CAT ACTION TEAM

To improve the quality of life for cats in central Virginia through a trap/neuter/return (TNR) program, a pet-retention/colony-maintenance program, a foster/adoption program, an education program and other actions as necessary.

With the Trap Neuter Return (TNR) Program, CAT plans to reduce and stabilize the feral-cat population in central Virginia by a minimum of ten percent while concurrently providing needed medical care and rescue of non-feral cats and kittens.

2021 Trap Neuter Return (TNR) Program Goals and Exceptions:
- Continue to increase the number of TNR's by 10 percent each year.
- TNR another five to six major colonies, TNR another 500 cats and rescue 80 kittens each year.
- Continue to focus on Fluvanna, Buckingham and Greene counties.
- Continue to respond to calls for assistance and requests from other counties in CAT service areas (12 counties total).
- Recruit and train 2 or more additional dedicated TNR volunteers including volunteers for Greene county.


CAT's Foster/Adoption Program will maintain and grow a fostering and adoption network throughout central Virginia where non-feral cats and kittens are cared for and eventually placed in forever homes.

2021 Foster/Adoption Program Goals and Exceptions:
• House, maintain and adopt out 80 kittens and 12 non-feral cats (friendly strays) from feral colonies each year.
• Recruit and monitor ten additional foster homes each year.
• Maintain computerized records for the foster/adopt system.

2021 Education Program Goals and Exceptions:
• Make at least two more presentations to civic organizations.
• Continue building relationships with current and additional partners: veterinarians, shelters, humane societies, rescue groups, clients, general and major donors. Note that CAT already has a large network.
• Recruit an events manager for upper Albemarle and Greene counties and hold profitable and educational events.
• Continue profitable and educational events in lower Albemarle county.

The Pet Retention/Colony-Maintenance Program aims to provide resources (primarily veterinary care, cat food and cat litter) to allow low-income, elderly or disabled pet owners the resources to keep and care for their cats in their homes.

2021Pet Retention/Colony-Maintenance Program Goals and Exceptions:
- Grow program to assist 80 people/colony managers.
- Rent appropriate food-storage shed in central Charlottesville (minimum 12’ x 12’) and obtain protective food bins.
- Continue to develop and maintain a computerized system for recording money and food contributed, food distributed and to whom and for what purpose. Consider recruiting an assistant bookkeeper to maintain this record.
- Build and distribute another 150 additional cat shelters in 2021 (300 plus build and distributed thus far)

CAT has particular activities in place to achieve all of its programs goals.

With the trap/neuter/return (TNR) program, CAT will:
➢ Educate cat-colony caretakers on TNR
➢ Provide assistance with cat food for low-income colony caretakers
➢ Find caretakers and assist with TNR for cat colonies without caretaker
➢ Establish relationships with veterinarians/clinics in central Virginia to facilitate low- cost spay/neuter and other services
➢ Transport cats to and from veterinary care
➢ Provide shelter for 24-48 hours after spay/neuter surgery before release
➢ Bring outdoor kittens into foster care for socialization and eventual adoption
➢ Separate non-feral cats trapped in TNR and place in foster care for eventual adoption
➢ Provide necessary medical care for cats and kittens

By having the pet-retention/colony-maintenance program, CAT is dedicated to :
➢ Assisting with funds for medical care for cats of low-income, elderly, disabled or other
individuals in need and maintain records of funds expended for each cat owner
➢ Assisting with cat food and litter for low-income, elderly, disabled or other individuals in
need
➢ Assisting with transport to and from vets as necessary
➢ Helping build and distribute feral-cat shelters


The strategies to achieve CAT's foster/adoption program goals are to:
➢ Grow and maintain high quality fostering network
➢ Provide necessary medical care including vaccinations, spay/neuter, parasite control, testing for FIV and FeLV and maintaining records of funds expended per cat
➢ Provide ongoing education for foster-cat care as indicated
➢ Place non-feral cats and kittens in permanent homes with any necessary follow-up
education and assistance

