10/16: National Feral Cat Day

National Feral Cat Day, Saturday, Oct. 16; Day to Raise Awareness of Nonlethal Population Control of Feral Cats

10/12/2004 9:32:00 AM

To: National Desk

Contact: Robin Buckley, 703-533-9805, for Alley Cat Allies, or robin [at] buckleykaldenbach.com

WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Activists around the country are busy organizing activities to mark National Feral Cat Day on Saturday, Oct. 16. From spay/neuter clinics, to information tables to fundraising galas, dozens of events nationwide will raise awareness about Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR), the only method scientifically demonstrated to control feral cat overpopulation.

National Feral Cat Day was created in 2001 by Alley Cat Allies, the national clearinghouse of information about stray and feral cats, to educate policymakers, veterinarians, animal control officers, and the general public about TNR.

According to Becky Robinson, national director of Alley Cat Allies, "National Feral Cat Day grows in size and scope each year. It has proven to be an invaluable way to mobilize TNR and animal welfare advocates and spread the word that there is a more humane, cost effective, and scientifically sound method of controlling feline overpopulation than simply euthanizing feral cats."

This year, Alley Cat Allies has created a Feral Cat Spay/Neuter Clinic Information and Resources packet to provide communities with tools to establish permanent feral cat spay/neuter clinics. The packet contains complete information about organizing and operating all sizes and types of spay/neuter clinics and includes examples of successful clinics throughout the country.

National Feral Cat Day also coincides with the publication of Ellen Perry Berkeley's book about the history of TNR titled TNR: Past, Present and Future -- The History of the Trap-Neuter-Return Movement. The book chronicles the history of the TNR movement from its beginnings in the United Kingdom in the 1960s to its acceptance in the 1980s in the United States. Berkeley backs up her support of TNR by citing numerous scientific studies on the effectiveness of TNR in controlling feral cat overpopulation and counters many of the misconceptions about feral cats and TNR.

For more information about NFCD events in your community, visit http://www.nationalferalcatday.org/database.html. For information about TNR: Past, Present and Future -- The History of the Trap-Neuter-Return Movement, visit http://www.alleycat.org

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About Alley Cat Allies

Founded in 1990, Alley Cat Allies is a national nonprofit clearinghouse for information on feral and stray cats. Alley Cat Allies advocates Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) as the most humane and effective method to reduce feral cat populations. In 2002, Cat Fancy magazine selected Alley Cat Allies as the No. 1 organization working to benefit cats. Alley Cat Allies is also part of an international effort working to promote, foster, and develop humane nonlethal control programs for feral and stray cats through sterilization programs that effectively reduce their numbers. For more information about Alley Cat Allies, visit their website at http://www.alleycat.org