"-- What should I do? I also would like to neuter and spay them but don't know how or even if I have the money. How can I keep them warm as well? Any suggestions? " FERAL4
(Alameda, CA-October 9, 2000). A whopping forty thousand feral cats have been
altered in the past thirteen months by veterinarians participating in the
California Veterinary Medical Association's Feral Cat Altering Program
(FCAP). The FCAP program, which started in August of 1999, aimed to
spay/neuter 20,000 feral cats throughout the state of California in the
Project's first year and alter 60,000 cats over a three-year period. But
with 40,000 surgeries already completed, the Program is ten months ahead of
schedule. Now it's estimated that as many as 120,000 total surgeries could
be performed over the three year life of the project.
The California Veterinary Medical Association's community based
approach of recruiting hundreds of its members to spay and neuter feral cats
offers a unique new model for humanely controlling feral cat populations.
To date, CVMA has enrolled 912 veterinarians from every region of
California. FCAP doctors agree to spay/neuter feral cats brought to them by
community feral cat caregivers: the surgery is free for the caregivers, the
doctors are reimbursed an average of $50 per surgery by CVMA. After the cats
are spayed or neutered, they're returned to the caregiver who releases the
cat back to his former habitat.
The program has been a real boon to caregivers-and to the doctors as
well.
"I've been practicing veterinary medicine for 24 years and FCAP is one
of the best programs we've ever been involved with," says Dr. Rafael
Villicana of Gateway AnimalHospital in Glendale. "There are so many
abandoned cats. FCAP has gotten everyone in the community mobilized to help
them." Dr. Villicana performed 521 feral cat surgeries above his baseline of
25 in the first year of the program
"When we first met with CVMA to discuss this project, we were all
cautiously optimistic," says Maddie's Fund Veterinary Consultant Dr. Laurie
Peek. "We thought the idea was sound, but nothing like this on such a
large scale had ever been tried. Now, of course, we're ecstatic. This
program has been enthusiastically embraced not only by the doctors, who've
done a fantastic job, but also by the public, the feral cat caregivers and
the humane community. Community involvement has been the secret to the
FCAP's success."
The FCAP program is underwritten by a grant from Maddie's Fund. The
initial $3.2 million dollar package was based on a target of 60,000
surgeries. "Now it's back to the drawing board," says Peek. "With so many
cats getting altered, our dollars will have to increase. But this is one
high price for success we're happy to pay". At 120,000 surgeries, the cost
to Maddie's Fund could be more than six million dollars.
In the first year of the FCAP program, the most above baseline feral cat
spay/neuter surgeries were performed by:
Dr. James Haubert, Valley Animal Hospital, Van Nuys……… 1,336 surgeries
Dr. Brian Tan, St. Louis Veterinary Clinic, Oakland………… 1,019 surgeries
Dr. James Sharp, Pet Hospital, North Hollywood……………… 982 surgeries
Dr. James Murphy, Sebastopol…………………………………… 864 surgeries
To locate a participating veterinarian in your community, go to FCAP,
www.CVMA.net or Funded Projects, www.maddiesfund.org.
About Maddie's Fund….Maddie's Fund is an independent, animal rescue
foundation devoted to the welfare of companion animals. It began in 1999
through the generosity of Cheryl and Dave Duffield, PeopleSoft Co-Founder
and Chairman. The goal of Maddie's Fund is to help animal shelters
throughout the nation establish community-wide adoption guarantees for all
healthy dogs and cats.
Maddie'sFund, 2223 Santa Clara Ave., #B, Alameda, CA
94501, (510)337-8989, www.maddiesfund.org
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