Humane Society of Forsyth County

Feral Cat Program of Georgia Visit the new Feral Cat Program website for more information: www.fcpga.petfinder.com		Humane Society of Forsyth County Feral Cat Program Coordinator 865 Hollington Ct., Ste. 100 Cumming, GA 30041 (770) 886-2882 (770) 886-2883 fax
	Our Featured Cat This week our featured cat is Trixie. She is a one year old female, spayed & current on shots. She's absolutely beautiful & has a regal air about her. She is a lap kitty & wants to sit & watch the world go by. She doesn't like a lot of chaos so she's not well suited for children under 5 & dogs are scary to Trixie. She tolerates other cats as long as they're not in her personal space. Email the caregiver
		The Feral Cat Program truly needs your help, please make a donation here, enter an amount and click *donate* to proceed to a secured transaction window.
		Tim Link is an animal communicator with a huge proven success. Tim is local to our area and a huge supporter of this program. Tim has written a book that includes a few of his stories. Check it out. Make sure when you order the book to let Tim know that you ordered it through or because of the FCPGA organization. Just click the book logo below. Every Animal Has A Tale! *Wagging Tales and Every Animal Has a Tale is a registered marks of Link's Wagging Tales, Inc.*
Feral Cat 2008 Year End Statistics: # of cats reported that needed help: 1206 Cats spayed 484 Cats neutered 395 Total cats fixed 879 Cats placed in homes 405 % of cats fixed placed in homes 46% % of cats helped to reported 72% Funds spent to sterilize & provide medical care for cats in need: $54,695 Average spent per cat $62 We are very proud of the success for 2008 and want to thank the following people because they make our program possible and work very hard: Private veterinarian practices: Pet Vet - Dr. Tracy Land & Dr. Monica Voci Hamilton Ridge Animal Hospital - Dr. Beth Versteeg Steeplechase Veterinary Hospital - Dr. Tonya Amiri Apalachee Ridge Animal Hospital - Dr. Mike Wanchik We also want to recognize all of the dedicated staff, vet techs, and managers at these veterinary practices who care for the cats, help the people who bring them into their offices, process the paperwork!!!!!! Please show your support and patronize these practices!!!!! We also want applaud the tireless effort of the Feral Cat Program Team & Petco Team who trap, transport, recover from surgery, rehome, and care for the cats. These Teams make this possible!! Special thanks to the Caregivers of the cats who bring to our attention they need help and allow them to come home with them and continue to provide food, shelter, and care for these cats. The Feral Cat Program is funded by donations, fundraisers, and grants and not from the Humane Society budget. Here is how you can help: • Volunteer your time - lots of fun things to do • Sponsor or host a fundraiser • Put a donation jar in your place of business or job • Post pictures of adoptable, tamed cats at your job or email your distribution list to help find homes • Build a feral cat feeding station • Provide cat care at Petco for cats placed for adoption • Donate cat food, cat carriers, dog crates, humane cat traps • Know someone who has a barn? - let us know • Make a donation online at our website: www.petfinder.com/shelters/GA575.htm Donate an item for us to auction on Ebay - examples include: DVD’s CD’s Jewelry (both costume and fashion) Watches that are new or like new Dishes and glassware (Wine Glasses, Beer Glasses, Partial China sets) Collectable items (Sports, figurines, Collegiate, etc.) Unused cell phones that are last year’s model New clothing, especially shoes, purses Books (Hard Cover or Soft as long as they are in very good condition) Toys Old video games Hobby and Craft items Unwanted Christmas gifts Small working, great condition electronics (toasters, blenders, DVD players, etc.) There are a lot more cats that need help and with your support, we will continue our mission in 2009!!!! The Feral Cat Program has a new website, click here! Be sure to check out the new programs to help fund the FCP through & Remember, one person CAN make a difference!!!!! Below are a list cats and kittens that became a part of the Feral Cat Program and that have been living in foster homes. These pets have been domesticated, cared for and socialized and are now ready for adoption. If you need information about any of the pets listed on this page, please contact the person noted in the listing. These are courtesy listings through the Humane Society of Forsyth County (HSFC) but are not part of the HSFC's regular adoption program.

