Ireland Celebrates National Feral Cat Awareness Week
To paraphrase a classic tune, Irish cats' eyes are smiling this week as pals of those who purr on The Emerald Isle devote seven days to shining a spotlight on the need to help feral felines.
National Feral Cat Awareness Week (August 9th - 15th) marks its 6th year in 2015. Established by Feral Cats Ireland, the online resource offers a wealth of information for those who care about the welfare of community cats, regardless of which side of the pond you find yourself on.
There are approximately 200,000 feral cats in Ireland-- some who were born into the life, others who have reverted to walking on the wild side by necessity after being abandoned by their human families. Left to fend for themselves, stray and feral cats may be fortunate enough to find a kind soul who will give them food and water, but without intervention in the form of TNR (trap/neuter/return) programs, the plight of feral felines only increases.
A humane method to curb pet overpopulation, TNR will not only drastically lower the sad statistic of 180,000 Irish kittens each year who lose their lives before they reach four months of age due to the elements, lack of food and acts of cruelty, but will also give them the chance to be adopted thanks to learning socialization skills at rescue centers. For adult feral cats, TNR offers a life back in the familiar surroundings of their cat colony, which will dissipate with time as all of the community cats are spayed or neutered.
For more information:
- visit http://feralcatsireland.org
- follow Feral Cats Ireland on Facebook
