BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The Bowling Green-Warren County Humane Society took on the accountability of managing group cats in 2019 with the creation of the Community Cat Program.
Community cats, typically thought-about feral or stray, although employees want to name them un-owner or semi-owned cats, typically breed uncontrollably and may be detrimental to native songbird populations. They also can participate in varied nuisance behaviors that may be annoying and tough for owners to handle.
The program takes the humane strategy, supervisor Emily Cochran says, by utilizing a entice, neuter/spay, launch methodology.
“The Community Cat program is an effort to meet a need for un-owned or semi-owned cats and the focus is on sterilization so that spay or neuter we want to stop the reproduction of the outdoor cat population and while we have them in our care, they’re also going to receive, you know, basic vaccinations and health care that’s going to extend their life expectancy and their quality of life as well,” Cochran mentioned.
In leaving the cats the place they discovered them after the TNR course of, it permits the cats to stay completely happy, wholesome and reduces nuisance behaviors. It additionally dramatically reduces shelter consumption and the necessity for euthanasia says Cochran.
“When you start a Community Cat program, your euthanasia declines immediately, which we’ve seen a dramatic a 69% reduction in euthanasia among cats, which is wonderful. And then the next thing you want to see is a reduction in intakes of stray intakes. And we’ve seen a 35% reduction in straight intakes, which is great,” Cochran mentioned.
This is tough work that requires an excessive amount of nuance and belief building. After all, these are sometimes wild animals, regardless that they may resemble cute home cats. In actuality, they’re extra akin to a raccoon one would possibly see within the woods and shouldn’t be approached or picked up. That belief building extends to individuals locally, and one of many CCP employees, Margaret Whittington, says that this is without doubt one of the finest elements of her job.
“I’m a crazy cat lady. So yeah, I think I kind of got into it knowing that it would be interpersonal, knowing that we have to work with people to get their trust because like Emily [Cochran] mentioned, people think that we’re just going to take their cats and not ever bring them back. I was like, I don’t I’m not kidnaping your cats. I’m here to help the cats and I want them to live a healthier life,” Whittington mentioned.
At the tip of the day, the work is for the group as a lot as it’s for the cats, and this labor of affection signifies that each are in a position to be higher due to it. The work of three individuals in and round many neighborhoods and much round Warren County makes houses, cats and even the surroundings higher.
“It is really meaningful. It’s because we’re we’re coming from a place of compassion as well. It’s not just, well, there’s too many cats and then something needs to be done about it. It’s we’re reaching out and trying to help the cats lives be healthier and have them like improve their quality of life while also helping people in the community,” Whittington mentioned.
