NYC Feral Cat Council - New Feral Cat Database Will Help Improve Animal Care - by Valerie Sicignano, Program Coordinator, NYC Feral Cat Initiative - May/June 2006 - Out of the Cage!, the E-Newsletter of the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals

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NYC Feral Cat Council

New Feral Cat Database Will Help Improve Animal Care

by Valerie Sicignano, NYC Feral Cat Initiative

Capturing data about NYC's feral cat population in the NYC Feral Cat Database will go a long way to help allocate resources to improve conditions for these outdoor cats. (Photo by Meredith Weiss)

Capturing data about NYC's feral cat population in the NYC Feral Cat Database will go a long way to help allocate resources to improve conditions for these outdoor cats.

(Photo by Meredith Weiss)

If you are managing a colony of feral cats in any of the five boroughs of New York City and performing Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR), you can help your cats and all feral cats in New York City by registering your colony in the NYC Feral Cat Database.

Currently, one of the obstacles encountered by the TNR movement is a lack of statistical proof that TNR really does work to lower the numbers of feral cats living on the streets. The NYC Feral Cat Database represents one of the largest efforts ever to gather evidence on the impact of TNR.

So far, more than 125 colonies are registered in the database. Intervention by caretakers using TNR has lowered the number of cats in those colonies from about 1,800 to approximately 1,200, a 33 percent decline. In addition, more than 950 cats and kittens have been rescued from those same colonies and placed for adoption.

Caretakers who register their feral cat colonies are eligible for food give-aways and other promotions.

(Photo by Meredith Weiss)

You, too, can be a part of this historic effort and make a difference. It's easy and quick! To join, go to www.nycferaldata.org, click on "New User," and then follow the simple instructions. You can register more than one colony and update your colony information whenever you like. Once you register, you will be automatically e-mailed details of any product give-aways or promotions. If you have any questions or need help with your colony registrations, simply click on the "Contact Us" button.

Concerned about confidentiality? Rest assured, all information about your identity and your colony's exact location will be held in strict confidence. Only general information, such as zip code and number of cats, will be shared for the purpose of statistical analysis with anyone outside of the Mayor's Alliance staff and Neighborhood Cats. Please see the "Confidentiality Agreement" on the log-in page for more details.

The NYC Feral Cat Database is a program of the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals and its NYC Feral Cat Council, and is administered by Neighborhood Cats. Anyone who cares for or manages a feral cat colony is invited to participate in the database program.

NYC Feral Cat Database participants will provide valuable information on the impact of TNR on feral cat colonies in NYC. (Photo by Meredith Weiss)

NYC Feral Cat Database participants will provide valuable information on the impact of TNR on feral cat colonies in NYC.

(Photo by Meredith Weiss)

By joining the database program, you'll supply us with valuable information about the impact of TNR in New York City. You'll help us gain more resources for you and your cats. You'll also make it easier for us to locate you if one of your eartipped felines turns up in a local shelter.

Neighborhood Cats has been awarded an ASPCA/Fresh Step Safe Steps Home grant for the purpose of expanding data collection, analysis of the data by academic professionals, and lowering the cost to other communities of setting up their own online databases.

For more information, or to register your colony, go to: www.nycferaldata.org.

Special Offer!

Join the NYC Feral Cat Database and Become Eligible for Free Cat Food Give-aways!

It's quick and easy, and once you sign up, you automatically will be eligible for the free Nutro cat food give-away held every quarter, plus other special promotions throughout the year. For example, just last March, thanks to a generous donation from The Meow Mix Company, more than 10,000 pounds of dry food were distributed to caretakers who have registered their colonies.

Valerie Sicignano oversees the NYC Feral Cat Initiative, a program of the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals that is administered by Neighborhood Cats. She is also the Director of Companion Animal Outreach for In Defense of Animals. Valerie is the first recipient of the Manhattan Pet Gazette's "Animal Guardian" Award.