MEOW: Managing and Ending Overpopulation Wisely
Special to The New Barker
What a difference six months can make. MEOW Now, the only TNVR (Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return) organi- zation in Pinellas County, was on the verge of extinction last June as it faced a fiscal crisis. That’s when its three co- founders stepped up to re-take leadership of this non-profit that assists community cats and their caregivers. “Running MEOW Now is very labor-intensive and also costs a significant amount of money,” said co-founder Cathy Unruh. “The board was ready to fold it in the face of those challenges, and we simply could not let that happen.” Community cats are free-roaming
felines. Some are feral, born outdoors and never having human contact. Others are friendly, enjoying close relationships with the human caregivers who provide food, water, and oversight. Still others are for- mer indoor cats who were dumped or left behind by their humans. It’s estimated there are over 160,000 community cats in Pinellas County. “TNVR is the proven, effective way
MEOW Now. “We increased our trapping days, volunteers came forward, and we dou- bled our surgery count from the previous six months,” he says. “We are heading toward 6,000 cats TNVR’ed since we start- ed work in 2015.” Besides doing TNVR, MEOW
Now fosters kittens too small or too sick to be eligible for surgery. Once they are healthy and have been sterilized, the kittens are put up for adoption. “Citizens can adopt via our social media outlets or from shelters to which we surrender the kittens,” says Weaver. “We spend an average of $68 per kitten on medical costs alone, so we are incredibly grateful to our fosters, who socialize them in their own homes and usually at their own expense.” Hester, a retired banker who also
Nellie. Photography by Danette.
to manage and reduce this population,” said co-founder Marilyn Weaver. “After laboring for years to prove that TNVR works and to get it legalized, we were not about to turn our backs on the cats and caregivers who need us. So, we all went back to work 24/7.” Dan Hester, the third co-founder and current president,
points out that MEOW Now has only one paid employee and relies on volunteers to make the organization work. “We trap in the field every weekend except holidays, and schedule some spay/neuter surgeries during the week as well,” he said. “Each cat is also vaccinated against distemper and rabies, so we are protecting human health in the process.” There are other benefits to humans. So-called “nuisance
behaviors,” such as hunting, fighting for territory and mates, urinating to mark territory, and even wandering, are greatly reduced or eliminated altogether after TNVR. “We require that every cat we help have a caregiver,” says Unruh. “This means that the cats have a set location where they are fed and, often, provided some outdoor shelter as well as affection. We make sure these cats have little to no incentive to wander or look for prey. They are content to lounge around and wait for the next meal.” Executive Director Chad Thompson emphasizes the surge in productivity since the co-founders re-took control of
70 THE NEW BARKER
serves as treasurer of the organization, says that MEOW Now must broaden and expand its revenue streams to continue its work. “Our board makes substantial finan- cial contributions and we are dependent on our donors,” he says. “Together, we have brought MEOW Now back from the
brink of death, but we could use a few more lifelines. We are beginning talks with our county commissioners, in hopes that they will recognize that we are providing a service to the county and support us via the county budget. Every cat that we keep out of the county shelter is a savings for taxpayers, who widely support this humane practice over euthanasia of healthy cats.” “Eartips are Expensive” is a tagline on MEOW Now’s web-
site, prominently displayed on the “Donate” button. An eartip is the universal symbol of a cat who has been TNVR’ed. “The left ear is lightly cropped while the cat is anesthetized for surgery,” says Thompson. “There is no pain then or afterward, and it does not impair the cats’ hearing or mobility in any way. In fact, if you were to watch these cats when we return them to their territo- ries after surgery – usually a day later – you would doubt that they feel any pain at all. They are just glad to run out of those traps as fast as they can and back to their caregivers. Return day makes all the challenges of the job worthwhile.”
U
MEOW Now: Managing and Ending Overpopulation Wisely Website:
meownowfl.org Facebook: MEOW Now Instagram: #meownowpinellas
www.TheNewBarker.com
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