Comments on: No-kill conference 2009: keeping pets in homes and increasing pet adoptions http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/05/02/no-kill-conference-2009-keeping-pets-in-homes-and-increasing-pet-adoptions/ Blogging by a team of pet-care experts led by Dr. Marty Becker. Sat, 20 Mar 2010 01:58:45 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Kelley http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/05/02/no-kill-conference-2009-keeping-pets-in-homes-and-increasing-pet-adoptions/comment-page-1/#comment-440308 Kelley Tue, 05 May 2009 08:18:08 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=6836#comment-440308 Sorry, that should have been "neuter" them, not "TNR" them, since they've already been trapped. Sorry, that should have been “neuter” them, not “TNR” them, since they’ve already been trapped.

]]> By: Kelley http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/05/02/no-kill-conference-2009-keeping-pets-in-homes-and-increasing-pet-adoptions/comment-page-1/#comment-440260 Kelley Tue, 05 May 2009 05:58:06 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=6836#comment-440260 I have no idea what percentage of cats coming into the Austin, TX pound are feral, since they don't classify them as feral/non-feral. However, there are plenty of cats dropped off there in traps, which would lead one to believe there is a decent chance they are feral. They are held for 3 days "stray wait" time (exceptionally cruel for a feral cat, I think), then killed. San Antonio, Texas, and Erie County, NY are just two places I know of who do not accept cats in traps. Even better would be to accept them, TNR them, and return them to the citizen. I have no idea what percentage of cats coming into the Austin, TX pound are feral, since they don’t classify them as feral/non-feral. However, there are plenty of cats dropped off there in traps, which would lead one to believe there is a decent chance they are feral. They are held for 3 days “stray wait” time (exceptionally cruel for a feral cat, I think), then killed.

San Antonio, Texas, and Erie County, NY are just two places I know of who do not accept cats in traps. Even better would be to accept them, TNR them, and return them to the citizen.

]]> By: Kim Thornton http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/05/02/no-kill-conference-2009-keeping-pets-in-homes-and-increasing-pet-adoptions/comment-page-1/#comment-439743 Kim Thornton Mon, 04 May 2009 03:03:37 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=6836#comment-439743 My bad. I looked up my interview with Becky Robinson and the follow-up info she sent was that it's believed that 70 percent of cats entering shelters are killed, not that 70 percent are feral. That's what I get for relying on my memory. The OTHER Pat, Mike Fry did not refer to any such "discussions" in either of the sessions where I heard him speak. Good night, all. My bad. I looked up my interview with Becky Robinson and the follow-up info she sent was that it’s believed that 70 percent of cats entering shelters are killed, not that 70 percent are feral. That’s what I get for relying on my memory.

The OTHER Pat, Mike Fry did not refer to any such “discussions” in either of the sessions where I heard him speak.

Good night, all.

]]> By: The OTHER Pat http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/05/02/no-kill-conference-2009-keeping-pets-in-homes-and-increasing-pet-adoptions/comment-page-1/#comment-439620 The OTHER Pat Sun, 03 May 2009 20:11:37 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=6836#comment-439620 It will be interesting to see if Mike Fry makes any references to the ongoing - um - *discussions* that have occurred between his organization and Minnesota's Animal Humane Society: http://network.bestfriends.org/minnesota/news/24853.html It will be interesting to see if Mike Fry makes any references to the ongoing - um - *discussions* that have occurred between his organization and Minnesota’s Animal Humane Society:

http://network.bestfriends.org.....24853.html

]]> By: JenniferJ http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/05/02/no-kill-conference-2009-keeping-pets-in-homes-and-increasing-pet-adoptions/comment-page-1/#comment-439599 JenniferJ Sun, 03 May 2009 18:30:38 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=6836#comment-439599 Xander cat, who was the first to wiggle around the "no cats" decision we made long ago, would have been considered truly feral in most situations. He hung around our place for well over a month, no one could get within 50 feet of him. Would not go near the trap either. One day I was walking with my oldest son and he pointed to him and asked if we could pet the cat, I told him the cat was wild and he asked if we could call him so to humor Robert I did the whole "here kitty, kitty routine" and Voila! We had a cat. It took another week to get him into a carrier to go to the vet. He was already altered, and in overall good health. But he was a terror at the vet then disappeared for a week after coming home. He still makes himself gone if anyone other than family is at the house. They never see him, most of my friends, I suspect, think he is something I've made up. I cannot imagine he would EVER permit easy handling or act tame at a shelter. Picking him up is still an act of bravery but he permits scritching and petting on his terms and is gentle with the boys. Xander cat, who was the first to wiggle around the “no cats” decision we made long ago, would have been considered truly feral in most situations.

