As you can see, our TNR guests are treated very well. Only the best accommodations for our feline friends. They will soon be fixed and vaccinated... ready to live a life of ease. And never, again, contributing to the overpopulation problem. #tnrworks Humane Society of Marion County Florida Marion County Animal Services Quality of Life Rehab & Foster, Inc. Sheltering Hands, Inc. VOCAL - Voices of Change Animal League, Ocala
The veterinary team at Sheltering Hands, Inc. performed 30 TNR surgeries for CATT Marion on Saturday. Once the cats had recovered, they were all given a nice supper. We tucked them in for the evening in the climate controlled holding room that is adjacent to the clinic. Our team affectionately calls this room "the Back Porch".
These 30 cats will be tended and cleaned in the morning and given breakfast. They will recieve multiple rounds of "room service" prior to their release on Sunday night to their respective colonies. These services are provided to the caretaker at no expense through the partnership of our alliance.
We are always looking for help with this important work and we would love for you to join us at Team CATT if you can volunteer to fill one of the many duties associated with TNR work.
Thank you to our partners:
Humane Society of Marion County Florida
Marion County Animal Services
Quality of Life Rehab & Foster, Inc.
Sheltering Hands, Inc
VOCAL - Voices of Change Animal League, Ocala
What is TNR?
TNR is the practice of trap, neuter, return of community cats. The animals are sterilized, vaccinated and eartipped before being returned to their familiar territory. This practice is not only humane, it is also a more sensible approach to preventing a vacuum effect that could go on, indefinitely.
What is a vacuum effect?
When a colony of community cats is trapped and removed from their environment, it creates a vacuum. Outlying cats will filter in and take the place of the cats that were removed. When a colony is "stabilized" through TNR, it creates a biological "dead zone" while the resources, themselves, are not made available to a new wave of cats.
Our mission is to maintain an aggressive TNR effort in Marion county. The more volunteers we have, the more work we can accomplish!
Visit www.CATTmarion.org to register your colony of 10 or more cats. We want to thank all of the amazing volunteers that are making this effort possible! We are gaining momentum and growing and that is because of you all!
And a debt of gratitude to our CATT Marion partners:
Humane Society of Marion County Florida
Marion County Animal Services
Quality of Life Rehab & Foster, Inc.
Sheltering Hands, Inc.
VOCAL - Voices of Change Animal League, Ocala
CATT Marion is an alliance of local partners working in concert to tackle the overwhelming cat population problem in Marion county. Through the hard work and dedication of these partners, we have been able to trap, neuter and return well over 1000 cats.
We need help with this mission. There are many ways to help and we would love to have you!
Emails, phone calls, cat care, transportation and trapping. Wen probably have a position with your name on it:)
CATT Marion partners include:
Humane Society of Marion County Florida
Marion County Animal Services
Quality of Life Rehab & Foster, Inc.
Sheltering Hands, Inc.
VOCAL - Voices of Change Animal League, Ocala
Making a positive impact in the community and promoting humane solutions to man made problems. CATT Marion is dedicated to sterilization of ALL community cats and improving their overall quality of life through veterinary intervention. #TNR #sameteam #TNRworks
Did you know that cats are better neighbors when they have been TNR'ed?
That's right! Cats like Tigger, here, stop fighting and spraying. Kittens aren't born and the cats start to live a healthier life.
Tigger is just one of countless tomcats that we gave seen come in for TNR services... he had obvious injuries from fighting and we were so happy to help change the direction of his life. He was seen at Sheltering Hands and received wound care, neuter, antibiotic injection, rabies and distemper vaccines, flea treatment and an ear tip. During his stay he also enjoyed limitless room service and he was later returned to his colony... a new man!
Open Invite!!
* CATT Marion * Trapper Meeting Thursday
May 2nd
6pm
1609 SE 3rd Ave, Ocala FL 34471
We want to openly invite anyone that has an interest: come learn about our effort in community cat TNR! Stop in and see what role you can fill and how you can help with the ownerless cats population in Marion County. You would be surprised to learn about everything that goes into this work (and how few of us are pulling it off, right now).
*TRAPPERS
*PRE AND POST OP CARE
*TRANSPORT
*PHONE
We need engaged community members and local animal welfare organizations!!
WE NEED YOU!
Come trap for us and you can work with handsome guys, like Brad, here.
Our trappers are out tonight, rounding out the head count for the 40 TNR surgeries at Marion County tomorrow. 24 cats have already been trapped and are safely tucked away at Sheltering Hands, where they are enjoying the room service while they wait.
As "guests" of CATT Marion... Brad and his colony mates will be fixed, fully vaccinated, flea treatment and an eartip tomorrow. Once they are done, they will be transported back to Sheltering Hands for a 24 hour recovery period, prior to their return to thier respective colony locations Wednesday evening.
