10,000 BC: Like all animals cats have always lived outside. They first wandered off the desert and started helping the fertile crescent farmers with rodent control about 12,000 years ago. Their serendipitous appearance, beauty, charm and good deeds as controllers of rodents captivated the Egyptian farmers hearts who came to regard cats as godlike. The Egyptian cats gradually became domesticated and tuned into human energy (as much as is possible for a cat, anyway). Here is The Natural History of the Cat from Alley Cat Alleys.
Living outside is what cats have done for time eternal until modern innovations allowed some of them to become comfortable 100% indoor pets living with their humans.
1950's : The 1950's brought the invention of cat litter.
1970's : Pets were not typically spayed until the 1970's--the first public U.S. spay and neuter clinic opened in Los Angeles in 1969 — and they had a four-month waiting list of people eager to get their pets sterilized.
1990's : Flea control didn't become efficient until the 1990's.
Thus it is only recently that the beautiful, graceful creatures called the house cat has evolved. What TNR is concerned with is the cats who breed outside and who's kittens become feral, approximately 1/2 of all American cats. Without organized caregivers this can become a tragic situation of surviving cats having many litters of kittens a year - these cats and kittens starve, can become unhealthy, are afraid of close human contact and make kind people wonder why somebody isn't doing something about it.
NO KILL GOAL OF FULTON AND DECALB COUNTIES ANIMAL CONTROL: To achieve this goal aggressive spay and neuter programs are inexpensively and widely available. Practicing TNR&C (trap/neuter/return and care)
is what Fulton and Decalb County Animal Control (run by Lifeline)
actively advocate and the O4W Cat Project actively carries out. As an organization we do TNR&C out of passion and conscience, saving tax payers
many 1000's of dollars a year and have healthy (and fortunately
dwindling numbers) of some very happy felines! Feral cats
DO have a home – outdoors!
Some of the colonies have abandoned sweet indoor cats that wait for the caretaker of the colony to arrive everyday and are able to be petted and picked up. These cats and kittens are absolutely 100% adoptable!
On our site you'll find:
- Quick as well as detailed overviews of TNR&C
- Rescued kittens and cats for great and grateful pets!
- ... and much more!
So take a running leap and dive into our info with all fours...
Latest News
Coyote threat to free roaming cats and small dogs is a grim reality in urban and suburban Atlanta.
From all corners of Atlanta people are reporting free roaming house cats disappearing along with a growing coyote population. Vinings GA has hired trappers to regain pet safe territory. Unwary Ferals are also disappearing with the surviving felines staying closer to parking lots and human activity, understanding that members of their colonies are being eaten and that coyote's are more terrified of human activity than they. It takes a very smart , street and woods savvy cat to survive outdoors in FWW. Under Coyote Watch are articles detailing the situation.
Photos anyone?
Check out our cat-ography gallery! Here are some rockers and rollers!
Above is a movie that gives a quick overview of TNR
TNR Workshops and Videos
Alley Cat Allies is a National Organization that specializes in humane feral cat project implementation and education. Check this out::::Helping Community Cats Workshop
(ABOVE) Example of an Alley Cat Allies Workshop Video: Community Relations, How To Talk About Feral Cats
The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be
judged by the way it's animals are treated.
―Mahatma
Gandhi 1869 – 1948