Kitten season is here! This time of year, advocates work harder than ever. From spring through late summer, kittens are born at a rapid rate. In southern states, kitten season lasts 10 months out of the year! We all love kittens, and the idea of charming little fuzzballs tottering around our

neighborhoods sounds adorable. But in reality, neonatal kittens (kittens up to four weeks old) are fragile and need round-the-clock care. They face many dangers—and animal shelters are one of the largest.

Well-meaning people see kittens outdoors and bring them to shelters, not knowing that most shelters lack the programs to save their lives. The heartbreaking truth is most young kittens brought into shelters are killed. And the volume of kittens coming in during kitten season is staggering.

“During peak kitten season, we would receive up to 40 kittens a day at our shelter in Reno,” said Bonney Brown, past Executive Director of the Nevada Humane Society. The NHS started a dynamic foster care program for bottle babies as well as a TNR program. Now the number of kittens arriving at the shelter has drastically decreased.

Alley Cat Allies helps save kittens by providing training on proper neonatal kitten care for shelter staff and volunteers, and helping shelters implement programs to stop the killing. Many shelters have already adopted lifesaving programs, so ask your local shelter staff how they care for kittens. If they don’t have a program in place, speak up and encourage them to create one to save kittens’ lives. And as always, Alley Cat Allies is teaching communities about the value of Trap-Neuter-Return, the best way to protect kittens.

THE KITTENS ARE COMING

(continued on page 3)

Alley Cat Allies’ Feral Friends Network is the largest network for cat assistance in the world! Our nearly 1,600 Feral Friends are helping communities protect cats with TNR, advocacy, colony care, and more. Find Feral Friends in your area at alleycat.org/FeralFriend.

St. George’s University Feral Cat Project is a student-run organization carrying out TNR all over Grenada! Supervised veterinary students trap, neuter, vaccinate, and return community cats on their own time, while gaining valuable surgery experience for their future careers. In December, Alley Cat Allies hosted a special webinar just for the students to provide them with the tools they need to help cats. We congratulate them for their amazing work!

ALLEY CAT ALLIES ORGANIZES LARGEST CAT ASSISTANCE NETWORK

Darling looks typical of a two-week-old kitten. His ears are flat and his eyes are starting to fully open.

ALLEY CAT ACTIONAlley Cat Al l ies Newsletter • www.al leycat.org • SPRING 2016For Alley Cat Allies’ Over 600,000 Supporters and Activists

A St. George’s University student returns a spayed cat to her outdoor home. The University’s student-run TNR project has helped community cats all over Grenada.

Alley Cat Allies is the global leader in cat protection because of your support. As our thanks to you, this Spring Issue of Alley Cat Action brings you stories that will inspire and motivate you, and highlights just a few of the programs made possible through your generous donations.

Here are a few more ways you can help the cats: In February, I traveled to Australia and spoke at the Helen Woodward Animal Center’s Business of Saving Lives Conference to support the country’s community cat advocates. Australia is in the midst of a government-sanctioned plan to kill two million outdoor cats by 2020. You can speak out against the killing by signing our pledge at www.alleycat.org/Australia.

It’s springtime, which means Kitten Season is in full swing! Kittens are being born faster than ever this time of year, but many people don’t know what to do when they find kittens outside. In this issue, you’ll learn how you can help—and we hope you spread the word! Be sure to read about the special Wait Until 8 program—supported by Alley Cat Allies—at Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center in Florida (www.hillsboroughcounty.org/animalservices). We hope this new, lifesaving program will sweep the country and inspire other shelters. You can help by asking your local shelter staff if they have a kitten care program. If they don’t, ask them to contact us at www.alleycat.org/Response. We can guide them through the process of setting one up!

Never underestimate the power of one. The movement to protect cats is successful because individuals like you take the time to help cats and educate others. Share our “How Old Is That Kitten” poster with all your friends and family. We have many more educational tools and resources for you at www.alleycat.org/Kittens.

Finally, spring may be in the air, but October is just around the corner! As always, National Feral Cat Day® is October 16—and it’s never too early to start planning! In this issue, you’ll get a sneak peek at the theme of our 16th National Feral Cat Day®: “All Cats. All Communities.”

