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Home > About the New York City Feral Cat Initiative
About the New York City Feral Cat Initiative The New York City Feral Cat Initiative is a joint program of the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals and Neighborhood Cats, two private non-profit organizations committed to solving New York City's feral cat overpopulation crisis through the humane, non-lethal method of Trap-Neuter-Return, or TNR for short. The NYC Feral Cat Initiative provides TNR Caretaker Training Workshops in all five boroughs; hands-on assistance at TNR projects in all boroughs; free TNR equipment loans; public advice by phone and e-mail; feline educational events and information via our e-newsletter, web site, and printed materials. In addition, the NYC Feral Cat Initiative hosts the NYC Feral Cat Council, an alliance of organizations that work directly with feral cats and TNR in New York City. In early 2006, the NYC Feral Cat Initiative launched its innovative online database at www.NYCFeralData.org to gather statistical data on feral cat colonies in New York City. Today, the New York City Feral Cat Database includes hundreds of registered feral cat colonies. Based on the data collected thus far, those colonies are showing a substantial decline in size as a result of TNR! In addition, thousands of friendly cats and kittens have been removed from those colonies and placed in permanent homes, thereby avoiding being taken in by municipal animal services where they might have been euthanized. TNR is saving money and lives in New York City! In neighborhoods where TNR efforts have been concentrated, there is a striking reduction in the number of kittens being born. In addition, landmark areas like Rikers Island and the Fresh Kills Landfill have shown reductions of more than half of the number of cats. Our Staff TNR Director: Meredith Weiss Meredith Weiss has been a Board Member of Neighborhood Cats since 2000. She is widely recognized for her compelling photographs of feral cats that have appeared in Cat Fancy, The New York Times, and Newsday, among other publications. She has received a Certificate of Excellence and a Muse Medallion from the Cat Writers Association for her color photography series that appeared in the Fall 2003 issue of the ASPCA's Animal Watch. Assistant TNR Director: Lois McClurg After moving to New York in 2005, Lois McClurg was overwhelmed by the number of homeless cats who struggled to survive on the streets of her new Brooklyn neighborhood. After discovering Neighborhood Cats, Lois quickly became a proactive ambassador for trap-neuter-return, assisting, managing, and informing dozens of fellow private caretakers and organizations on the planning and implementation of their TNR projects, as well as managing five colonies herself. Prior to devoting herself full-time to animal causes, Lois' 15-year professional career was in the marketing world, most recently as a production manager with American Express. Lois and her husband George share their home with their rescued cats, Clio, Budley, and Stewart. Director of Special Events & Training: Valerie Sicignano Valerie Sicignano has been working with feral cats in New York City since 1990. She holds a Certificate in Humane Education from the ASPCA, and her work with animals has been recognized by the Manhattan Pet Gazette's "Animal Guardian Award" and In Defense of Animals' "Companion Animal Guardian Award." TNR Instructors Our dedicated TNR Instructors include Aimee Hartman, Jamie Lehman, Teresa Noto, Jesse Oldham, and Phil Roseman. Trap Bank Coordinators Phil Roseman is our Brooklyn Trap Bank Coordinator. TNR Field Staff Our TNR Field Staff includes Jamie Lehman in the Bronx and PJ McKosky in Brooklyn. Contact Us Please visit our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page for answers to some of the most common questions we receive regarding TNR and feral cats. NYC Feral Cat Initiative c/o Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals 244 Fifth Avenue, Suite R290 New York, NY 10001-7604 Phone: (212) 330-0033 E-mail: info@NYCFeralCat.org
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NYC Feral Cat Initiative • c/o Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals • 244 Fifth Avenue, Suite R290 • New York, NY 10001 • (212) 330-0033 • info@NYCFeralCat.org |