Another way to help is through online purchases and iGive. Click here for more info.		When you see a kitten peaking around a corner, wondering if there will be a morsel of food left to ease the hunger pain or maybe there will be a bit of straw to make a bed to stay warm & rest safely for a while....please give us the opportunity to help them. Donations are always welcome to support this much needed service: Make a donation here by entering an amount and clicking donate to proceed to a secured transaction window.

What is a feral cat? What is a feral cat colony? The Board, Staff, Volunteers, and Friends of the Humane Society of Forsyth County are currently beginning a Feral Cat Program to help the unfortunate feral cat populations in Forsyth County and the surrounding area. Our aim is to seek volunteers to: help set up feeding stations, trap the cats when possible, get them spayed/neutered, allow them to recuperate, and then, hopefully, socialize them. We will even assist you if you would like to build a feeding station yourself. If the cat is unable to be socialized, we will release them to farms that offer the cats shelter and food or back to where they were. Our goal is to STOP the population of the cats by spaying and neutering and helping those that we can find good homes. It is of utmost importance that by reading this you will get a sense of our commitment to helping animals and promoting our NO KILL policy and our continued community support. In addition, we, the Humane Society of Forsyth County, will act as a resource and not a cat removal service. We will provide the guidance you may need to help a feral cat colony stop producing and find homes for the little kittens who can surely be socialized. Of course all this program needs is volunteers. For what? See the program guide below.

Definition: A feral cat is a cat which has been separated from domestication, whether through abandonment, loss, or running away, and become wild. The term also refers to descendants of such cats, but not to Wild Cats, whose ancestors were never domesticated. Feral cats usually cannot be re-socialized. Feral kittens, however, can be socialized to live with humans if they are taken from a feral colony before they are about twelve weeks old.

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Feral Cat Program Guide

STEP 1: If you are witness to a feral cat colony and would like to help stop their production and help save them, contact the Feral Cat Program at via email or via phone at 770-886-2882.

STEP 2: If you are interested in constructing a feeding station, the following link will give you guidance on building a feeding station. http://www.alleycat.org/NetCommunity/admin/Document.Doc?id=35

STEP 3: If you are interested in volunteering for the construction portion of this program, which can include building, storing, or donating materials, please contact Karyl Seppala at rescueferals@gmail.com.

STEP 4: If you are interested in donating time to deliver food, perform spay or neuter, supply food, trap cats, foster cats post-surgery, donating a barn or safe area for released cats, or even spend time trying to socialize those who can, you are encouraged to contact the Feral Cat Program via email or via phone at 770-886-2882.

Volunteer Positions Available:

building stations
2 -3 positions open for trapping and transport of cat to animal hospital for spay/neuter
delivering food to stations
2 positions open for fostering recuperating cats, this can also include
- taming, socializing
- determining adoptability
- re-release if not able to socialize

Please note: This is a new program for the Humane Society of Forsyth County and your participation, support, and patience while we hone this program to perfection are greatly appreciated.

Please remember, we are not an animal removal service and we will rely on your help to make this program successful as you can rely on our assistance to help the feral cats.

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Reference from: http://www.pusscats.com/Feral_Cats.htm

What is a Feral Cat Colony?

A feral colony is a social group of cats who avoid human contact, and breed with each other to create a growing population of homeless cats.

They are born outdoors and usually are hidden by their mothers; they have little or no human contact in the formative months.

As they are often nocturnal, you may not be aware of their presence or total colony size.

You might be aware of the spraying, nighttime mating, and the strong smell of urine from the intact males.

Adopting a Feral Cat

Feral cats are not good candidates for adoption unless someone is willing to spend considerable time with them...

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