Thank you so much for your voice and your support.

For the cats,

Becky Robinson, President and Founder

ALLEY CAT ACTION, Volume 26, Issue #3, SPRING 2016

7920 Norfolk Ave., Suite 600 • Bethesda, MD 20814-2525 Tel: 240-482-1980 • Fax: 240-482-1990www.alleycat.org/GetHelp

PRESIDENT: Becky Robinson VICE PRESIDENT: Donna Wilcox BOARD MEMBERS: Karyen Chu, PhD; Irina Dline; Rachel Gorlin; Patricia E. Kauffman; Dina Paxenos; Becky Robinson; Donna Wilcox

Alley Cat Allies is proud to have earned the highest rating of four stars from Charity Navigator, the nation’s largest and most respected charity evaluator. Join us and our more than 600,000 supporters at www.alleycat.org.

© 2016 ALLEY CAT ALLIES

All rights reserved. We may make this material available for use by other groups, but none of it may be reproduced in any format without specific written permission from Alley Cat Allies.

Alley Cat Allies is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and tax-exempt organization. Alley Cat Allies’ federal employer ID number is 52-1742079. All contributions, donations, and gifts are tax deductible, as allowed by law.

It is Alley Cat Allies’ practice to exchange the names of our donors with other charities that share our values. We do this in order to both expand our donor base and spread our mission, and to support those charities that we feel are working toward the good of animals and our community. Please notify us if you would prefer that we not share your name. We would be happy to remove your information from our exchange list.

OUR MISSION: To transform and develop communities to protect and improve the lives of cats.

OUR GOALS: 1) Reform public policies and institutions to serve the best interests of cats; 2) Expand and promote cat care; 3) Increase understanding of cats to change attitudes and eliminate misconceptions.

2 • ALLEY CAT ACTION

Connect with me onlinefacebook.com/ACAPresident

instagram.com/FeralBecky

twitter.com/FeralBecky

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

The Blizzard KittensJanuary’s historic blizzards hit many on the East Coast hard—including four tiny week-old kittens near Washington D.C. When a compassionate family found the kittens huddled together in a window well outside, their mother not in sight, they took action. They brought the kittens inside and bottle fed them through the night.

Alley Cat Allies staff memberRebekah DeHaven lives near the

family and was quick to help. She set up a humane trap

and was able to catch the kittens’ mother. With mom and kittens reunited, the kittens got the care they needed to grow up strong and healthy. Today the kittens—Pie, Blizzard,

Kelly, and Chester—are much bigger and living

happily in their forever homes! Their mother, Mama

Mia, was spayed, eartipped, and returned to her outdoor home. The people who found them all are now her caregivers.

All four blizzard kittens are healthy and safe, and placed in homes in Maryland and Virginia.

How Old Is That Kitten?Kittens have different needs at every stage of their growth, so determining their age is important—but not always easy. That’s why we created our new Kitten Progression Poster—that you may have already received in the mail—as a fun and simple way to help figure out a kitten’s age! It shows the week-by-week growth process, with pictures and short descriptions of the milestones of each age.

Remember: When a kitten is eight weeks old and at least two pounds, it’s time to spay or neuter!

“Tens of thousands of orphaned kittens are surrendered to shelters annually, and the vast majority come from community cat situations. TNR is the best hope we have of reducing these numbers,” said Susan Spaulding, a founder of the National Kitten Coalition. The Coalition provides training and education on kitten care to shelters, volunteers, rescue groups, and fosters. It receives daily requests for help during kitten season. Learn more about the Coalition’s great work at www.felineore.org.

We’re working to save even more kittens this kitten season, and we’re thankful to have you join us. Want to learn what to do if you find kittens outdoors? Check out www.alleycat.org/Kittens for tips and information.

Protecting Kittens With a Wait Until 8 ProgramWith our help in early 2015, the Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center in Florida enacted its Wait Until 8 program that is saving hundreds of kittens! The program empowers people to care for neonatal kittens until they are eight weeks old—the safe

age for spay/neuter—before bringing them to the shelter. Now when someone brings in neonatal kittens, shelter staff provides them with instructions and a free Alley Cat Allies “kitten care kit” of formula, bottles, and more. Once the kittens are eight weeks old, caregivers can bring them back to be neutered and adopted.

