National Feral Cat Day: Helping The Pioneer Valley and Beyond

This month, National Feral Cat Day is October 16th.

Rooted in innovative care for shelter animals as well as the pets and people of our community, Dakin is constantly working to make new ideas a reality.

This year, we’ve begun work on a new program, The Kitten Street Team. The aim of this team of specially-trained volunteers is to assist our local communities in controlling feral cat populations. TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return) is a humane and effective way to prevent unwanted litters of kittens born outside year after year.

The process involves monitoring active feral cat colonies, collecting data, and working with local residents to learn more about the cats that live there. At this time, humane traps are set up and the team works to trap as many members of the colony as possible at the same time. They will then receive spay/neuter surgery, recovery time, vaccines to protect them from rabies, and an ear tip before release. The ear tip is a painless procedure completed while the cat is under anesthesia. It is a universal symbol to future TNR workers that that kitty has already gone through a program. TNR keeps adult feral cats safe and healthy and prevents a future of critically ill, orphaned kittens.

Through the ongoing support of our community and our supporters, Dakin will continue making strides toward a more humane community for feral cats and the people who care about them.