Working Cats
The Working Cats program is the only hope for feral cats to be adopted and placed in safe, secure locations for the rest of their lives! The cost of saving one feral cat and placing that cat in a location for the rest of his/her life is only $300. All cats are recolonized at the location for one month. After that, the new guardians take care of the cats for the rest of their lives.
OUR GOAL IS TO IMMEDIATELY SAVE 40 FERAL CATS! WE HAVE WONDERFUL HOMES FOR ALL OF THEM – ALL WE NEED IS YOUR HELP!
MAKE A CONTRIBUTION TODAY!!
WE CAN’T
DO IT WITHOUT YOUR HELP. WITH YOUR HELP, SO MANY LIVES CAN BE
SAVED.
DONATE HERE TO HELP THE ANIMALS- CLICK ON THE BUTTON
Q: What is a "feral
cat?"
A: A feral cat avoids human
contact either because s/he has lived his/her whole life with little
or no human contact or is a stray cat who was lost or abandoned and
has lived away from human contact long enough to revert to a wild
state. Adult feral cats are unadoptable; therefore, when they are
trapped and brought to the shelter, they are euthanized.
Q: How does
recolonization work?
A: The tendency of feral
cats is to return at all costs to their previous location. To
recolonize them properly, the cats are kept in large holding cages
at the new location for the first 3-4 weeks. During this time period
the cats become accustomed to the sights, sounds and smells of their
new environment. When the cats are released from their cages after
this time period, they stay in their new home, and the new guardians
make a commitment to care for the cats for the rest of their lives.
"Your assistance with the introduction and acclimation of our feral cats
has been invaluable to our organization. As part of a
large City based entity, it would be difficult for our
personnel to apply the knowledge, and time -consuming
efforts, necessary to achieve the desired results. We
have greatly benefited from your organization's
assistance and involvement in establishing our feral cat
program. We couldn't have done it without your help."
Captain Kirk Albanese,
Commanding Officer Foothill Area, LAPD
Working Cats Program In the News:
Video:
Check out our Working Cats on CNN here
Newspaper:
"Who let the cats out? An idea blossoms at Flower Mart" "Cats taking
care of frisky business" By Mariel Garza. Read full article
"Rat Patrol: Feral Cats Nip a Problem in the Flower District" By Bob
Pool. Read full article
"Fe-9 team called in for rat control" By Dana Bartholomew.Read
full article
"The Feral Felines have been introduced.." By Carla Hall. Read full article
The
Working Cats Program relocates sterilized and vaccinated feral
cats who would otherwise have been euthanized at the shelter to places
that have problems with rats. The rats are repelled by the cats' odor
and leave. Compared to the methods that are most commonly used to
control rats, this method proves to be effective, humane and
environmentally friendly. It is a win-win-win situation!
Our
program began at the Flower Mart in downtown Los Angeles, where they had
a problem with rats since 1909. Through a carefully managed
recolonization plan, we brought in feral cats who have been wonderfully
successful at keeping the rats away (rats will avoid areas with cats).
Scott Yamabe, CEO of South California Growers Association, was
skeptical at first, but was soon enthusiastic about the program.
