| We think most people should adopt pets and be responsible
pet owners. A lot of lives could be changed for the better (people’s and
animals) if every family would adopt at least one dog or cat, spay or neuter it,
and take care of it throughout it’s life. Teaching your children to care for,
love and respect another living being is one of the most valuable gifts you can
you’re your kids. Contrary to what some uninformed people say, almost any cat or
dog is safe to raise alongside children.
Over the years, The Lanyards Store staff have become
caretakers of numerous local animals. Last year, we began feeding and caring for
a few small colonies of feral cats near our California warehouse. Eventually, we
decided to look into finding local vets who would give them shots and fix them.
Thus we began searching for vets who might provide
us with discounted spay/neuter and shots, so we could implement a TNR program.
Eventually we found Los Angeles-based Fixnation. Founded in 2006, this non-profit
organization specializes in spaying or neutering stray and feral cats throughout
Southern California. Their goal is to not only contribute to the reduction of
stray cats, but to increase awareness about the TNR program in an attempt to
have the policy sanctioned and government-funded. Thanks to the combined
efforts of FixNation, a cheap local vet clinic and our staff, we were able to spay and neuter over 40 cats
last year. Each feral cat that is fixed, also receives full shots and
treatment for any wounds or infections they might have. Before releasing, the
clinic also clips the ear of the cat, which tells local animal control officials
that this cat has been fixed and had it’s shots, and thus poses no health risk
to the public.
After releasing the TNR cats back into Dumpsterland we
still feed them on a regular basis. In fact, after we moved to a different
warehouse, our owner continues to drive to the old neighborhood to donate food
to a local resident, who keeps them fed for him.
Aren't some cats friendly enough to live with a family?
Yes. Not all cats one
finds roaming the streets are “Feral” (What's the
difference between stray and feral). Sometimes, the cats
are quite friendly. So we take them in, care for them, and try to find them a
home. If we know a cat is friendly and would make a good pet, we may take them
to the regular clinic to avoid having its ear clipped. Of course, many of the
cats have additional medical expenses, such as for worms, mites, infections,
etc. So we work with the clinic to make sure they receive the proper medical
attention that they need.
When we foster the cats and try find them homes, they
usually stay at our warehouse in a special room, built just for them. Dubbed
“The Kitty Condo,” the tame cats stay here until we find them a suitable home.
Each morning, the cats are offered complimentary turn-down service and receive
plenty of food and love. |
