Caretakers and Advocates

Follow these steps to become a REGISTERED CARETAKER

STEP ONE: Download and complete the Feral Cat Assistance Application to become a Registered Caretaker and begin using Spay and Stay's TNR program for your feral cat colony.

STEP TWO: After we receive your Feral Cat Assistance Application, you will receive a call from Spay and Stay to arrange for a surgery date for your colony cats. You will also be given a date to pick up your traps.

STEP THREE: Return your sterilized and vaccinated feral cats to their original colony. (See below for information on how to socialize feral kittens and steps you can take to get friendly adults adopted into permanent indoor homes.)

FACT SHEETS AND INFORMATION YOU CAN USE

Caretaker Information

Colony Management Guidelines  Proper colony management, combined with TNR, is a powerful and humane way for communities to control their feral and stray cat population. Here are the guidelines every registered caretaker needs to know.

Nuisance Prevention Tips  Indy Feral in Indianapolis has put together a fabulous list of nuisance prevention solutions, which includes an explanation of why cats do what they do and how their behavior can become a nuisance to neighbors. Read this guide and you'll be able to help your neighbors solve problems so the cats aren't trapped and removed.

Winter Shelters for Your Colony  Spay and Stay has had heavy duty styrafoam shelters available for our registered caretakers. These shelters were constructed through our Kids for Cats program. Thanks to the kids from Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Lake County Juvenile Detention Facility, these shelters were really snug and well-made.

As of November, 2006, due to an enormous response from our website and our newsletter, we have given away all of the shelters we had. We will keep you posted when we have more available.

You can also follow these instructions and make a different style inexpensive shelter of your own.

Community Issues

Making Feral Cats Welcome in Your Community  Many of your neighbors may not know about feral cats and TNR or the benefits of managed colonies. This article from Alley Cat Allies will help you address neighborhood concerns.

We Can Help!  Here's a flyer you can hand out to inform your neighbors about TNR and its benefits. There is also a Spanish version for you to use.

How to Keep Cats Out of Your Yard  Share some of these ideas with neighbors who may not want cats in their yard. You just may find that, as long as the cats keep away from their flower bed, your neighbor is actually a supporter of TNR.

Safe Relocation of Feral Cats  The best place for a colony of feral cats is where they currently live. However, there may be situations that necessitate the moving of an entire colony of cats. Alley Cat Allies has published this excellent guide on relocation, if no other alternative for the safety of a colony is available.

Health Information

Can a nursing cat get pregnant?  SPAY/USA reports that the answer is definitely YES! Make sure you spay/neuter your feral females as soon as her kittens are weaned.

The Truth About Juvenile Spay Neuter  Best Friends Society has put together a great article on early-age spay/neuter.

Nutrition for Feral Cats  Neighborhood Cats, a TNR organization in New York City, has put together a great article on the nutritional needs of feral cats with references to additional sources for you to review. The article also talks about the benefits of adding Vitamin C to your feral's diet.

Rabies Control and Feral Cats in the United States  Although rabies is not a serious public health threat here in Illinois, the fear of rabies continues to be an issue when TNR is being discussed in our communities. Read Alley Cat Allies' report which addresses the issue in detail.

To Test or Not to Test?  The question often comes up as to whether or not it's necessary to test feral cats for FeLV/FIV. The following article from Alley Cat Allies, written in conjunction with Dr. Julie Levy of Operation Catnip, addresses this question.

Toxoplasmosis  Most cases of toxoplasmosis do not originate from contact with cats, but rather from consumption of raw meat. Here is a link to a fact sheet on toxoplasmosis from the Center for Disease Control.

Kittens and Friendly Strays

Socializing Feral Kittens  Barbara Kramer has put together this practical guide for working with feral kittens so they can be socialized and removed from the streets. There are additional socializing tips for feral cats on Alley Cat Allies' website.

How to Find Homes for Homeless Pets   If you're trying to find a home for a friendly stray cat, this guide will show you ways of effectively promoting the cat. It will also outline methods for keeping good records on the animal, how to screen potential adopters, and a sample adoption agreement. Thanks to Best Friends Society for putting this information together.

Predation

Understanding Cats and Predation   Read a report on cat predation put together by Alley Cat Allies, with some opinions of experts in the field.

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