#Feral Cat Shelter

[alleycatallies]

Junk Science Gets Cats Killed

Lately, scientific research is being exploited by fringe interests to promote the absurd notion that outdoor cats are the leading cause of bird species declines in the United States.

The most commonly cited was published in the online journal Nature Communications and funded by the Smithsonian Institution and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services (“The impact of free-ranging domestic cats on wildlife of the United States,” January 29, 2013 by Scott R. Loss, Tom Will, and Peter P. Marra).

News outlets have sensationalized coverage of this and similar “studies” by labeling cats as “serial killers” and using other exaggerated metaphors to manufacture a fake debate about outdoor cats and species decline that plays right into the fringe interests and bolsters their flawed arguments.

The common-sense and seldom-reported facts, however, are that habitat destruction, pollution, and climate change are far and away the greatest threats to birds and wildlife.

Bogus reports, propagated by the mass media, sidestep serious discussion on the real threats to birds and wildlife, and end up scapegoating cats.

The Smithsonian-funded study published in Nature Communications is not rigorous science.

It is a literature review that surveys a variety of unrelated, older studies and concocts a highly speculative conclusion that suits the researchers’ seemingly desperate anti-cat agenda. This speculative research is highly dangerousit is being used by opponents of outdoor cats and Trap-Neuter-Return (including the authors) to further an agenda to kill more cats and roll back decades of progress on TNR. And it is being spread unchecked by the media. Only a handful of reporters, including CNN’s Erin Burnett, have questioned the Nature Communications research. Burnett noted the ridiculously large margin of error the authors employed, deemed it “unacceptable,” and told her viewers, “When it comes to the danger of cats, it seems like they’re just telling tales.”

To assess the integrity of the Smithsonian study, Alley Cat Allies commissioned a respected, independent statistician, Gregory J. Matthews, PhD, of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Dr. Matthews conducted a thorough review of the statistics and methodology used in the study and found major flaws that should have made the authors’ research unacceptable for publication. Some key insights from Dr. Matthews’ assessment:

The authors looked at a number of previously published studies to make their case. The studies have a huge range in size, scope, and geography. Some were not peer reviewed. Some were decades oldone of the studies the authors used was published in 1930. They counted one study twicea major error that was not picked up by peer reviewers.

There was no use of a meta-analysis to normalize across all these very dissimilar studies. Use of a meta-analysis is common, and the authors failed to address why they did not use one. They also failed to acknowledge that each individual estimate itself has error.

The authors used extrapolation where it was not warrantedoften. They failed to account for variations in season, geography, or predation opportunity.

“If a student turned something like this in for a freshman statistics class, he would have failed the assignment,” Dr. Matthews relayed to Alley Cat Allies in an interview.

No one should be swayed by this junk science.

But such misinformation does confuse the issue about outdoor cats, and the authors know it. Indeed, they are doing nothing more than promoting cleverly veiled propaganda to promote their true agenda, which is mass extermination of the millions of outdoor cats in the United States.

Here’s the real story: Trap-Neuter-Return remains the only effective approach for feral cats.

Animal protection experts, individual caregivers, mayors, city councils, and county commissioners across the country are turning to TNR as the best response to feral cats. By humanely trapping, neutering, vaccinating, and then returning outdoor cats to their natural environment, communities can end the breeding cycle, protect cats, and save taxpayer dollars.

Studies clearly show that TNR policies effectively reduce the size of outdoor cat colonies both immediately (with the removal and adoption of kittens and socialized cats) and over time (as the population stabilizes and the breeding cycle ends).

Supporters of catch and kill programs have spread misinformation in an effort to slow down the adoption of TNR policies. They have spread myths about outdoor cats’ health and their impact on the environment. They are desperately clinging to these myths in an attempt to cover up the truththat catch and kill is extremely cruel, ineffective, and wasteful. Decades of failed catch and kill policies prove that it does not even permanently reduce outdoor cat colonies, and it wastes taxpayer dollars that should be used to protect animals.

Trap-Neuter-Return is safe for our communities. It’s humane. And it’s effective.

