Savannah's Paw Tracks

TNR during COVID 19 is challenging

HIYA!!   SAVANNAH HERE!!!

I know some of my readers are active in doing Trap, Neuter, Return (TNR) in their local areas in the USA. I sure do hope some will leave comments about how they are able to keep doing this work during this COVID 19 pandemic.

As for our Project Delta View Cats, our work has been cut back to doing very little on the targeted TNR side. Our challenge is two fold. First, it is no longer possible for us to continue to canvas neighborhoods, door to door, during this time to try to find where abandoned community cats are being fed in our targeted neighborhoods. Even wearing a mask doesn’t encourage anyone to open their door for us to talk with them. Secondarily, most spay/neuter municipal clinics are closed and only recently did our local non-profit owned clinic open on a limited basis.

All this at the very moment we are ready for kitten season. A perfect storm is brewing.

Nonetheless, we can respond to humans who contact us for help. You already know about our efforts to get sweet Cleopatra and darling Sweet Baby Girl help.

Cleopatra was found abandoned at a marina colony near us. She is now in her forever home with one of our volunteers.

You also know about Baby Girl, abandoned in a residential area in our marina. Remember she had four kittens and suffered a broken front leg.

A growing concern for us is emerging as we are learning more about how community cats may contract COVID 19 from humans who are positive for or asymptomatic of COVID 19. So much more needs to be learned  about this human to feline transmission.

Just before our county issues a “shelter in place” order, Project Delta View Cats learned about a large, neglected abandoned community cat colony in our city that we serve. One of our dedicated volunteers is working ever so hard to trap out this large colony of what appears to be about 100 cats. These cats were abandoned long ago in an industrial area behind a strip mall anchored by a grocery store on one end and a Home Depot on the other end. There are no residential areas close by so next to not access to viable food sources. These cats are starving, underfed, underweight, injured and sick. They scrounge in dumpsters in hopes of finding a scrap of food.

This video is about one minute long, but if you will just watch the first 30 seconds, you will get the picture of what our volunteer found.

Thanks to the cat clinic that is open now for about 3-4 days a week, our volunteer has been able to TNR about fifty cats including ten kittens who went to adoption. Unfortunately, the cats are now trap savvy and we need access to the business where the cats have found enough hiding holes to make home. We have enlisted the assistance of our partner, Contra Costa Animal Services in hopes of convincing the owner to allow on property to continue to finally trap out this large colony.

Here is a slideshow of some of the cats we have been able to TNR. Thanks to Community Concern For Cats clinic for funding these services.

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We have had to euthanize one orange male, too ill to save and one kitty in the slideshow had major surgery but is recovering and will be healthy enough soon to release. I know all of you have struggles in your own neighborhoods and communities during this challenging pandemic time with how to continue to help keep TNR alive and working. Please consider donating to your local TNR rescues, they really need help.

Let me hear from you in comments about what’s going on with TNR in your area during this time.

PAW PATS, SAVANNAH