CatNiPP
Cat Neighborhood Partnership Program
CatNiPP is designed to address the challenge faced by property owners surrounding the presence of stray and
feral cats, all while treating the cats in a humane and ethical manner; without the threat of removing them from their neighborhood homes.

Stray and feral cats are the product of human mistreatment – owned cats are too often abandoned and those that are not neutered produce litters of untamable kittens.
Unaddressed, the process continues and seems unstoppable.

Why not Trap-and-Remove? Every year hundreds of feral cats and kittens arrive at regional shelters with very little chance of being tamed, socialized, or adopted resulting in their unfortunate demise. Euthanizing an animal simply because it had the misfortune of being homeless did not seem like an acceptable answer to anybody -- shelter team or community residents. And trap-and-remove has been shown not to work. Stray and feral cats populate an area because there is something about the area that supports them. There is food; there is shelter. There is something that provides them some safety and support. If you begin to trap-and-remove, other cats that are lingering on the fringes of the area will begin to move into the territory and will fill the space left behind. This is called the Vacuum Effect. The new cats integrate into the area, they produce more kittens and this leads to renewed calls for trap-and-remove. The cycle just repeats over-and-over, with no end in sight.

Trap-Neuter-Return In 2006, the Washington Humane Society developed the Cat Neighborhood Partnership Program (CatNiPP) -- a trap, neuter and return (TNR) program that contributes to the long-term management of feral cat populations in the District and breaks that cycle of trap-and-remove. TNR works because it addresses the root of the problem – the breeding.

Through CatNiPP, the cats are humanely trapped, brought to our spay/neuter clinic where they are neutered, vaccinated and generally examined. They are also eartipped (a portion of their ear is cut) to signal that they have been treated by a veterinarian. After treatment the cats are then returned to their outdoor home – to live out their days in a managed colony. They no longer reproduce and their nuisance behaviors, like fighting, spraying and yowling are dramatically reduced.

TNR promotes stabilization of the wildlife in the neighborhood and allows the cats to be humanely treated. TNR is the solution that not only helps the cats but also makes residents and neighbors truly feel good about handling the challenge. TNR also breaks that Vacuum Effect cycle. Since the trapped cats are neutered and then returned to the neighborhood site, new, un-neutered cats are held back and do not enter the territory. The neighborhood that once lived with cats that were breeding and causing problems is now stabilized; the cats are vaccinated and healthier and there are no new litters of kittens to contend with. TNR provides a truly long-term solution.

Neighbor Helping Neighbor CatNiPP is as committed to the management of the cats in their home environment, as we are to the treating these cats medically. Many times neighbors find themselves at odds over how they feel about the neighborhood cats and those disputes can easily boil-over if parties are not able to calmly and rationally confront the issues together. Each cat that comes through CatNiPP is tended to by a community caregiver. These caregivers live in the neighborhoods where the cats are and sign an agreement with CatNiPP to provide some basic support to the cats, once they are returned. Part of this colony management commitment means keeping lines of communication open with neighbors. If you are caring for a colony and you would like to learn more about best practices, please email: CatNiPP

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CatNiPP Clinic: Reservations are always required. Space is limited.

Monthly Feral Cat Clinic – Typically held the second Sunday of every month. The monthly clinic is used to carry out CatNiPP’s targeted trapping effort, chiefly within the DIstrict of Columbia.
All reservations must be made the Tuesday prior to the scheduled Sunday clinic.

Weekday Appointments – 3 days a week
Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday

To make a reservation, for a Sunday or a weekday, email: Alyson Burgess

Clinical Services:
Services provided for all cats received are:

1) Sterilization surgery (All pregnancies will be terminated)
2) Eartip of the left ear
3) Rabies Vaccination
4) FVRCP Vaccination
5) Ear Cleaning
6) Flea Treatment (n/a during deep winter months)
7) Subcutaneous Fluids

*Kittens must be at least 2 lbs (approximately 8 weeks of age) to qualify for surgery

*WHS is not able to provide veterinary care to any cats that are not being sterilized.

*Post-operative instructions, sterilization and vaccination certificates are provided for
each cat prior to departure

Fees:
There is no charge for feral cats as long as they are from within the District and are returned to their outdoor colony.
Feral cats brought to the clinic from outside of the District receive all of the above clinic services – but at a charge of $45 per cat.
All cats must be brought in a humane box trap - one cat per trap: no carriers, no sharing.

Participation:
This program is reserved for stray and feral cats living in outdoor colonies ONLY.
Tame cats and kittens slated for foster and adoption will be accepted through the regular, low-cost clinic and charged the standard clinic fees. Low-Cost Services & Fees.

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To Make a Reservation: Please contact, Alyson Burgess , CatNiPP Manager
Call: 202-608-1356 x 101 or 202-88-ALTER
Email: ABurgess@washhumane.org
Please provide the following information when you contact WHS:
*The address where the cats are located
*The name of the person feeding the cats and contact information (if known)
*Number of adult cats Number of kittens
*If you have transportation

Upcoming CatNiPP Sunday Clinics:
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Sunday, March 14, 2010

To reserve space, email: CatNiPP for a Reservation Request Form.

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Funding & Donations
Each and every service offered at the National Capital Area Spay & Neuter Center is subsidized by financial support from the Washington Humane Society. Any donations that you are able to provide will help ensure that the Washington Humane Society is able to continue to provide these vital services to all dogs and cats - owned and unowned -- living in our communities. For a one time donation of $45, you can support the sterilization of one cat. Please consider making a donation today.

Community Parnership
Through CatNiPP, the Washington Humane Society has significantly expanded its efforts to bring trap, neuter, return (TNR) to the stray and feral cats in our area. But that is only part of the puzzle. Besides providing clinical resources for stray and feral cats, CatNipp also:

• Promotes spay/neuter of owned cats to help control cat overpopulation.
  
• Conducts neighborhood meetings on issues facing both human and feline residents.
  
• Provides information on alternatives to abandonment of cats.
  
• Builds a rapport with each neighborhood so we can tailor support based on the individual needs of EACH community.

Want to get involved?
Whether you have cats in your neighborhood that need TNR or if you just want to volunteer to lend a hand, there is plenty of opportunity! You do not have to have previous experience – we are willing to train anyone! CatNiPP needs:

Trappers: Want to learn the field work of TNR? Our experienced trappers would love to mentor you!

Drivers: Have a car? Many times we need people to help drive the already trapped cats to-and-from clinic.

Safe Homes: Have a secure garage or quiet space in your home? Trapped cats are held overnight before clinic and after clinic, in their traps. Many trappers and caregivers do not have space to hold the cats once they are trapped.

Clinic Support: Want to learn more about clinic life? We can always use people to help check-in the cats; assist in preparing the cats for surgery; assist in the post-surgical care and recovery. All cats are anesthetized prior to any handling.

Colony by targeted colony, the Washington Humane Society is hopeful that we will one day be able to drastically reduce the feral cat population in the DC metropolitan area through CatNiPP!

Contact: Alyson Burgess, CatNiPP Manger
202-608-1356 x 101 or 202-88-ALTER
Email: ABurgess@washhumane.org