Because TNR is proven to stabilize and reduce cat populations over time, it is now the gold standard for feral cat management in the United States. More than 300 communities have passed laws or enacted policies supporting the practice of TNR. Major cities including San Francisco, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and dozens more have embraced TNR. Animal control and public health officials have endorsed it, calling it common-sense and effective. Trap-Neuter-Return reduces calls into municipal agencies, keeps cats out of shelters, encourages spay/neuter practices, and saves tax dollars.

Junk science gets cats killed.

It’s time for the national media to start reporting on the thinly veiled agenda of anti-cat researchers: their proposed “solution” really endorses the continued mass killing of cats.

Content source: https://www.alleycat.org/resources/junk-science-gets-cats-killed/

[lulu-the-bugaboo]

No offense but the hc that Whitebeard is in the habit of kidnapping rookies and adopting them is much less fun than the (basically canon) idea that he usually wipes the floor with those who go after him (Crocodile) but then he saw Ace and was like: I like this one, I'm not only gonna spare him but also give him the option to join my crew and cause extra chaos

[sunnysam-my]

Warning I get a bit politically and frustrated I guess.

One important message to you all. Keep your fucking indoors-outdoors beef outside of the adoption groups, post and shelters. I don't care what side you're on, do not bring it up, because by doing that you are actively harming the chances of the kitten/cat being adopted.

Here, let me explain to you a few concepts that so many people apparently can't graspt:

Not everyone can adopt any cat in need they see. That's just not possible.

Just because someone isn't trapping every single cat outdoors they see doesn't mean they're animal abuser or are single handly responsible for ecological damage.

Not every feral cat can be caught and castrated by a random person with no training or equipment.

Cats born into the wild are not homeless. Do not treat them like strays.

A feral cat is an outdoor, free-roaming cat that has never been socialized to humans and is living in a “wild” state. Because they're not socialized to people, feral cats are not adoptable. If you take them to a shelter, they will almost certainly be killed there.

In the eyes of the law of many countries feral cats born in the wild are not and, by the definition, cannot be homeless as the wilderness is their home. Taking them from their natural habitat and entrapping them in houses is wrong and in same place even illegal.

Feral cats, unlike strays, cannot live a happy life indoors. They often live in groups, called colonies, wherever they can find food. They are happier in their own territory with their colony family.

Stray cats on the other hand were once pets and are lost or abandoned. They will try to make a home near humans in garages, porches or backyards, because they relay on human help.

Not every wild-born kitten will be feral, in fact most won't, and not every feral cat can't be tamed, some can go through process of socialising to make the adoptable. That's not up to you to decided tho, unless you met the cat and know your shit.

Because people where I live (Poland) found this simple concept so hard to understand, animal shelters around me no longer accept cats from private people, only from organisations and authorities, since so many of them were people's outdoors pets and feral cats. This already makes it harder to help cats in need.

But the real problem I have is something that happens more and more nowadays and even happend to my family. A feral cat, who lives in our forest and we're trying to tame, gave birth to 7 kittens on our farm and left them in our care. Only two of 7 were feral and strong enough to live in the wild, so we tried to find homes for the rest. Upon mentioning they were born from a feral living close us we were blocked from every single adoption group. The reason? We apparently were 'abusers and breeders', because we tried to help kittens who would 100% died if left alone, instead of focusing on somehow finding cats that lives somewhere in the giant woods, capturing them with no equipment and driving with them 2h+ to make them go through abortion and castration that most of them probably wouldn't even survive. Yeah.

BTW we never found homes to those kittens, because of crazy indoor cat ladies that would shit on every single post of ours and got us blocked. Obviously we didn't leave the cats alone, considering only one in five feral kittens will live to five months of age. We were forced to travel with them 4 hours and keep them in our small house with 3 other adult cats that were not happy about the situation. Eventually we gave one to my Uncle, one was left at the vet to find home (she did), and the last one stayed.

