COLUMBUS ANIMAL

CARE & CONTROL

COMMUNITY CAT PROGRAM

HOARDING OF CATS
What happened in Miami, could not happen
here:
State Law Prohibits abandoning of animals
CACC met w/Dept. of Agriculture and went over
our process
Local Ordinance Regulates Community Cat
Program (CCO) or Trap/Neuter/Release (TNR)


HOARDING OF CATS (CONT.)
Hoarding exists in every community.
Hoarding exists here in Columbus, Georgia.
Columbus Animal Care and Control has always
addressed hoarding issues.
Most hoarding cases develop from individual
mental issues.

Columbus Animal Care & Control
Hoarding is not the result of TNR
(Trap/Neuter/Release).

Hoarding will happen whether we have a CCP,
practice TNR or not.

The Miami film showed a shelter dropping
cats off at a residence in an uncontrolled
manner.

CACC Hoarding Investigative Process
The CACC hoarding investigative processes
used to bring forth compliance and resolution
includes working with the following agencies:
APS (Adult Protective Services)
State Inspector/Dept. of Agriculture
Rabies Control Officer
Local Rescues

BACKGROUND
Trap and Kill Method
Discontinued the trap/kill method when we
obtained the Pet Smart Charities Grant.
Prior to being awarded these grants we
impounded on average 3,254 cats and killed on
average 2,286 cats per year. (2010-2013 stats)
Since inception of these grants we have
impounded 3,295 cats and have euthanized 1,055
cats.

TRAP AND KILL METHOD
Ineffective
Fails to curtail population
growth
Costly
Leads to compassion
fatigue:
High employee turnover in
shelters
Taints public image
Publicly unpalatable
Mating Facts
Cats can become sexually active as young as 4
months.
Females will remain in heat or cycle quickly
until they are mated.
Females can give birth to 2-4 litters per year.
Litters average 3-5 kittens
(One female, 4 litters = 20 kittens x 5 females
@ 20 kittens each = 100 kittens per year.)

CACC STATISTICS
2010 3123 303 2816 79.44
2011 3171 591 2567 64.04
2012 3402 1107 2265 52.62
2013 3318 1392 1496 711 38.26
TRAP, NEUTER & RELEASE (TNR)
What is Trap, Neuter & Release?
Trap/Neuter/Release is the non lethal alternative
to the trap-and-kill method of controlling cat
populations.

TRAP, NEUTER & RELEASE (TNR)

PET SMART CHARITIES/FERAL FREEDOM PGM
Pilot Program started in September 2013
Pet Smart Charities Grant for $58, 250
A total of 1,036 Cats went through TNR Program





TRAP, NEUTER & RELEASE (TNR)
BEST FRIENDS ANIMAL SOCIETY/Community Cat PGM
- Launched August 2014
- Grant Award is $600,000.00
- Our goal is to have 2,000 cats go through this
program each year for the next 3 years.
- Any cat deemed unhealthy by a participating
licensed Veterinarian will be euthanized, unless
medically Best Friends will accept those costs.

TNR Benefits
Long term, TNR lowers the numbers of cats in the
community more effectively than trap-and-kill.
Good Samaritans in our neighborhoods provide food,
water and shelter for community cats, and TNR
provides a non-lethal, humane way to effectively
manage these community cat populations.
Our programs will afford friendly cats or young kittens
the opportunity to be placed into forever homes.
Stopping the breeding and removing some cats for
adoption is more effective than the traditional trap-
and-kill method in lowering the numbers of cats in a
community long-term.
TNR Benefits Cont.
TNR reduces shelter admissions and operating costs.
Create a safer community and promote public health
by reducing the number of unvaccinated cats.
TNR improves the lives of free-roaming cats. Males no
longer fight over territory or female cats and female
cats are no longer forced to endure the physical and
mental demands of giving birth and fending for their
young.
Sterilizing community cats reduces or even eliminates
the behaviors that can lead to nuisance complaints.

NUISANCE BEHAVIORS
TNR Controls Nuisance Behavior
Dramatically less noise/no mating or fighting
Dramatically less smell/no spraying from male cats
Less roaming
Controlled breeding
No kittens
Increased mediation/educational opportunities to
resolve neighbor disputes.

Cat Deterrents
Provide non-lethal,
proactive strategies
Deter cats away
from areas where
cats are not wanted
(e.g., backyard,
garden)
Video about cat deterrents:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nnOibg6nYc
Deterrents
ACC/BF has purchased Scarecrows to be
loaned to residents.
Other deterrents:
Cat Scats
Coffee Grounds
Citrus peels
Lattice fencing for flower beds

QUESTIONS?????
Best Friends Animal Society
Community Cat Program
678-689-4323
Animal Care & Control Center
706-225-4512