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Cats will find their way home.

Every year at about this time, I write about cats, the importance of spay/neuter and how the number of kittens in our community affect how many we and other pounds can save.
Yes, I am going to write about cats but very differently this year.

Some will read this and think this is horrible but I am hoping most will be amazed, because I know I was.

There is a recent shift in how some humane organizations think about cats. The national organization Maddie’s Fund recently held presentations on changing how shelter’s view and treat community cats.
They suggest pounds and animal control organizations stop picking up and taking in community or feral cats only to kill them when there isn’t enough space. Instead, look at other ways to manage them through community involvement and spay/neuter. That is what our City Cat Fix program is all about, getting these outdoor community cats fixed so they can stay where they are and stop having kittens.
What I found most interesting is a statistic they provided: 66 percent of the lost cats, if left alone, will find their way back to their owners.

That was amazing to me when you consider only 2 to 4 percent of the lost cats brought to our local shelters make it back to their owner.

And what is most shocking is 75 to 85 percent in traditional pounds don’t make it out alive. Cats have better odds if left alone.

To be clear, we are not a traditional pound. At Lynchburg Humane Society, only 4 percent of the cats that come in get reclaimed by their owner. Only 9 percent are euthanized due to extreme illness.
We don’t euthanize for space.

So what do you do if you find an adult cat? If it is injured or in physical distress you can take it to a vet, to the local pound or call animal control. If it is healthy and happy, give it a little water but don’t begin putting food out. Likely this cat will make its way home.

If after a few days to a week you find the cat still is around, perhaps it is time to intervene and take it to a local shelter. If you feel compelled to feed it or take care of it from the start, put up found cat signs and call your local shelter and report it as found. But please know most owners don’t go looking at the local shelters.

Research recently was conducted where cameras were put on cats to see how far they wandered. Researchers found the cats covered up to 8 acres but all came home (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22567526).

If you find kittens, that is a different story.  Usually a mother is around. If you find kittens that appear to be too young to be away from their mother but you aren’t sure there is a mother, consider putting a circle or ring of baby powder around them and leave them be. Then come back later and see if there are any footprints in the powder. If there are, more than likely a mother is around.
If they appear old enough you can take them to the local pound but the mother needs to get fixed or she will continue to dump adorable kittens on your property

But what if you don’t want to take them to your local pound and the cat won’t make its way back to its owner and you don’t want another pet? Give us a call at (434) 846-1438.
We will accept cats and kittens from areas outside Lynchburg but you will have to wait until we have space to take them in.

I am sure you can find a bathroom, an extra bedroom, basement or even a closet to keep the kitten or cat in until we can accommodate them. The reason we are able to save so many is because we ask people to wait and run many adoption specials to encourage cat adoptions.
If you are willing to work with us we can help you save their life and make a difference.

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