So, for the love of God, regardless if you think cats should be indoors or outdoors DO NOT FUCKING ARGUE ABOUT IT UNDER SOMEONE "FOR ADOPTION" POSTS. Even if you're right. Do not try to bring feral cats to shelters. Do not make it some random person responsibility to deal with feral cats. If you really care about those outdoors, stray and feral cats then research the topic and try advocating for change with how we handle wild-born kittens and castration of feral cats, because right now, depending on where you live, the authorities will most probably only maybe check on them and give them food.

In case I haven't made it clear, I do not think feral cats should be just left alone, even if they shouldn't be adopted.

[software-instxbility]

"I'll love you like a dog" I'll love you like an abused cat turned feral from mistreatment.

I'll run away before I can scratch you so that you won't turn it against me if I ever do. I'll beg you for pets and gentle touches, then I'll run away last second, because any hand approaching me can turn into an abusive one. I'll walk for miles and miles and miles to find my way back to you, and still, I'll hide in the corner once you try to approach me.

I'll tell you I love you in ways only someone who truly takes the time to win my trust will understand, and I'll never leave you once I find shelter and peace in your embrace. I'll be your undying companion until i take my last breath, yet everyone around you will warn you about my notorious cold and purposefully mean demeanor.

[writterings]

don't go into the nonprofit sphere it's just finances and business but you feel bad when shit goes wrong because it like actually affects people's lives

[zzoupz]

oh my god, they were roommates

meursault belongs to @megakinsenpai695

[khamomile-kitty]

Only thing I’m gonna say abt it bc I haven’t read the books or participated tje fandom since I was in elementary school but. Ppl’s reaction to Squirrelflight becoming leader is so funny. The misogyny of the authors has rubbed off on the fans I see, how are you gonna tell a victim of domestic abuse that’s she’s a worse leader and suffered less than her husband. And all the alternate leader suggestions from these ppl are the lame ass guys. this is one of the saddest characters in cat fiction let the girlie win at least once good lord

[followerofmercy]

Hey who wants to play Poverty Simulator from my roommate's social work classes

It's great. It's miserable. It's a little unrealistic because grocery prices have skyrocketed.

[beechicory]

So uhhhhhh my cat can literally diagnose Covid, AND regularly detects it 2 days before a test can?

Uh, wtf?

Like this has happened multiple times.

We literally go:

"The test is negative and I feel fine, but she's been lying beside me all day, so I'm worried"

[2 days pass]

"Dammit! Yeah, test is positive."

We literally - LITERALLY - use my cat as a diagnostic tool.

She somehow *knows* when we have Covid, days before the viral load is detectable on a test. She demonstrates her diagnosis by lying beside us 24/7, bc she always wants to watch over us when we're sick (even with things like migraines🥲). She takes it as her sacred duty.

Like, wtf? Can all cats do this, and she's just the only one that chooses to act upon the knowledge???

My roommates have Covid (she diagnosed it in both of them, separately, 2 days before any tests could detect it, natch). I just did a test but *knew* it would be negative, bc she hasn't diagnosed me.

(it was indeed negative)

WTF.

Should I be advertising her skills as a diagnostic device?

Like literally the tests can't detect the viral load yet, the person can be feeling NO symptoms yet, but the cat Knows™️.

(And, bc she's my cat, and somehow, like me, came with a freaking Responsibility Complex, she acts upon that knowledge by setting up guard to care for us 🥲)

I need to find research about this, genuinely.

I've read about dogs and even sometimes cats detecting serious illnesses or medical events, of course, and the infamous cats who hang out with people who are passing away, but I can't find much specific to this situation.

Can other cats detect Covid? Or is it something unique to her? And there's a big difference between detection and diagnosis: maybe other cats can detect it but don't do anything about their knowledge, don't alter their behaviour, whereas she detects it and then acts on it in a visible, observable way?

Is she extra skilled and in-tune, or is it just that her Responsibility Complex makes her *show us* that she can tell we're sick?

And, once again, WTF?

How is my cat a more powerful, sensitive, and reliable diagnostic device than literal tests?

[alleycatallies]

U.S. Public Opinion on Humane Treatment of Stray Cats

Discover what Americans Really Think is Humane for Cats

Most Americans believe killing is inhumane.