He hung around our place for well over a month, no one could get within 50 feet of him. Would not go near the trap either. One day I was walking with my oldest son and he pointed to him and asked if we could pet the cat, I told him the cat was wild and he asked if we could call him so to humor Robert I did the whole “here kitty, kitty routine” and Voila! We had a cat. It took another week to get him into a carrier to go to the vet. He was already altered, and in overall good health. But he was a terror at the vet then disappeared for a week after coming home.

He still makes himself gone if anyone other than family is at the house. They never see him, most of my friends, I suspect, think he is something I’ve made up. I cannot imagine he would EVER permit easy handling or act tame at a shelter. Picking him up is still an act of bravery but he permits scritching and petting on his terms and is gentle with the boys.

]]> By: Susan Fox http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/05/02/no-kill-conference-2009-keeping-pets-in-homes-and-increasing-pet-adoptions/comment-page-1/#comment-439584 Susan Fox Sun, 03 May 2009 17:46:37 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=6836#comment-439584 Laura, I think you are absolutely right. At our shelter, the staff tries everything they know to bring the seemingly feral cats around. It appears to take at least a week or so on consistent effort. If they can be handled safely at all, even if they are still "shy", they go up for adoption where the volunteers can continue to work with them. It's wonderful to watch them come around and solicit attention after being so scared and confused. We adopted a "tamed feral", the real deal in this case, so I know it can be done with time and patience. Too many shelters won't take the time and don't have the patience. Laura, I think you are absolutely right. At our shelter, the staff tries everything they know to bring the seemingly feral cats around. It appears to take at least a week or so on consistent effort.

If they can be handled safely at all, even if they are still “shy”, they go up for adoption where the volunteers can continue to work with them. It’s wonderful to watch them come around and solicit attention after being so scared and confused.

We adopted a “tamed feral”, the real deal in this case, so I know it can be done with time and patience. Too many shelters won’t take the time and don’t have the patience.

]]> By: shel http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/05/02/no-kill-conference-2009-keeping-pets-in-homes-and-increasing-pet-adoptions/comment-page-1/#comment-439546 shel Sun, 03 May 2009 16:00:16 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=6836#comment-439546 Keep up the great blogging work! From all of us internationals who can't be there - THANK YOU!!! Keep up the great blogging work! From all of us internationals who can’t be there - THANK YOU!!!

]]> By: Laura http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/05/02/no-kill-conference-2009-keeping-pets-in-homes-and-increasing-pet-adoptions/comment-page-1/#comment-439514 Laura Sun, 03 May 2009 14:08:59 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=6836#comment-439514 If 70% of cats in shelters are feral, that means that citizens are trapping them - feral cats must be trapped, they don't trust humans enough to be patted, much less picked up and jammed into a carrier to be brought to the shelter, where they will be euthanized. (and some of us would say, highly perspicacious of them!) I've had enough dealings with citizens to know that there's NO WAY that there are that many people trapping cats and bringing them to shelters. Sit in the intake lobby at any shelter, and you'll see an unending stream of people surrendering cats in carriers. These are unwanted PET cats. These are the animals being euthanized in our "shelters". Once there, they may be frightened, hiding, even aggressive in the strange and frightening environment of most shelters, they may not be the happy, confident, outgoing kitties that adopters are looking for - but these are not feral cats if they didn't arrive in a trap. Shelters may call them feral to rationalize killing them, but they are not feral. If 70% of cats in shelters are feral, that means that citizens are trapping them - feral cats must be trapped, they don’t trust humans enough to be patted, much less picked up and jammed into a carrier to be brought to the shelter, where they will be euthanized. (and some of us would say, highly perspicacious of them!)
I’ve had enough dealings with citizens to know that there’s NO WAY that there are that many people trapping cats and bringing them to shelters. Sit in the intake lobby at any shelter, and you’ll see an unending stream of people surrendering cats in carriers. These are unwanted PET cats. These are the animals being euthanized in our “shelters”. Once there, they may be frightened, hiding, even aggressive in the strange and frightening environment of most shelters, they may not be the happy, confident, outgoing kitties that adopters are looking for - but these are not feral cats if they didn’t arrive in a trap.
Shelters may call them feral to rationalize killing them, but they are not feral.

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