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Buffy and Juan have been socialized for indoor life and are now available for adoption from Urban Cat League. Photo by Mike Phillips NYC Eartips: Winter 2009 The E-Newsletter of the New York City Feral Cat Initiative Welcome to the winter issue of NYC Eartips, the e-newsletter of the New York City Feral Cat Initiative (NYCFCI). In this issue you'll read about the work of dedicated volunteers who have been out trapping cats and kittens throughout New York City all winter long. You'll also read about the NYCFCI's Feral Cat Caretaker conference — Feral Cat Caretaker Boot Camp! — that took place in December. In Jesse Oldham's article entitled "Neighbor Relations," you can watch a slide show that walks you through different strategies for talking to your neighbors about feral cats and TNR. Winter wind, snow, and freezing temperatures pose difficult challenges to mass trapping projects. Learn how to overcome two of these challenges in "Winter Trapping Tips." Cats and kittens who were not socialized during the crucial stage of development (before 12 weeks) are oftentimes shy, and can pose special challenges to their adopters as a result of unsocial behaviors, such as hiding under a bed all day and night and refusing to interact with their people. In "Tips for Adopters: Interacting With Your Shy Cat or Kitten Who Was Socialized Late," learn how adopters can work with these cats and kittens to increase their comfort and improve their behavior in their new home.
Twenty-nine cats were TNR'd or placed for adoption during Urban Cat League's recent TNR project in Midtown Manhattan. This success story and others are featured in this issue in "Kitty Beat: Report from the Boroughs." Photo by Mike Phillips In "A Sweet Outcome for Maple," you'll read the heartwarming tale of a Queens kitten who was dumped outdoors and found her way into the colony and hearts of CSM Stray Foundation. This issue of NYC Eartips also includes important new information about the ASPCA Mobile Spay/Neuter Clinic and an invitation for you to join the NYCFCI's Cause on Facebook. The NYC Feral Cat Initiative is a joint program of the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals and Neighborhood Cats, two private non-profit organizations committed to solving New York City's feral cat overpopulation crisis through Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR). Through our newsletter we hope not only to keep you informed of our progress but also to inspire you to get involved in helping the feral and stray cats in your neighborhood. If you are already involved, then we hope our newsletter — and our website www.NYCFeralCat.org — will provide you with useful information that will help you work more effectively with the cats in your care. Thank you for being a part of our efforts to make New York City a safer place for feral cats. We hope you enjoy NYC Eartips. If you have comments or suggestions for this newsletter, we welcome them at eartips@NYCFeralCat.org. And if you haven't already, please visit our website at www.NYCFeralCat.org. Together, we can make a difference for stray and outdoor cats in New York City.
Best wishes and happy reading,
In This Issue… Kitty Beat: Report from the Boroughs First-Ever Feral Cat Caretaker Boot Camp! Draws Enthusiastic Audience by Valerie Sicignano, NYC Feral Cat Initiative by Jesse Oldham, ASPCA by Mike Phillips, Urban Cat League Tips for Adopters: Interacting with a Shy Cat or Kitten Who Was Socialized Late by Nancy Alusick and Kathleen Goward, KittyKind by Nancy Fahnestock, CSM Stray Foundation ASPCA Announces New TNR Scheduling Center by Joel Lopez, ASPCA Fan of Facebook and Ferals? Join the Cause! In Every Issue… Donate to the NYC Feral Cat Initiative Newsletter Team Editor-in-Chief: Steve Gruber Art Director: Krista Menzel Contributing Writers: Nancy Alusick, Nancy Fahnestock, Kathleen Goward, Joel Lopez, Krista Menzel, Jesse Oldham, Mike Phillips, Valerie Sicignano Photographers: Rick Edwards, Nancy Fahnestock, Aimee Hartmann, Krista Menzel, Carole Milker, Mike Phillips, Meredith Weiss The New York City Feral Cat Initiative welcomes reprints of the articles in NYC Eartips. To request permission to reprint any of these articles, please contact us at eartips@NYCFeralCat.org. |
