[Students] Announcement: Feral Cat Program Pilot Project

Cathy Haynsworth Cathy_Haynsworth at tamu-commerce.edu
Wed Apr 28 08:16:32 CDT 2010


Announcement:  Feral Cat Program Pilot Project

 

President Jones has approved a pilot feral cat program that will last
two years.  Students, faculty, and staff are requested not to interfers
with efforts to trap the cats, or eventual efforts to maintain feeding
stations.  No feeding of cats should occur on campus beyond the
authorized stations. 

 

This pilot program will entail the following activities:

 

A census of cats on campus, overseen by Dr. James Cain, which has begun
this week (April 26). 

 

A census will result in information on the number of cats (of all
categories, ferals and domestic strays and free-ranging animals) on
campus.  The purpose is to get a count of cats and to track and study
the movements/range of some of them.  Cats will be trapped and
microchipped. Some will be fitted with radio collars.  Locations:  main
campus and agriculture buildings.  

 

The census will not involve spaying/neutering, shots, or feeding.

 

After the census is completed, a Trap/Neuter/Release/Relocate program
will be started on the main campus.  Dr. Robin Anne Reid will coordinate
a group of volunteers for this program which will maintain three feeding
stations on the main campus (locations to be determined by information
drawn from the census) with (at least) weekly trapping.  

 

Dr. Gary Thompson and the Commerce Veterinary Clinic will be donating
services for spaying and neutering plus a rabies shot.  Cats will be
microchipped (if they aren't already).

 

Cats trapped during this stage will be evaluated:  if they are too
old/ill to survive, they will be humanely euthanized.  If they are young
enough to domesticate, or are already domesticated (i.e. strays rather
than ferals), they can be adopted after the rabies shot and
spaying/neutering.  If they are ferals, they will be spayed/neutered,
given the rabies shot, and released back on campus.

 

Ongoing counts/census will take place at regular period (1 year, 18
months, 2 years).

 

Regular reports will be submitted to Dr. Lemanski and the Animal Care
and Use Committee. 

 

The protocol for the census and the TNR will be approved and overseen by
the Animal Care and Use Committee.

 

Dr. Lemanski has approved funding for the pilot program on the
understanding that the program will be part of a research process that
will involve grants and publications. 

 

Robin Anne Reid

 

Professor of Literature and Languages

Texas A&M University-Commerce

Commerce, TX 75429

903.886.5268

Fax: 903.886.5980

 

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