We hope Hillsborough County’s program will be a model for other shelters and save even more kittens!

(continued from page 1)

• 3 •

THE KITTENS ARE COMING ...

Download a pdf or buy our new 11”x17” poster at www.alleycat.org/Shop.

How Old is that Kitten?Newborn one week Two weeks Three weeks Four weeks

Five Weeks Six weeks Seven Weeks Eight weeks Nine weeks

When kittens are first born they are completely helpless —their eyes are closed, their ears are folded, and they can’t stand, keep themselves warm or eat on their own. They rely on mom for everything!

Darling is starting to become more aware of his surroundings! At about seven days old, a kitten’s ears will unfold and their eyes may start to open.

Look at those blue peepers! Darling’s eyes are fully open, and he is taking his first wobbly steps. Kittens this age start interacting more with each other, but still need mom.

Darling’s now playing with his siblings and getting more mobile. You should be able to tell if kittens are boys or girls. You can start providing a litter box and wet food.

Look how much Darling has grown! At four weeks kittens are sturdy on their feet and playing with each other, toys, and people.

Get ready for a lot of fun! Darling is now full of energy and plays exuberantly. Interacting with people is important for kittens at this age. Darling is developing lots of personality!

Every day Darling is getting more sure of himself through socialization and play. He’s using the litter box and eating cat food – though he still visits mom for snacks and comfort.

Darling is almost fully weaned, and continues to play and learn. Being introduced to new people, places in the home, and other pets is an important part of socialization.

Two pounds! Darling now weighs enough to be neutered. He’s also getting more skilled and adventurous. Darling is learning so much from his mom, siblings, and human caregiver.

Looking pretty grown-up, Darling! At this age kittens are behaving and using their body language like adult cats. Darling is eating all solid food, and his eyes have gone from blue to yellow.

Darling is fully weaned, neutered, and—because he was socialized to people—ready for his loving adoptive home. They grow up so fast!

Ten weeks

Kittens are adorable at any age, but did you know that figuring out how old a kitten is can help determine what sort of care they need? It can be tricky to tell, but our at-a-glance kitten progression chart, featuring Darling the kitten, is here to help you out!

Get even more details (and cute pics!) with our week-by-week kitten progression resource at alleycat.org/KittenProgression

so fragile!

a littlewobbly!

let’splay!

so grown

up!ready to take on the world!

IN YOUR BACKYARD

Teaming Up to Save Chained Cats in Rockingham County, Virginia

A group of owned cats who were chained to wooden boxes generated widespread outcry on social media last October. Thanks to Alley Cat Allies and a number of partner organizations, the cats now live in dramatically better conditions in a large outdoor fenced enclosure. Free to play, run, and rest outside on cat trees and furniture, the six cats—Roger, Sassy May, Lilly, Frady Cat, Gizmo, and Tinker—are protected by their enclosure, which has a pivoting arched top to ensure that they cannot escape. Alley Cat Allies worked with the Richmond Animal League, Voices for Animals, Best Friends Animal Society, local mayor Wayne Printz, and Purrfect Fence to obtain and install the fenced enclosure.

With your support, Alley Cat Allies is working with advocates in communities across the nation to protect cats.

Supportive Laws in El Paso, TexasThe city government of El Paso, Texas, has adopted Trap-Neuter-Return as official policy! The City Council voted unanimously to amend the city’s animal ordinances to include protections for community cats and their caregivers. The ordinances now include special policies for eartipped cats that will keep them out of shelters. An eartip is part of the veterinary protocol for cats who go through TNR programs.

The amendments also protect caregivers by excluding TNR’d cats from the definition of abandonment. El Paso Animal Services has already begun enacting protocols to protect community cats, and these changes will help them save more lives. Alley Cat Allies provided months of guidance to the city and activists. We are extremely proud of this achievement. Special thanks to the El Paso city councilmembers, Sun City Cats, and Kurt Fenstermacher, Interim Director of Animal Services, for their hard work!

Roger and Gizmo enjoying their new enclosure, free from their previous chains.

