Zimmer FoundationPO Box 130944
Ann Arbor MI 48113
Feeding Tips
Dear Friends,
A puzzling (and troubling) attribute
of homeowners seeking spay/neuter help for these cats
is that they almost always wait
until after the "drop offs" have had one or more litters.
When we receive a list of their cats --
only a minority (10-20%) are true strays --
the rest are preventable cats born under their care.
It's a shame that it takes the birth of kittens
for many caregivers to see the urgency in preventing these births.
Over 75,000 cats are killed in Michigan shelters each year --
one every 7 minutes -- day and night -- weekdays and weekends --
making healthy-but-homeless cat euthanasia the leading cause
of cat death in Michigan.
Building more or larger shelters won't reduce the number
of cats killed each year --
only pro-active community-wide spay/neuter will.
That is why we work in this area --
and are pleased to find a growing number of caregivers
understanding the urgency --
and likewise a growing number of other organizations.
Many homeowners inquiring about our spay/neuter service
begin by explaining that "they live in the country
where cats are constantly being dropped off".
We're not aware of any hard statistics on this,
but we hear it often enough to believe it happens.
Why it happens is conjecture,
but the cats do have something in common --
virtually none are neutered.
So the "why" may have something to do with the dilemma people face when
they can't afford to fix their cats
and can no longer live with them unfixed.
Given the choice between a shelter,
where the cats will likely be killed,
or a country home,
where they might be cared for,
the choice isn't as clear as many would think.
Kitty Zimmer