In 2010 an estimated 30,000 feral cats were said to roam Windsor streets. Through private grants and a lot of fundraising efforts, some dedicated trap neuter return (TNR) and rescue groups have worked very hard to curb that number. As well the Windsor Essex County Humane Society opened their low cost spay neuter clinic to the public in 2011. In 2012 the City of Windsor launched a Feral Cat and Low Income Voucher Program. Now in it's third year, there are concerns that the program may not continue next year. Problem 1: ANYONE can call for feral cat or low income vouchers. Many people, while their intentions may be honourable, do not use the vouchers they receive. This should not reflect that the need for vouchers is no longer there, but simply that they ended up in the wrong hands. Live-trappng and transporting cats to and from the vet clinic is a labour intensive, time consuming activity and it can take weeks if not months to get the cat(s) you are trying to fix. Problem 2: A limited time frame to use the vouchers. Female cats give birth starting in March, and then again in June, July. By September, October they can give birth again. This causes problems as nursing cats should not be trapped and spayed. As well kittens born during this 4 month time period (when the vouchers are issued) cannot be spayed if they are too young. A kitten should not be spayed or neutered until it is 5 lbs or 4 - 5 months of age. At this moment, feral cat groups and cat caregivers are seeing young kittens in the colonies, from cats who were not fixed on time. Where will the money come from to spay them, if we have vouchers, that are expired?? The problem will snowball quickly out of control if we do not continue to TNR them. Many people just cannot afford even the low cost $75 spay (plus vaccinations, and flea treatment so necessary) especially when there are multiple cats to fix in their yards. Solution: This petition asks to remove the time limit on the vouchers, extending their value to the end of the calendar year 2014. As well, we ask you give trap neuter return, and rescue groups an equal number of vouchers in 2015. As well, including vaccines, and flea treatment very important for feral cats, along with the spay - neuter voucher. This would put the control and distribution of City vouchers, in the hands of people who ACTUALLY trap and spay, neuter feral and stray cats, thereby decreasing the amount of vouchers handed out, but not used. Trap neuter return is the ONLY way to continue to work to decrease Windsor's feral cat problem. It is working, and we can't stop now! Please sign this petition.
nd why they should sign.
