Advocacy Group Aims to Help Chicago's Cats

By Shannon in Miscellaneous on Apr 15, 2007 5:00PM

Let us make one thing clear: Chicagoist loves the kitties. When we're convinced that some unknown force out there has us directly under its thumb, pinning us helplessly against the asphalt, we need only to look deep into our cat's eyes to restore the rightful balance of the universe. And then she goes for the face.

That's why we're happy about a seminar going on this weekend concerning the welfare of stray cats in Chicago. Truth be told, it's already over at this point, but its ramifications might make ripples far into the future. Alley Cat Allies, a non-profit organization devoted to feral and stray cats, brought their gospel to the Midwest Cat Advocacy Seminar at The Anti-Cruelty Society on Friday and Saturday. They're pushing a different kind of cat population control across the nation, one that eliminates the need for shelters to kill unwanted strays.

Called Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR), the method involves trapping outdoor cats in humane ways, neutering them, and having volunteers take care of them. If proven too feral, the cats would be released back into the world; tame cats would be given to foster homes. Less strays having kittens means less strays overall. According to ACA's press release (PDF), euthanization via shelter kills 7 out of 10 cats in America every year. While Chicago has yet to adopt TNR, County Animal Control director Dan Parmer has an open mind towards the practice, thinking the county board would give a go-ahead sometime this summer. As the owner of a former stray ourselves, we'd hate to think of our little one in line for kitty Death Row. Anything that cuts down on unnecessary cat cruelty in Chicago, we're for it. Now if you'll excuse us, we need some alcohol for these "love taps."

Image via geekgrrl++.