
Community Cat Program

The ASTRO Foundation has partnered with the City of Oakdale Animal Shelter and Best Friends Animal Society to implement a community cat program (CCP) to replace trap and removal services with shelter-neuter-vaccinate-return for impounded cats, data focused trap-neuter-vaccinate-return (TNVR) and/or TNVR in lieu of intake throughout the city limits of Oakdale, Riverbank and Escalon, CA.
Our foundation is proud to work with Best Friends Animal Society, The City of Oakdale Animal Shelter, citizens, volunteers, and TNR groups to help control the community cat population through spay and neuter. Cats in the Community Cat Program receive spay or neuter surgery, left ear tip*, vaccines, wellness exam, and food during their stay.
*A left ear tip indicates that a cat has been spayed/neutered, providing an easy to recognize, visual reference*
Benefits of Spaying/Neutering
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Prevents unwanted litters
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Saves taxpayer dollars by keeping cats out of municipal shelters
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Decreases the number of cats needlessly dying in shelters
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Helps improve the health of outdoor cats
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Reduces nuisance behaviors like spraying, fighting, howling, and roaming
Solutions to Cat Related Issues- The Value of TNR
Whether you love or loathe community cats, trap/neuter/return (TNR) is the most effective and humane way to reduce the number of community cats and reduce nuisance behaviors. Male cats are no longer competing or fighting with each other, spraying urine or roaming blocks away from their neighborhood. Females no longer yowl to seek a mate and no longer have kittens, of course. These behaviors are typically reduced immediately and eliminated only a month after the surgery. Additionally, TNR provides vaccines, so the cats are healthier and do not pose a threat to public health.
The Vacuum Effect
The traditional approach to feral cats, “catch and kill”, won’t keep an area free of cats for long. Catch and kill is inhumane and creates a vacuum, as do attempts to “relocate” cats. Once the cats are removed from a territory, other cats move in to take advantage of the newly available resources and breed, forming a new colony. Known as the vacuum effect, this is a documented phenomenon in a variety of animals throughout the world. Catch and kill is an endless and costly cycle.
Humane Deterrents
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Scare Crow: This motion activated sprinkler has an infrared sensor that releases a three-second blast of water. The sprinkler “fires” 1,000 times on one 9-volt battery and covers an area of 35 feet by 45 feet. It’s available at contech-inc.com
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CatStop: This motion activated, ultrasonic alarm emits a high frequency sound that repels cats but can’t be heard by humans. A 9-volt battery can operate up to 9 months, depending on usage. It’s available at contech-inc.com.
For more information on how to live with cats in your neighborhood go to:
The ASTRO Foundation fundraises for TNR initiatives outside of this Community Cat Program. Use the button below if you would like to support these efforts.