The number of cats impounded at the Southern Ocean County Animal Shelter in Manahawkin has decreased dramatically in the few years the Friends of the Southern Ocean County Animal Shelter has hosted its Trap Neuter Return program on Long Beach Island.
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| Photo by Jack Reynolds Kelly Karch, Stafford Township Animal Control officer, transports a cat in Warren Grove. |
A total of 36 cats were brought to the shelter in 2015 compared to 156 cats in 2011, according to Stafford Township Animal Control, which also provides services to towns on LBI, except Ship Bottom and Surf City. The number of cats impounded at the shelter dropped to 105 in 2012, which is the same year the Friends implemented the TNR program on LBI in Harvey Cedars via a mobile veterinary unit. That number decreased by nearly half in 2013, when 51 cats were brought in. In 2014, only 38 cats were impounded.
About 75 percent of all cats in shelters across the United States will be euthanized, said Kelly Karch, Stafford Township Animal Control officer, who addressed Friends volunteers and interested members of the public during a presentation at the Island Branch of the Ocean County Library in Surf City on Wednesday, Jan. 27.
“As the numbers of cats being brought to the (Manahawkin) shelter continues to decrease, one can only hope that 2016 impounds will continue to be at a record low,” she stated, noting Superstorm Sandy likely had an impact on the local cat population as well. “We may never achieve trapping every single cat on LBI, but I believe we are getting closer and closer. The more people becoming aware of TNR and getting involved will make this program continue to succeed.”
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| Photo by Jack Reynolds A cat is trapped and readied to be neutered. |
The TNR program involves humanely trapping feral cats, having them spayed or neutered, vaccinated and ear-tipped for visual identification, and then returning them to the outdoors, where they are overseen by colony caretakers. Providing water is especially important since there is no fresh water on the Island, said Dottie Reynolds, president of the Friends group.
Trapping is conducted throughout the year, and it is important to housebreak kittens before they become feral, she stated. Feral cats are not domesticated and therefore cannot be adopted. Unspayed female cats can potentially have 18 kittens a year. If homeless, they may get sick or injured and die.
Cats found in poor health or with a communicable disease are put down, though Reynolds said it is only a small percentage.
Since getting involved with the TNR program three years ago, local resident Sue Douthitt has helped about 60 cats and kittens on the south end of the Island, from Peahala Park through Holgate.
“It’s very gratifying because you know they’re out there struggling to survive,” she said.
Out of the 477 calls animal control responded to on LBI this past year, 141 were cat-related. Forty-three cats were impounded at the shelter, 17 were found deceased, 48 of the calls were nuisance-related, six cats were returned to their owners and 23 were taken in for TNR. No cats were picked up or impounded from Harvey Cedars.
The most common complaints are due to cats roaming around on private property, but there is no documented damage for 80 percent of those calls, said Karch.
When responding to nuisance issues in the vicinity of a TNR colony, animal control officers usually inform the resident about different deterrent methods that can be used. The colony caretaker as well as the Friends group are contacted to try to resolve the issue. Arrangements can be made to have unfixed cats spayed or neutered.
A common misconception is that caretakers will get in trouble for having TNR cats or that their cats will be taken away, Karch said. But most animal control agencies support TNR and animal welfare organizations.
“Our department is very involved with the Long Beach Island TNR efforts,” she stated. “We also lend traps and transport feral cats on and off for residents who have decided to become caretakers.”
Smaller TNR efforts are conducted on the mainland as well. Assistance is being provided through Stafford Veterinary Hospital to a group of about 20 cats in Warren Grove. This is animal control's largest TNR endeavor in Stafford Township, Karch noted.
Discounted TNR services are also provided to the Friends through Barnegat Animal Clinic, Ocean Acres Veterinary Office and Berkeley Veterinary Center.
Fosters that help care for and socialize kittens for adoption are also essential to the TNR program.
“If we have no one to take care of them, we can’t rescue them,” said Reynolds.
Since joining the Friends in 2005, Mary Ensminger has helped foster 120 cats with her husband Rick at their home in the Beach Haven Gardens section of Long Beach Township. She helped bottle feed seven kittens this past spring. Two unfortunately passed away because they were too sick.
Although fostering can be demanding since young kittens need to be bottle fed every two to three hours for the first couple weeks, Ensminger said it is “extremely rewarding because they respond to you immediately.”
“Some people say they really like kittens but don’t really like cats. Well, here’s your chance to have kittens that’ll go off to hopefully their forever homes and turn into cats,” said Reynolds. “There’s a job for everybody, even if you’re allergic to cats,” she added.
For more information about the TNR program, call 609-494-0146 or 609-597-6040. For kitten fostering, contact 609-978-2474, and for bottle baby fosters, call 973-809-1990.
— Kelley Anne Essinger
This article was published in The SandPaper.
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