VOLUME 3, ISSUE 3

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TNR (Trap/Neuter/Release) because our group just cannot spend the time with each cat caught, domesticate it, and try and get the hundreds of others out there fixed as well.

I have four trapped ferals right now that I have been working with. Two are doing well, one will be released, and one is still being worked with. You just never know how they are going to do. The ones that just cry and back away I really think have a chance, as they are just scared. The more aggressive, biting, and clawing ones take much longer and may not come around for years.

The bottom line is that you do what you can with the resources at hand. The main focus must be to stop the reproduction. I would try and look for a group in your area that is doing similar work and join up with them. Also, before you continue trapping make some rules to follow and keep to them. Then things should go a bit smoother.

Some ideas could include:

• I will TNR all feral cats trapped.
  
• I will TNR only feral cats over X weeks of age. Under X weeks of age, I will spend Y weeks working with them to see if they can be tamed. (1 to 2 weeks should get you an idea.)
  
• I will have sick cats euthanized if they can not be treated and cared for.
  
• I will test for FeLV, FIV, or both for any cat trapped, or only male cats trapped, or only cats that look like they have been in fights, etc.
  

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We've had two pauses in the program since they began, in order to generate more funding. Since then, the City of Citrus Heights, Lynn Willingham's famous Barn & Book Sale, and a couple grants have also contributed towards these programs. To date, we have spent over $18,000 to spay and neuter more than 350 cats and dogs in these communities.

Our hope is that this idea of spaying and neutering in the community catches on and that more and more areas will have this sort of assistance available to them. The more we can come together to solve this population problem, the better off we will all be.

If you would like more information about our spay/neuter programs or would like to make a contribution, please contact us at (916) 484-4099 or info@folsomfelines.org.

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would like to see us do the Chevy's fundraiser or something similar again."

When I asked about her continued participation as a volunteer, she said, "I'm committed to this group because of the quality of people involved.  It is professional.  John and Janet have been smart in growing the group the way they have."

Daphne likes to read in her spare time and she is also an accomplished poet.  Look for her poem entitled "A Cat's Way of Thinking" in another part of this Kitty Scoop.