NEW YORK CITY'S FERAL CATS

We're all spending more time outdoors now that summer is here which only serves to highlight the feral cat problem in New York's five boroughs. I'm sure everyone will admit this crisis is more evident during the warmer months especially when ferals and strays are breeding. There are many facets to this issue so I hope this post will cover all aspects of the situation.

My own sweet Buddy was a stray, tossed out by his original owners and that is part of the problem - irresponsible owners. Anyone who cannot care for their cat should realize they are not doing their feline a favor by turning them out. Fighting for food, looking for shelter, searching for water, dodging traffic and trying to escape from dogs or people who will harm them isn't preferable to turning them over to rescue groups or the ASPCA. Yes, euthanasia is a terrible prospect but a hard, uncertain life on the streets with a painful death is not a mercy either. And this act of abandonment, if coupled with the pet never having been spayed or neutered increases the homeless cat population, territorial fighting and injured male cats.

If you have a cat make your pet a house-cat. Keep your feline friend inside at all times to avoid communicable, incurable diseases, to prevent fighting or accidental injuries or death. If you are fortunate to have a backyard, invest in a cat containment system so your cat can enjoy the yard without escaping. You can find several different kinds on the internet. Don't want to spend the money or only have a porch or balcony? Consider a cage of some sort for your feline but remember it is very important to provide sun and shade simultaneously along with water and constant supervision. Buddy had a collapsible mesh cage, Annie would keep Buds company on our back porch and I would check on both of them every 10-15 minutes without fail. Don't have the resources or the time to do this? Open a window that has a built-in screen, attach a perch inside and your cat will be happy as can be to get that basic contact with the outdoors. if you live in an apartment building or have more than one floor to your house, watch out for high-rise syndrome which is the subject of yesterday's post.

City government does not have the funds (grants are running out) nor do they really care about the cat overpopulation issue. That's where we all come in. If you are a cat lover, think long and hard about managing a local feral colony. Remember this entails TNR (trap, neuter/spay, return) as well as providing food, water, shelter and medical care when needed. You could consider this even if you aren't interested in having pets or you could do this in addition to caring for your own pets. TNR will lower the amount of kittens turned into shelters and in turn the feral colony members help keep the rat population (another urban problem) in check instead of becoming euthanasia statistics.

At the very least anyone interested in helping in some small way can donate to low-cost spay/neuter programs or get in touch with the ASPCA, Humane Society, the Toby project and Maddie's Fund to find out more. Surf the internet to learn more about TNR, maintaining feral colonies and all other issues related to stray and feral cats:

http://tobyproject.org/

http://www.maddiesfund.org/Resource_Library/Maddies_Institute/Using_Data_to_Solve_Problems_and_Save_Lives.html

http://www.aspca.org/

http://humanesocietyny.org/

CATS AND HIGH-RISE SYNDROME

Everyone knows cats will climb to the highest point they can physically get to. Many of us have been exasperated by our feline companions as we attempted to coax them down from on top of the refrigerator, the china closet, a shelf and heaven only knows what else. Buddy's favorite place was the transom window above my back door, traversing my kitchen counter, stove and refrigerator to get there.

Cats do love high places as much as they love the great outdoors. During the summer, the lure of both can be a dangerous and possibly deadly one.  Apartment living above the first floor is fine for a cat as long as opened windows have closed screens. When we were young, my cousin had a Siamese cat. I recall one summer when all the kids on the block were yelling because my Aunt opened the front window and the cat was walking on the second floor ledge. Thankfully the cat allowed himself to be enticed back inside with a treat but that was certainly a potential for disaster. I never forgot it.

Buddy either fell or was tossed from a third-story apartment. When we took him in he had a scab on his chin. His first doctor visit turned up two missing front teeth. Since his 'owner' who lived in an apartment diagonally across from us appeared on our doorstep one year after we took Buddy in, I've always believed Buddy was tossed from the window. Judging from the amount of yelling and screaming from his former home, it was a safe bet to assume the family was abusive.

Always remember, felines believe they have nine lives, living life fearlessly and taking all kinds of chances. It's up to their two-legged companions to be ever vigilant when it comes to their safety. Only open screened-in windows. Better yet, designate one window for your cat's use and add a perch or window-seat so kitty can enjoy the great outdoors safely. Read the ASPCA link concerning High-rise syndrome:

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/cat-care/high-rise-syndrome.aspx 

ANNIE'S BOYFRIENDS

Annie's been a bit lonely since her boyfriend, a French Bulldog named Louie moved away. Louie's old house is on the route of our daily walks. It's been almost 7 months since the move but Annie still stops, pokes her head through the gate and cries and cries. She really misses Louie and his pet parents.

That got me to thinking about Annie's friends and she has plenty of them. When we adopted her, Annie's closest companion at the animal hospital where she was boarded and probably her first boyfriend was a Cairn Terrier named Sammy. They were adorable together and Sammy was up for adoption as well but at the time we definitely did not have the resources to take on two dogs.

For many years Annie went first to puppy playtime then doggy daycare every weekend where she had many friends. We were surprised to learn Annie exercised with both the small dogs and the big dogs. Annie was described as wonderfully friendly with all animals and great at coaxing other dogs to play. At daycare Annie was good friends with Willa, a beautiful beige and white pit bull who had been thrown over a 6 foot chain-link fence and adopted by one of the dog supervisors at the daycare. Willa was her only female BFF. It was amazing to see Annie and Willa walking calmly side-by-side enjoying each other's company. Their close friendship came to an end when Willa's pet mom moved out of state.

Annie then met Gizmo, a Shiba Inu mix. Gizmo was adorable but a bit skittish around Annie. Their friendship lasted until Gizmo's owner moved away. Then Annie met Luke and Munchkin two Yorkies who live up the block from us. She loves them and always looks to see if they are out on their front porch when she takes her walks. They don't come out much so she rarely sees them.

Annie just made friends with a little guy named Desmo who is a Boston Terrier. Desmo is still a puppy and as cute as a button. He jumps around and growls when he sees Annie and of course, Annie cries when she sees him.

But Annie's new favorite boyfriend is Gus. Another Yorkie, Gus and Annie have a very special friendship. Apparently Gus is fearless around people and other dogs, barking and defending his territory and family. I was surprised to find out that, with the exception of his own family, Gus only allows Annie, myself and Artie to play with and touch him. Gus gets really excited when he sees Annie. He runs to greet her and wags his tail furiously. They sniff each other then fall in and walk quietly side-by-side, two friends enjoying each other's company. Adorable!

LOST PETS AND SUMMER

Summer is officially here and many families include their pets in their summer travels and activities and once school is out families relocate in an effort to settle into their new home and community before the start of the next school year.

Now is a good time to consider giving your furry family members the extra-added protection of a microchip. ID tags are fine and good but isn't identification under the skin better? Granted, nothing is 100% foolproof but using whatever options are available certainly makes sense in terms of optimizing coverage and giving you peace of mind. And remember travel to some foreign countries will require your pet be micro-chipped as a requirement for entry.

We're not just talking about dogs here but also about cats and any other pet such as birds, horses, etc. The microchips are about the size of a grain of rice and can be implanted by your veterinarian during a routine office visit.

If you are interested in reading about microchip implantation in general or have specific questions that need answers, the Wikipedia and American Veterinary Medical Association websites are excellent sources of information:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microchip_implant_(animal)

http://www.avma.org/issues/microchipping/microchipping_faq.asp