The Right Feline Fit: Placing Community Cats

Kaitlyn Simmons –Lifesaving Programs Manager

Marla Browne –Community Cat Program Manager

Who is in the room?

• Municipal shelter?

• Have a community cat program?

• TNR group?

• Rescue group?

Introduction

• Today’s presentation

– The problem, the data, and cats with no outlet

– Discuss alternative placement and when it is appropriate

– How to engage the community, shelters, rescues, and volunteers in targeting this population

– Relocation best practices

The problem

• There are too many outdoor cats

– Nuisance and quick to populate

– Public is unaware of the outcomes for outdoor cats

– Historically cats have been trapped and killed

The cats who don't fit

Not eligible for shelter programs, such as return-to-field, adoptions

Who might they be?Door drops

Hoarding cases

Cats with unknown addresses

What is an alternative placement?

• The reality is it is a last resort when other positive outcomes have been ruled out.

• Considerations• History of the cat

• Available options• Alternative placement is not

relocation

Where to start?

• Collaboration is key

• Ask for help!

• Community support

– Be specific when making requests

– Partnerships

– Temporary housing and foster home support

Recruiting for locations

Power of volunteers!– Create simple collateral

– Share with friends, businesses, their personal network

– Distribute collateral

» Feed and seed stores

» Coffee shops

» Anywhere they frequent

Recruiting through social media

– Social media

• Highlight individual cats

• Encourage people to see what these cats have to offer and places they can share

• Share success stories-the more unique the better!

Alternative placements

• Traditional barn placement• Breweries• Warehouses• Non-traditional pets• Churches• Police/Fire Stations• Recycling and

waste management plants

Placement best practices

• Acclimation period

• Acclimation cage

• Groups of 3

• Use wet food to encourage them to stick around after opening acclimation cage

• Change environment slowly if at all

Cobb County, Georgia

Chattanooga, Tennessee

Osceola County, Florida

Salt Lake City, Utah

San Antonio, Texas

Key takeaways

• Alternative placement works best in conjunction with a community cat program

• This is for a harder to place shelter population

• This is a last resort option

• Not only is it necessary to have good community support, it's another opportunity to engage the community

marlab@bestfriends.org

kaitlyns@bestfriends.org

Resources and questions

bestfriends.orgEmail us for:• SOPs• Building plans for enclosures• Scripts for social media• More pictures/examples