OCTOBER 16 IS NATIONAL FERAL CAT DAY

Alley Cat Allies’ national day celebrates strength of the movement to educate communities and protect cats

BETHESDA, MD – The 11th annual National Feral Cat Day is October 16, and Alley Cat Allies, the national advocate for stray and feral cats, is celebrating the broad support seen across the country for humane and effective policies that protect the lives of feral cats.

“Alley Cat Allies launched National Feral Cat Day in 2001 to raise awareness about feral cats, promote Trap-Neuter-Return, and recognize the millions of compassionate citizens who care for cats,” said Becky Robinson, president of Alley Cat Allies. “On National Feral Cat Day and all year round, people all across the country work to draw attention to the cause and press their local leaders for humane policies for feral cats. This is truly a national movement.”

Feral cats live and thrive in every landscape, from urban to rural. Because they are not socialized to people and are not candidates for adoption, feral cats taken to animal shelters are almost always killed. Although many communities have embraced Trap-Neuter-Return—which ends the breeding cycle and stabilizes the population—being killed in an animal shelter remains the leading documented cause of death for cats, Robinson said.

“There is much more work to do to educate our neighbors and leaders about the need to launch humane programs that really work for our communities,” she said.

Robinson noted that America is responding to this need. This year’s National Feral Cat Day is a resounding success, with 250 events planned in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Canada, including spay/neuter drives, community celebrations, and workshops that educate neighbors about the best and most humane ways to help cats in the community.

For the first time, Alley Cat Allies also gave awards to a number of local nonprofits across the country for the most creative and innovative community programs, including five “National Feral Cat Day Superstars,” who were awarded $1,000 each for their unique life-saving programs.

A full listing of national events, as well as more information about how people can get involved on National Feral Cat Day, is available at www.alleycat.org/NFCD. Poster, T-shirts, and other fun NFCD-themed items are also available.

###

About Alley Cat Allies

Alley Cat Allies is the only national advocacy organization dedicated to the protection and humane treatment of cats. Founded in 1990, today Alley Cat Allies has more than 260,000 supporters and helps tens of thousands of individuals, communities, and organizations save and improve the lives cats and kittens nationwide. Their web site is www.alleycat.org.