Support Caretakers... Report Feeders

Many years ago the term "cat feeder" brought imaged of the "crazy cat lady" dumping bowls of food outside, breeding kittens and making a mess. 30 years ago we started to try to make a real difference in the lives of cats by implementing TNR and changing the image of "cat ladies" to that of a person trying to solve the feral cat problem in a humane and responsible fashion.

Some where the animal advocacy world lost it's way. More and more people support feeding with out fixing and often supply food to people who drive around cities feeding unfixed cats. Feeding and not fix creates an even bigger problem! The more food the more cats. We hear every excuse there is for feeding and breeding. (https://www.whiskersrescue.org/post/when-did-free-become-not-good-enough) but at the end of the day the only way to solve this problem is to make sure every feeder is responsible.

Over the years we have created a HUGE divide between "cat lovers" and who are now called "cat haters". Often times those accused of hating cats simply hate have 100 of them breeding on their property and don't actually hate cats. It is time to start drawing the line where it should have always been placed. We need to recognize the division between caretakers who are responsibly feeding, vetting and fixing feral cats with out trespassing and those who opt to feed (often with out permission of property owners) and perpetuate the ever increasing number of suffering cats on our streets. The only real numbers available in NJ show the numbers are rising. (https://www.whiskersrescue.org/blog/search/rabies)

If you really love cats you should recognize that forcing cats to live with no medical care to breed huge colonies and spread diseases on the streets is NOT caretaking. The good intentions of feeders mean nothing to a cat dying from infected battle wounds that could have been prevented with a simple neuter. Feeding alone makes the problem worse in so many ways.

1. encourage cats to congregate in huge groups to draw attention

2. increase surviving numbers of kittens through increased food supply

3 large congregations are the ideal set up for the spread of disease throughout the population and encourage fighting between unfixed cats

4 Feeding alone does not prevent slow painful deaths that occur with no

medical care.

5. breeding large colonies in towns with little to no legal means to deal with

cats sets them up for people who out of desperation poison, trap and dump,

worse

As a cat community we need to start demanding more of each other. We need to start demanding that if you feed them you fix them! The choice to feed comes with responsibility. It will be work, it will take many hours and it will be inconvenient but it was a choice. We understand finances are an issue and TNR is not convenient with a veterinary shortage but when offered help for free it should never be rejected and in cases where it is the "feeders" who refuse to do more should be reported for animal cruelty which does include refusal to provide proper medical care for animals you feed.

It's time to go back to advocating for cats and not applauding good intentions that do more harm to the animals we all love.