“As people realize that Trap-Neuter-Return

reduces the community cat population …

and saves taxpayer dollars, we’re sure

that support for this program will grow.”

Sun City Cats, TNR organization in El Paso, Texas

ALLEY CAT ACTION • 4

Eartipped cats, like Sylvester, are protected under El Paso’s new TNR ordinance.

ALLEY CAT ACTION • 5

SAVE THE DATE CAT FILM FESTLast November, we brought together cat lovers of all kinds at the wildly popular Internet Cat Video Festival. Our screening of the Internet’s best cat videos, curated and produced by the Walker Art Center, was so popular that both showings sold out and the theater asked us to host a third showing! Over 1,200 people met our mascot Frank the Feral, learned about community cats, and had loads of laughs.

Mark your calendars! National Feral Cat Day®

is October 16. This year is going to be bigger than ever—visit NationalFeralCatDay.org for more information. #FeralCatDay

Right now, Australia’s government is in the process of killing two million cats by 2020 with cruel methods, including poison, in an ineffective attempt to save endangered wildlife. You can help us speak out against this program by signing our new pledge. The pledge calls for Australia to end the killing, support nonlethal methods, and address the real threat to the country’s wildlife—habitat destruction. By signing, you tell the world that you want to protect cats and oppose the cruel plan to kill them. As the cats’ leading advocate, Alley Cat Allies pledges to work to end the killing of Australia’s cats. Join us.

Visit alleycat.org/Australia to sign the pledge.

FIGHTING FOR CATS IN AUSTRALIA

16TH ANNUAL

National Feral Cat Day®

All Cats. All Communities.OCTOBER 16, 2016

Pearl is a community cat in Australia.

PURRS to the FBI for now tracking animal cruelty cases as it does crimes like homicide, arson, burglary, and assault.

HISSES to the Lincoln County Shelter in North Carolina for neglect that caused hundreds of animals to die in the shelter in 2015.

HISSES AND PURRS The stories of those who deserve to be celebrated...and scorned.

SAVE A CAT WITH A MOUSE With just a few clicks, you can make a difference in cats’ lives and their communities. Here are some online resources to help you on your way:

CONNECT—Join us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. www.alleycat.org/SocialNetworking

DONATE—Support cats nationwide.www.alleycat.org/Donate

LEARN—Advocate for cats in your community.www.alleycat.org/CommunityChange

TAKE ACTION—Receive our FeralPower! action alerts and other emails. www.alleycat.org/SignUp$

• 6 •

THE GIFT OF A LIFETIME FOR CATS AND KITTENS Karl Gerds has been an active donor to Alley Cat Allies since 1999. After years of generous support, Karl chose to include Alley Cat Allies in his will so he can leave a lifesaving legacy and continue helping cats into the future.

Karl, the Stacks Supervisor at Boston University School of Law Libraries, lives in Massachusetts with his wife, Beth, and their orange tabby, Wally. A cat lover since 1983, he was

first drawn to Alley Cat Allies by the uniqueness of our focus on cats—especially community cats. Armed with new knowledge about our cause, Karl and Beth were inspired to help us protect cats around the nation.

Today, Karl still believes that Alley Cat Allies is one of a kind, and feels he has grown along with us as he supported our progress over the years. He most

appreciates our boots-on-the-ground advocacy, and offers his continued support so we can keep helping cat lovers like him protect the animals they care about.

“I’m hoping our little drop in the bucket might help,” said Karl. “If we can do a little bit to help you guys who are doing such amazing work, and the people on the ground that you help, hopefully we can get closer to the day when cats aren’t killed.”

Giving Cats a Future

Generous donors like Karl give us the resources to continue saving cats’ lives around the nation and the world. By naming Alley Cat Allies as a beneficiary in your will, you invest in the future health and wellbeing of our nation’s cats and kittens. Anyone can make a bequest and no amount is too small.

Visit alleycat.org/PlannedGiving for more information. To learn more about your giving options, contact us at 1-866-309-6207 or donate@alleycat.org.

PURRS to the Maryland Department of Agriculture for awarding $600,000 to

nonprofits to fund spay/neuter services for community cats across the state.

Karl Gerds, who generously chose to include Alley Cat Allies in his will, pictured here with his cat, Wally.