This life changing work is made possible by the CATT Marion partners:
❤️ Humane Society of Marion County Florida
❤️ Marion County Animal Services
❤️ Quality of Life Rehab & Foster, Inc.
❤️ Sheltering Hands, Inc.
❤️ VOCAL - Voices of Change Animal League, Ocala
We are a little late in posting for #NationalFeralCatDay but we wanted to take a moment to share with you this pawsome video...
Here you see the release of 11 (of the 26 total) cats captured for TNR, last week, by our trappers. This colony still has a few adults and four litters of kittens that need sterilization. Our work, here, is not yet finished.
Surgeries for the cats in this clip was provided by the team at Humane Society of Marion County. Also donating surgery to this weekend's cats was Sheltering Hands. Teamwork is moving mountains for the community cats in our county!
CATT Marion is an alliance that has been formed between
Humane Society of Marion County Florida
Marion County Animal Services
Quality of Life Rehab & Foster, Inc.
Sheltering Hands, Inc.
VOCAL - Voices of Change Animal League, Ocala
Our objective is to tackle the spay/neuter of the enormous ownerless cat population in Marion County, FL. It is estimated that apx 250,000 stray/feral cats call Marion County home.
Do you feed cats that you don't actually own? As a few cats somehow turned into a small army? We can help!
Stop the Cycle!
Register your colony of 10 or more with us at www.CATTmarion.org
This is an unusual case and we wanted to share it with everyone. We had a report from a colony caretaker about a kitten missing a leg! It was impossible to know what the reality of the situation was until we could get the kitten trapped but, suffice to say, we were all at attention. The photo that was sent by the caretaker clearly showed the kitten missing its right front leg... an alarming visual, for sure!
It goes without saying that this case demanded immediate action. The drop trap was chosen for this situation and after about 90 minutes... this intelligent little tripod was captured safely! She has since been to the Sheltering Hands clinic for exam and is doing quite well! We have a dashcam video of her capture, as well, that we will share if we can compress it or shorten it.
CATT Marion has been working in the Marion County community since December and the only thing that limits us, at this time, is our need for trappers. If you have a desire to help with TNR, we want to hear from you! Just drop us a message through Facebook!!
We want the community to know that we are open to registration of cat colonies numbering 10 or more. Cats who be spayed/neutered, given rabies/FVRCP vaccines and flea treatment. The cats will be RETURNED! You can register your colony at www.cattmarion.org and be a part of the homeless cat population solution!!
Thank you to our coalition partners:
❤️ Marion County Animal Services
❤️ Sheltering Hands, Inc.
❤️ VOCAL - Voices of Change Animal League, Ocala
❤️ Humane Society of Marion County Florida
❤️ Quality of Life Rehab & Foster, Inc.
*this kitten is not fit for return and will be placed through an adoption program
Its been awhile since our last post, but the team at CATT Marion hasn't stopped working! Our trappers have been working a few locations, this weekend, for surgeries at Sheltering Hands. We hope you enjoy this compilation clip of a colony of 10 in Ocala trapped on Saturday.
Our coalition has been responsible for more than 500 cats being TNR'ed since December 2022. That's a lot of ownerless cats that won't be reproducing on the streets of our community. BRAVO!
We have been working on so many things and we are proud to announce the launch of our website:
www.MarionCATT.com
Pop over and you can learn more about our mission and our partners!
* Sheltering Hands, Inc.
* Quality of Life Rehab & Foster, Inc.
* VOCAL - Voices of Change Animal League, Ocala
* Humane Society of Marion County Florida
* Marion County Animal Services
3 - 28 - 48
3 CATT partner trappers spent a combined total of 28 hours in the field and caught 48 cats for health-bettering spay/neuter surgery. That was just ONE night trapping at ONE location.
No matter the weather, in the cold, in the rain, or in the middle of the night, CATT partners strive to make a difference.
The benefit for these cats and the community at large is tremendous! They will live healthier lives because of the surgery, and the overpopulation of cats in the community will be slowed.
The work does not stop there. Trapping is needed at many more locations and there are countless cats in need of surgery. CATT organizations are working hard but need YOUR help.
Donate today and help us positively impact the lives of these cats. Every dollar matters. Every bit helps.
A donation to any member organization directly benefits the process. Links for each member organization are below.
Humane Society of Marion County Florida
www.theHSMC.org
Marion County Animal Services
https://animalservices.marionfl.org/home-animalservices
Melissa Bell's Rescue, Inc.
www.melissabellsrescue.org
Quality of Life Rehab & Foster, Inc.
www.qualityofliferehab.com
Sheltering Hands, Inc.
www.shelteringhands.org
VOCAL - Voices of Change Animal League, Ocala
www.vocalforpets.org
#tnrworks #trapneuterreturn #cooperativerescue #TNR #bethechangeyouwishtosee #cattmarion #cattcoalition #marioncounty #marioncountyfl #cats