention necessary to prevent protracted suffering kills any animal under the custody or control of another person without either legal privilege or consent of the owner

Relocating Cats Could be deemed abandonment resulting in criminal prosecution Could be a lost pet Pets are property in Arizona therefore relocation could result in civil prosecution Collars, tattoos, microchips and other methods of identification are not always visible

You Can’t Just Call MCACC Free euthanasia service no longer available $96 per cat fee for euthanasia costs The cost to sterilize a cat is as little as $20 each

Arizona Humane Society $20 for the first cat you bring to them $75 for each additional cat Non-profit organization Depend on donor funding Donors give to shelters to save animals, not kill them

Cat Management Do you agree: The issue should be addressed? The solution should be effective? The solution should be long term? The solution should be low cost? The solution should be legal and humane?

Why is an effective cat management plan a necessary part of property management? Cats simply reproduce too quickly

Population Reduction Plan Population reduction through sterilization Stabilizes cat population Reduces birth rate No new kittens born Nuisance issues associated with mating behavior are practically eliminated

Endorsed by: September Maricopa County Board of Supervisors issued resolution to make Trap, Neuter and Return the official means to solve the free roaming cat issue in the county Mesa, Chandler, Glendale, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, Gilbert NYC, Detroit, Houston, Miami, Palm Beach County FL,Jacksonville, San Francisco, Austin, New Orleans, Utah,

Local Cat Shelters Will local shelters take the cats? Don’t they care? Isn’t that their job?

Cat Management Services Why we offer only a non-lethal approach Effective Long-term Legal Humane Low cost

Relocating Cats Fails when all cats are not removed Makes the issue someone else’s problem Someone may “relocate” cats to your area Can create the “endless treadmill”

Vacuum Effect Other cats simply move in Twenty years of documented proof that removal DOES NOT work Removing cats has not reduced the number of free-roaming cats Cats may be gone, but now there is room for others cat to move in

Vacuum Effect Encourages fighting, spraying and breeding Female cats produce more offspring than in stable colonies “Catch and kill” actually makes problem worse Endless treadmill that allows cats to breed, resulting in complaints resuming

Feeding Bans Archaic idea Congregation in certain habitats results not only from food availability: Water, shelter and companionship are additional reasons

Feeding Bans Does not result in cats simply moving out to look for other food sources if there are other reasons for staying Dry shelter Male cat drawn to females in heat Lame/injured cat comforted by human presence Unenforceable

Feeding Station Cat management plan includes set-up and maintenance of feeding station Why? Cats no longer roam looking for food Cats no longer roam looking for mates Cats only roam 300 feet from their food source

Feeding Station Why? Keeps cats confined to isolated area If cats’ needs are met they stay in the area Businesses/landowners report that cats we work with are rarely seen

Does Sterilization Work? Population stabilizes and reduces due to attrition Nuisance behaviors are largely eliminated No more kittens are born Healthy colonies Saying “the cats shouldn’t be here” with NO affirmative action is DOING NOTHING

Fantasy Solutions Socialize Shelters Adoptions Sanctuaries

How to Implement a Cat Management Plan A community solution Do it NOW Designate a manager and monitors Call for help, instruction and assistance

Spay/Neuter Hotline TNR Program SPAY(7729) A program of the Animal Defense League of Arizona