BETHESDA, Md., USA – June 28, 2016 – Alley Cat Allies, the only national advocacy organization dedicated to the humane treatment of cats, today announced “All Cats All Communities” as the theme for this year’s National Feral Cat Day on Sunday, Oct. 16, 2016.
“The theme reflects our belief that every cat’s life is important – nationally and around the world,” said Becky Robinson, president and founder of Alley Cat Allies. “As we gear up for another fantastic National Feral Cat Day, we encourage cat advocates from across the globe to educate their communities about humane policies, like Trap-Neuter-Return, that help save cats’ lives and work to protect all cats in all communities.”
This year’s goal is to inspire 1,000 different National Feral Cat Day events across all 50 states. Thousands of events have taken place on previous celebrations of National Feral Cat Day, including volunteer-led spay/neuter clinics, educational workshops, official governmental proclamations, and fundraising to support local Trap-Neuter-Return and Shelter-Neuter-Return programs. An updated list of National Feral Cat Day events and activities, as well as ideas that people can use to celebrate in their own community, is available on the interactive National Feral Cat Day website at www.nationalferalcatday.org.
Alley Cat Allies established National Feral Cat Day in 2001 as a call to action to raise awareness about community cats, promote Trap-Neuter-Return, the only effective method of stabilizing cat populations, and empower and mobilize the millions of compassionate Americans who care about cats everywhere.
Community cats, also known as feral cats, are the same species as pet cats, but they live outdoors and are unowned and not socialized to people. Through Trap-Neuter-Return, community cats are spayed or neutered, “eartipped” (a small portion of their ear is removed while they are anesthetized), vaccinated, and returned to their outdoor home where they live out a healthy life.
What began as individuals taking action has grown into a movement and is now mainstream. Today, more than 575 local governments have enacted ordinances or policies supporting Trap-Neuter-Return, as well as hundreds of communities and shelters across the U.S. that are successfully carrying out Trap-Neuter-Return and Shelter-Neuter-Return programs.
Look for updates on the 2016 National Feral Cat Day throughout the coming months, as cat advocates celebrate cats in every corner of the world underscoring the importance of feline life wherever they live, from the most urban settings to the most rural. For this and other Alley Cat Allies news and announcements, sign up for eCommunications at www.alleycat.org/stayinformed.
