Orangewood Townhouse Park
Homeowners' Association
Glendale, Arizona
About Us
Announcements
Rules & Regulations
Map of the Complex
Newsletters
Links
Managing Community Cats
At Orangewood Townhouse Park, any cat found outdoors that is not wearing a collar can be considered a 'community cat'.Typically, community cats are strays (lost or abandoned former pets who interact well with humans) or ferals (extremely fearful of humans and therefore not suitable for adoption). As any pet lover knows, there is a short window of time during which young kittens can learn to enjoy being petted and handled by humans--usually between 4 to 8 weeks of age. Once a kitten is older than 12 weeks, chances are it will not learn to tolerate close human contact.
Greater Phoenix has a serious problem with cat overpopulation, as both strays and ferals can produce two or three litters of kittens every year. Estimates vary, but there are probably as many as 250,000 stray and feral cats in the metro Phoenix area. They gravitate to neighborhoods where they can find food, so every open dumpster is a standing invitation to hungry cats. It is also common for animal-lovers to put out food for stray cats in their back yards and patios.
Maricopa County does not have any free services for euthanizing or rehoming cats. If you take a cat to Maricopa County Animal Care and Control, expect to pay a surrender fee of between $75 to $96 per animal. The Arizona Humane Society charges $60 ($75 for an entire litter of kittens).
Trap-Neuter-Return is the preferred method of dealing with the problem of cat overpopulation. Local governments rely upon committed individuals and groups to trap stray cats and transport them to clinics where they are spayed or neutered. Spay/neuter services may be available for as little as $35 per animal.
You can rent a humane cat trap from the Animal Defense League of Arizona. Cat traps cost about $25 at Harbor Freight, 6135 North 35th Avenue. Volunteers are available to transport cats in traps to a clinic for surgery. The cats will then be returned to Orangewood Townhouse Park to recover and live out their days as 'community cats'. Cats which have been spayed or neutered can be identified because the tip of their left ear has been removed.
Here's how one town spayed and neutered 203 community cats in a single day, thanks to veterinary students and volunteers.
Be a responsible pet owner. Help us keep our 'community cat' population under control by having all free-roaming cats spayed or neutered!
http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2015/01/28/phoenix-arizona-trap-neuter-return-feral-cats/22364253/#
http://www.alteredtails.org/tnr/
Home
� 2020, Friends of Orangewood Townhouse Park. All rights reserved. Last revised 22 April 2020.