Eastern Iowa Based Iowa Humane Alliance will Focus On Ferals In Honor of National Feral Cat Day

During the months of October and November, Iowa Humane Alliance will be hosting two educational events and a large scale trap-neuter-return project in honor of National Feral Cat Day (Oct 16).

It is estimated that there are more than 20,000 free roaming cats, tame and feral, living in Cedar Rapids. A nationwide study shows that about one in seven families in the United States are feeding unowned cats living in their communities, and Cedar Rapids is no exception. Since the Iowa Humane Alliance Regional Spay Neuter Clinic opened in January of this year, approximately 25% of the animals they have altered have been community cats. Two educational events will be held in October and November to assist people caring for outside cats who do so in a way that benefits the entire community by reducing both the numbers of cats and the nuisance behaviors of the cats that remain.

Feral Freedom Fest

October 19th  Open House 1pm to 4pm

At the Iowa Humane Alliance Regional Spay/Neuter Clinic

6540 6th Street S.W. Cedar Rapids

Iowa Humane Alliance will offer a range of events at the Feral Freedom Fest in order to inform the public about the benefits to the community through effective methods of trap/neuter/return of free roaming cats.  This information will include affordable spay/neuter and vaccination services, feline colony care, safe and humane trap/neuter/return efforts and winter sheltering of feral cats. Refreshments will be served throughout the open house event, which is free and open to the public.

Iowa Humane Alliance is asking attendees to consider bringing donations of needed "wish list" items for feral cat care givers, including: canned and dry cat food, clean bedding straw, plywood for construction needs and free-will monetary donations. All individuals bringing donations will have their names entered into a drawing for a feral cat basket prize.

The Iowa Humane Alliance Feral Freedom Fest is sponsored in part by Laurie Crawford, in memory of Frankie, a feral kitten rescued on October 16th, 1997 (5/1997-3/16/2011) and by the Johnson County Humane Society.

Saving Lives Workshop - Through Rehabilitation of Undersocialized

and Feral Kittens

Saturday November 9 - FREE!

Clarion Hotel - 525 33rd Ave, Cedar Rapids

1:30pm to 4:30pm

Register by emailing RSVP@nycferalcat.org 

The Saving Lives Workshop, hosted by Iowa Humane Alliance is presented by Mike Phillips of the NYC Feral Cat Initiative and President/Cofounder of the Urban Cat League and is sponsored by the PETCO Foundation. This workshop is free and attendees will learn how to quickly and effectively socialize kittens that may be excessively shy in order to increase their chance for a successful adoption into indoor homes.

Trap/Neuter/Return Project

Week of National Feral Cat Day, October 16, 2013

Iowa Humane Alliance is excited to be working with the city council of a small local community to trap-neuter and return a large colony of cats in their community. Thanks to local donors, IHA is able to provide sterilization surgery, and vaccinations free of charge for fifty community cats. This project will demonstrate the positive effect of TNR for small towns with an overpopulation of stray and feral cats.

Alley Cat Allies, the national advocate for feral or stray cats and the foremost authority on trap-neuter-return, launched National Feral Cat Day in 2001. Hundreds of humane organizations participate each year to bring attention to the plight of feral cats and to demonstrate the effectiveness of spay/neuter as a humane alternative to animal shelter euthanasia as a form of population control. In the Sept/Oct edition of Animal Sheltering, Kate Hurley, D.V.M states that "Knowing that euthanasia of healthy cats neither controls feline population nor protects individual cats, there is freedom in realizing how little we have to lose" in rethinking our approach to managing feral and free roaming cats in our communities.

Iowa Humane Alliance

www.iowahumanealliance.org

Iowa Humane Alliance is dedicated to forging partnerships with humane organizations, municipalities, veterinarians and compassionate individuals to connect the people of Iowa to affordable and accessible programs and services that target the elimination of companion animal homelessness, abuse, and animal shelter overpopulation.

We operate the Iowa Humane Alliance Regional Spay/Neuter Clinic to provide the public, animal shelters and rescue organizations access to high-quality, low-cost spay/neuter services with the goal of lowering the number of animals entering Iowa's animal shelters. The clinic can be reached at 319-363-1225.