The History and Mission of The Greater New Haven Cat Project, Inc.

The Greater New Haven Cat Project, Inc. (GNHCP) was founded in the spring of 1996, when a group of some forty animal welfare activists from various parts of Connecticut met to discuss ideas for improving the welfare of cats in our communities, with particular (but not exclusive) emphasis on alleviating the suffering of abandoned, neglected, and abused cats through humane population control. It was from this initial meeting that the GNHCP was formed. The organization is comprised entirely of volunteers and acquired its 501(c)(3) status in August 1999.

The mission of The Greater New Haven Cat Project, Inc. is to seek to end the suffering of homeless cats through the practice of trap/neuter/return (t/n/r), but also to educate our community ethically about the importance of animal welfare. Our t/n/r program works with neighborhood colony managers to ensure that feral cats are spayed or neutered and then returned to their home environment. We also provide pre- and postoperative care for the cats involved. On the evening before surgery, cats are brought in traps to a covered garage; the traps are placed on blocks of wood and are covered with blankets to keep the animals warm and calm. In addition to the spay/neuter procedure, cats are also vaccinated against rabies and respiratory illness and checked for signs of infections or parasites; these are treated as needed. After surgery, the veterinarian places each cat into a carrier to ease recovery from anesthesia. The cats are picked up from the veterinarian a few hours after the surgery and are returned to a covered garage where GNHCP volunteers monitor them during their recovery period. If the cats are fully alert by early evening, they are given a small amount of dry food and fresh water; if not, they are given food and water the following morning. The newspapers or towels in each carrier are changed on a daily basis; this enables the volunteer to check for discharges that might indicate a problem requiring further veterinary attention. Male cats are generally held 1½ days before being returned to the colony; females are held for at least 2½ days. The cats are returned to their colony at a time they would routinely be fed.

The problem of cat overpopulation is particularly acute in urban areas such as New Haven, but we receive a growing number of calls from suburban areas as well, from concerned citizens who are feeding colonies that seem to grow exponentially each spring, from people reporting animal abuse, abandoned cats or litters of kittens. During 2001, we were able to find permanent homes for 200 cats and spay/neuter 240 feral cats in the Greater New Haven area. During 2002, we were again able to place 200 cats in permanent homes and spay/neuter 325 feral or stray cats in the Greater New Haven area. Whenever possible, given limited resources, we provide veterinary care for feral cats that are injured or ill. In many instances where feral cats do not have appropriate shelter, we have made insulated shelters to help them weather the harsh New England winters.

If the t/n/r session renders friendly cats, every effort is made to find foster homes so that the cats can be placed in permanent homes; these cats are also featured on our website (www.orgsites.com/ct/gnhcp). We have a small but growing adoption service whereby the cats are tested for Feline Immunovirus (FIV) and Feline Leukemia (FeLV), given appropriate vaccinations, treated for fleas and intestinal parasites, spayed or neutered and placed in good homes. Anyone seeking to adopt one of our cats is rigorously screened to ensure a good environment and compassionate care.

It is our firm belief that our efforts on behalf of the feline population benefit not only cats, but the members of our community as well, in ways that are both practical as well as ethical. For this reason, our educational outreach programs are directed particularly toward grade school children, thereby learning early in life what it means to be a humane citizen. In March of 2000, we sponsored a small conference that featured simultaneous workshops with a variety of speakers discussing t/n/r, feral cats, legislation, and veterinary issues. We are currently preparing an Activity Book for younger children that will encourage respect and care for animals in the form of various play activities such as coloring, cut-outs, and so on.

Feline overpopulation is, needless, to say, reaching crisis proportions in many parts of the country. Spay/USA, a program of the Pet Savers Foundation, Inc., estimates that “an unspayed female cat, her mate and all of their offspring, producing 2 litters per year, with 2.8 surviving kittens per litter, can total 12 cats in 1 year, 67 cats in 2 years, 376 cats in 3 years, 2107 cats in 4 years and 11,801 cats in 5 years.” Even under the best of circumstances, i.e., in a colony managed by an active and caring person, feral cats face the challenge of the elements, of disease and injury that limits their lifespan to only a few years. And although the survival rate for feral kittens is about 50% on average, the harsh New England winters lower that considerably for those born late in the season.

We feel that our efforts have already helped mitigate this crisis, but we, and others, need to do more. Mahatma Gandhi once said that one can judge a civilization by how it treats its animals, and our own Abraham Lincoln proclaimed his support of animal welfare as an aspect of human rights, because, as he said, “that is the way of the whole human being.” We take these opinions to heart. In working to improve the lives of cats, we look with optimism to a more humane future for all of us.