FERAL FANCIERSFERAL FANCIERS
Feral Fanciers spends approximately 75% of its annual income on Trap, Neuter, Return (TNR) of feral and/or free-roaming cats. Scientific studies have proven that feral or free roaming cats live healthy lives outdoors and TNR benefits both the cats and community. TNR makes feral/free‐roaming cats healthier and ends the breeding cycle, which means no more kittens. It also ends a lot of common behaviors associated with outdoor cats. Yowling, fighting, spraying and roaming—all of these are mating behaviors that stop once a cat is neutered. Other approaches like catching and killing simply do not work - decades of these failed efforts have proven them to be cruel, ineffective, and a waste of taxpayer dollars. Because free-roaming cats are sterilized in large numbers, TNR reduces the number of kittens born and, over time, reduces the size of a community’s free-roaming cat population, easing the heavy burden on animal control agencies. This also results in a decreased flow of cats and kittens into local shelters, helping to lessen overcrowding. In addition, animal control agencies and shelters save costs and staff time because fewer cats need to be housed, euthanized and disposed of afterwards.
Feral Fanciers is a Member of Alley Cat Allies Feral Friends Network working in partnership with local veterinarians, and other local non-profits like Planned Pethood and the SPCA, Inc. of Lakeland. Feral Fanciers started 4 years ago with some dedicated and concerned individuals making a grass roots effort to humanely deal with the feral cat population in Lakeland, Florida. There was no other organization in the area addressing this particular need. In 2008, Feral Fanciers became a 501(c)(3) corporation that operates solely on the efforts on dedicated volunteers and has no paid staff. We now help other feral cat caregivers trap and sterilize their cats as funds allow. Feral Fanciers has spayed and neutered over 2,500 feral and free roaming cats through its TNR and Trap Neuter Adopt programs in Polk County, Florida. Feral Fanciers operates a foster / adoption program for socialized feral kittens and friendly free roaming cats, as many friendly cats and kittens were found within the feral groups. In 2010 alone, Feral Fanciers had 1,168 cats or kittens taken in under its care either in its TNR program or its Trap Neuter Adopt program. We believe that this has had a direct impact on the number of animals euthanized in Polk County, Florida. In addition to the 75% of its annual income that Feral Fanciers spends on TNR of feral and/or free‐roaming cats, another 2% of income is spent on food for TNR colonies, and 20% on fostering and adoption of friendly free-roaming cats or socialized feral kittens.