We live in a sound bite, technological world where Google and social media is our go-to resource for everything under the sun. We have a tendency to believe what we read or hear and the more outrageous the headline, tweet, or status update, the better. Perfect example – the headline that keeps re-circulating in mainstream media over and over – that cats are responsible for killing billions of birds a year. The problem? The facts are misconstrued and outdated, serving as a dangerous trend between theoretical probability and realistic reporting as to what cats actually are, or are not capable of doing. This continues to make it an uphill battle in our society to educate people about theory versus reality when it comes to the subjects of cat conception, cat overpopulation, and the effectiveness of spay/neuter.  Read more

February is National Spay/Neuter Month and the importance of spay/neuter as a safe and humane means of preventing pregnancy and reducing cat overpopulation is being championed by cat advocates nationwide, and with good reason. According to the ASPCA, there are upward of 70 million homeless cats in the United States and approximately 5 to 7 million cats and dogs that enter shelters every year, with 70% of the cats needlessly euthanized because the number of these cats far exceeds the number of adopters. When you consider that cats can reproduce at an alarming rate – an unspayed/neutered cat pair can lead up to 5,000 cats in 7 years, it is quickly evident that spay/neuter is essential to ensure that these numbers will not continue to escalate. Read more

While I consider Zee & Zoey’s kittens one of the biggest blessings of my life, it is also because of them that I have learned so much about the subject of spay/neuter and become such an advocate to educate people on the importance of the procedure for not only reducing cat over population on the streets and in shelters, but for the overall health and behavioral benefits to your cat. It just so happens that February is National Spay/Neuter month, so I thought what a better time than now to run a month long  series of informative posts on the subject to help promote the cause. Read more

Dear USA Today, Huffington Post, The New York Times, NPR, the Nightly News with Brian Williams and anyone else who has endlessly been reporting on a study released in the journal, Nature Communications, that free roaming and feral cats are responsible for killing up to 3.7 billion birds annually in the continental United States, I want to state, that yes, cats do kill birds. Humans also kill birds. And I’m not speaking just in terms of the effects of mankind – pollution, construction, pest control, toxins, and the “sport” of hunting. I am talking about our everyday life. Read more

Ironically, it was a year ago that I began blogging about feral cats when I became involved in trying to save the small colony of outdoor cats residing on the once pet-friendly Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando. They were part of a very successful and managed Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program for over twelve years, but due to unyielding management mandates, they were eventually trapped and removed from the premises for relocation, despite the massive outpouring of concern from citizens and cat advocacy groups to keep them on the property.

While it may seem like a loss on the surface, in the long run it was a victory for feral cats. The visibility of the story brought the misconceptions of feral cats to a broader audience and it has become much more commonplace to see groups advocating for these animals. One such enterprise is the NYC Feral Cat Initiative of the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals which is holding its Third Annual Architects for Animals Giving Shelter fundraiser and benefit. Read more