Cat's education program will:
➢ Seek opportunities to make presentations on the importance of trap/neuter/return programs as well as other cat-related subjects to civic groups and educational venues of all types
➢ Saturate central Virginia with information and literature on CAT including our services and activities, how to contact us, and the importance of our mission. Our trifold brochure with prominent CAT logo will be displayed throughout central Virginia to succinctly provide this information and as a reminder of our services
➢ Use fundraising activities throughout central Virginia as an integral part of the education program

CAT has a large population of experienced and dedicated volunteers, that work closely with Central Virginia's animal welfare organizations and underfunded caretakers to provide many the area's cats with a pain-free life that includes sufficient food, shelter, and medical care. Where these basic needs are not being met by other organizations in the twelve counties we serve in central Virginia, CAT will step in where a compelling need exists for those felines who currently fall between the cracks of well-meaning but underfunded caretakers.

CAT will advocate for and support felines whose caretakers cannot provide for them, as well as for those cats living in counties with inadequate or non-existent low-cost clinics or shelters. Our work will greatly reduce the numbers of cats brought into shelters who would otherwise be euthanized, by helping them remain in place. All cats deserve to live in peace in their colonies with appropriate care.

We can do this by having a dedicated staff of volunteers, who collectively work around the clock with a diverse background of expertise.
Every effort will be made to coordinate our activities with other cat-rescue groups and shelters to achieve maximum efficiency and effectiveness for cat welfare.

CAT currently serves in 12 Central Virginia counties: Charlottesville, Albemarle county, Augusta county, Buckingham county, Culpeper county, Cumberland county, Fluvanna county, Goochland county, Greene county, Louisa county, Madison county, Nelson county, and Orange county.

Of CAT's four programs: The Trap/Neuter/Return (TNR) program, the Pet-Retention/Colony-Maintenance Program, the Foster/Adoption Program, and the Education Program, the organization has made these accomplishments so far since 2018 (any goals that were not reached during 2020 were due to the effects of Covid-19):

The trap/neuter/return (TNR) program:
- Accomplished 2020 goal by trapping, neutering, and returning 726 cats in total (410 females and 316 males). In 2019, over 500 cats were trapped, neutered and returned.
- CAT's 2020 total of all cats/kittens spayed and neutered is 813. This is a major increase over the total of about 500 during 2019.
- Recruited 10 dedicated volunteers for Greene County.
- Accomplished goal of Developing a computerized record system for cats who have been TNR’d, along with any additional medical costs.
- Accomplished 2019 goal of recruiting a qualified and dedicated team leader for Greene county.
- Accomplished 2019 goal of Recruiting and training TNR bookkeeper to maintain this record.

The Pet Retention/Colony-Maintenance Program has:
- Over 300 cat shelters build and distributed to date. Accomplished both 2020 and 2019 goal of building and distributing at least 150 cat shelters per year.
- Provided 250 people with pet food or medical expenses in 2020 for their pets. In 2019, approximately 50 people per month were helped with food for over 220 cats. In 2019, the program has helped 41plus people with veterinary medical bills from minor illnesses to broken bones. This includes leg and tail amputations, eye removal and euthanasia.

The Foster/Adoption Program has:
- Accomplished 2019 and 2020 goal or housing, maintaining and adopting out at least 80 kittens and 12 non-feral cats (friendly strays) from feral colonies per year.
- Accomplished 2019 and 2020 goals of recruiting and monitoring ten additional foster homes.
- Accomplished 2019 goal of recruiting or promoting an executive assistant to the Foster/Adopt Program manager to assist as needed and maintain computerized record system.
- Taken in approximately 173 cats and resettled at least 143 cats into new homes.

The Education Program has:
- Accomplished 2019 goal of making at least two presentations to civics organizations. These organizations were Lake Monticello in Fluvanna County and Twin Lakes in Greene County.
- Attended events in Louisa, Charlottesville, Ruckersville, Palmyra and Scottsville to spread the word about what we do.
- Articles about the launch of CAT have appeared in local papers and on CBS19 TV News.