Community Cats, also known as free roaming or feral cats, live on every street in Arlington. In August of 2013, Arlington City Council approved a resolution that protects these cats as long as they fall under the TNR guideline - neutered, vaccinated (rabies), and ear tipped.
These cats have made our neighborhoods their homes and belong to our community. They are not stray cats, but should actually be considered wildlife such as squirrels or possums. They have as much right to live in their home environments as do any of Arlington's other wildlife. Most have caretakers who love them and feed and care for them daily.
VACUUM EFFECT - a proven fact about Community Cats is that if you remove the cats from the area, more cats will enter and continue to reproduce because there is a food source in the area. When cats are neutered the colony will stabalize and they will not allow new cats to enter and they will not be reproducing. PLUS most of the nuisance behaviors such as fighting, yowling, and mating will stop.
Ear Tip
If you see a cat with an ear tip (see pic on left) then that means he has received the following:
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Spay or Neuter
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Rabies Vaccination
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Medical Exam
DO NOT trap and take this cat to the shelter as it has been TNRed and is allowed.
If you have questions or concerns e-mail us at faastnr@gmail.com
Facts about Community Cats
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Free Roaming cats are as healthy as pet cats. Once entered into a TNR program they receive a rabies vaccination so do not pose a threat to your pets. Plus after being neutered, the fighting and mating cease. Studies have proven that these outdoor cats do not carry any higher level of disease either.
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Free Roaming cats do not suffer living outdoors. This is their natural habitat and they have acclimated and can live happily outdoors.
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Feral cats are not socialized to people therefore they are not adoptable in shelters.
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Community Cats provide free rodent control.
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Feral cats are not a danger to humans. They choose to avoid human contact and there has been no known instance of ferals attacking humans.
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Many of these cats have caretakers who genuinally care for their cats, even from a distance. Contact us if you know of a caretaker who might need help getting their cats neutered and vaccinated.
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Trapping and killing free roaming cats has been an epic failure as it does not control the population and is inhumane. TNR is the future.
DO NOT TAKE FRIENDLY OR EAR TIPPED CATS TO THE SHELTER.
They are either someone's pet or a Community Cat who is protected under the city's resolution and is cared for by a caretaker.
Questions or need help: faastnr@gmail.com
In the news:
ARLINGTON - Euthanization of stray cats on the decline
Fort Worth Star Telegram - February 18, 2014
Friends of Arlington Animal Services members are celebrating a dramatic reduction in the number of stray cats being euthanized since the launch of the city’s trap-neuter-return policy last fall.
Since August, hundreds of outdoor cats in the city have been neutered, vaccinated and ear-tipped before being returned to their neighborhoods, which FAAS co-director Kelli Eaves says is a cost-effective and humane way to control the feral cat population.
“Many people do not understand that every street in the city has outdoor cats. If these cats are neutered and vaccinated for rabies, the colonies will become stable and eventually the numbers start to decline instead of continually multiplying,” Eaves said.
Eaves said January was a record month, with only 24 of the 270 cats brought in the shelter being euthanized. Before the trap-neuter-return policy, less than half of the cats brought to the shelter left alive, live-release statistics show.
Nearly all of the thousands of feral cats that are trapped and brought into the animal shelter were euthanized before the policy. Now the city allows nonprofit animal rescue groups such as FAAS to sterilize and vaccinate trapped feral cats and then release them back into their neighborhoods with the promise of long-term care.
FAAS, a nonprofit group, also expects to be able to neuter 100 feral cats a week at its new Snip and Tip spay and neuter clinic, Eaves said. To learn more, visit the Friends of Arlington Animal Services Facebook page. Arlington residents who need assistance with feral cats in their neighborhood or who would like to volunteer can contact FAAS at faastnr@gmail.com.
— Susan Schrock
Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2014/02/18/5578917/city-by-city-arlington-mansfield.html#storylink=cpy
