Grants for the Care of Feral Cats
The average lifespan of a feral cat is two years, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). During that time, cats can breed fast enough for the population to explode. Cat lovers across the country are attempting to solve the problem by trapping and sterilizing the animals rather than killing them. The ASPCA and other groups offer grants to help fund such programs.
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Size
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America's feral-cat population--defined as animals born into the wild, rather than domestic strays--runs to 60 million, according to the Feral Cat Coalition; a single pair of feral cats could breed a total 400,000 descendants, within seven years. The coalition states that no method of killing feral cats has ever proved 100 percent effective at wiping out a population.
Challenges
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If you want to organize a trap/spay/neuter program, you'll need some way to pay to trap the cats, and then to pay for sterilizing them, unless a local vet wants to donate his services. Organizations such as Pet Smart Charities, the ASPCA and the Handsel Foundation offer grants for sterilization programs. Some grants are quite specific: Pet Smart Charities offers grants directly to clinics, grants for trapping programs and for programs targeting a particular population or area.
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Process
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Many organizations require a two-step application process: Handsel, the ASPCA and Pet Smart Charities all want basic information about your organization and your project before taking a look at a complete application. You may need to provide detailed financial information about your organization--most of these grants go to organized animal-welfare groups, not individuals--and possibly evidence of the feral-cat problem in your community, in order to secure a grant.
Considerations
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Trapping and killing can't cut the feral cat population because new cats will move into the area; a sterile population will keep other cats out, then eventually die off over time. Critics of this approach say the decline is too slow and that it doesn't stop the damage caused by feral cats, such as the reduction in the bird population.
Warning
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Critics of the spay/neuter approach have argued that people who manage or feed feral cat colonies should be held liable if the cats kill any birds considered legally protected species. In theory, the Animal Law website states, it's possible that workers in spay/neuter program could be held liable for any "takings" of endangered or migratory birds but the issue has not, as of early 2011, come before a court.
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