Over 80% of Americans believe that leaving a stray cat outside to live out his life is more humane than having the cat caught and killed, according to a national survey conducted for Alley Cat Allies by Harris interactive.

Americans believe killing is inhumane even if it may prevent a future painful death.

Even when asked to assume that a stray cat will die traumatically by being hit by a car in two years’ time, more than 70% of respondents still said it is more humane to let the stray cat live outside than to kill the cat now.

Animal control and shelters claim it is more humane to kill.

Animal control and shelters claim that it is best to kill stray cats now because they may suffer “bad” deaths sometime in the future. These agencies make decisions every day about the fate of stray cats and carry them out with taxpayer dollarsyet their policy of killing is in direct opposition to the humane values of most Americans.

More than 70% of all cats entering animal shelters are killed.

The result of this policy of killing is that over 70% of all cats entering animal pounds and shelters in the United States are killed, according to the most comprehensive research to date. In fact, “euthanasia” at animal pounds and shelters is the number one documented cause of death for cats in this country.

You can make a difference and save lives.

Help spread the word that most Americans believe “humane treatment” means saving lives, not killing. Read the full text of our findings, and share it with your friends, family, and other interested groups and individuals. Most importantly, share it with your city council and other government officials, and help them discover what Americans really think is humane cat care.

Content source: https://www.alleycat.org/resources/public-opinion-on-humane-treatment-of-cats/

[thefabelmans2022]

well that's just not true at all is it.

[violaceaes]

OMFG IT HAPPENED THANK GOD PRAISE THE LORD AND SO ON

this little fucker escaped her carrier on the way to the vet like 3 weeks ago and ever since we have been trying to trap her and today we got her! i just got the news i'm so fucking relieved

[plantingseedsfortomorrow]

Cats are up to twice as likely to be reunited if they are in their neighborhood instead of the shelter.

Feral cats can be very damaging to ecosystems, hunting small animals that aren't used to cats. Mass euthanizing of cats makes people sad for the cats, so making it so they can't reproduce will reduce the number of cats over time and friendly cats can be adopted into loving homes.

TNR programs regularly will rent out their traps, but rarely have personnel to manage the actual capture on their own. Instead, it is up to community members to take care of their community cats.

[silliestcreature196]

Rent-lowering gunshots: Feral cats don't deserve to be put down.

Just because they aren't "houseable", doesn't mean they deserve to be slaughtered.

If your idea of the value of life, fits narrowly within the idea that a person must be responsible and presentable, and an animal must be docile, then you don't value life, you value pictures and ideas. Fuck you, go drink white gatorade.

[adorabledaylilly]

what's your favorite cat thing? mine's when they do that bark like thing when they see something. or when they sit on their paws. or when they curl around my arm.... yes, I love cats

#ask.revival 2024

Cats are my favorite animals so this is so hard to answer lol my one cat does this thing whenever he sees me where he meows as loud as he can, tail straight up in the air and then flops onto the ground purring. My one kitty will tell me it’s time to go to bed too! He’ll sit in the doorway wherever I am and meow at me until I get up and go to bed. I guess my favorite thing they all do though is curl up on my lap when I’m at the computer 💕

[meownotgood]

Your cat is so cute it makes me want one too!! I kind of want one eventually when I live on my own, but I'm afraid they'll knock down and break things super often. But at the same time they're so cute I don't think I'll be able resist getting one😭

oh, they definitely do 😭 peaches loves to knock things over, but I just use double sided tape to stick everything down... all of my figures that could be breakable, and also everything in my aki shrine. once she tries to knock it over but realizes it won't move she leaves it alone haha. the larger problem is that she's a THIEF so anything she can pick up, she'll snatch it and carry it somewhere else. I have already found plenty of hair ties hidden under rugs

I'm a definite cat person (if you couldn't tell by the name) so I must recommend... I think cats are very cute but also can be so sweet...... peaches has already helped me a lot. I used to have another cat, and peaches reminds me a lot of her. until I got peaches I didn't realize how much I missed having a kitty 🥹