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Educate others by sharing these Feral Facts:

Stray and feral cats have been living outside alongside people for 10,000 years. They are not a new phenomenon. They are healthy and thrive in every landscape, from the most urban to the most rural.

Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is a program that helps feral cats. The cats are humanely trapped, spayed or neutered, and vaccinated, eartipped, and then returned to their outdoor home.

Feral cats are not socialized to people—so aren’t adoptable. When they are taken to a pound or shelter they are almost always killed. Ask your shelter to launch a TNR program!


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Get Involved in National Feral Cat Day

Hold an Event

Whether you host a workshop, hold a fundraiser, or sponsor a special neuter clinic day for feral cats, your efforts help us achieve our goals of protecting and improving the lives of cats. Invite your friends and family and others who care about cats.

  1. Plan a Trap-Neuter-Return effort—in your backyard or throughout your community.
    If you’ve ever thought of doing Trap-Neuter-Return, NFCD is an excellent opportunity to try. Read our TNR guide.
  2. Organize a special spay and neuter clinic for feral cats.
    Make this first event a kick-off to promote what will become a monthly clinic. Learn more about running a clinic.
  3. Host a workshop in your community.
    Educate others about outdoor cats, Trap-Neuter-Return, and other services available at the local level, and network with other volunteers, caregivers and feeders, and those who care about cats. Learn more about how to host a workshop. Screen our educational videos during the workshop.
  4. Take part in local events and hand out educational materials.
    Use truth cards and brochures from our shop to educate others at public events, like fairs, or in public places, like shopping malls. Or, set up a table with literature at local conferences or meetings.
  5. Host a feral cat movie night.
    Invite your neighbors over for an evening of feral cat fun—watch our videos, make cat-shaped cookies or kitty litter cake, have some educational materials on hand, and jumpstart a conversation about feral cats. Get more party pointers.

Educate Others

You can also celebrate NFCD by taking simple steps to reach out to and educate others—an important first step in protecting cats. Help people understand that feral cats are healthy and happy outdoors and that Trap-Neuter-Return improves cats’ lives.

  1. Write a letter to the editor.
    Write an editorial for your local paper, telling them about NFCD, highlighting local programs, educating others about feral cats and Trap-Neuter-Return, or providing information about your local events. View examples here.

  2. Hang a poster or place advertisements. (Coming Soon - 2011 Poster)
    Post our downloadable 2010 NFCD poster at your veterinarian’s office and in other high traffic areas in your community: your place of worship, your office, or the local library, school, gym, café, or store. Order more full-size posters. Place advertisements in local newspapers or publications, using these samples.

  3. Ask your local official or school official to sign a National Feral Cat Day Proclamation.
    View a sample here. Make sure to let Alley Cat Allies know! Fax a copy to 240-482-1990, or mail one to Alley Cat Allies, 7920 Norfolk Avenue, Suite 600, Bethesda, MD 20814-2525.

  4. Talk to a friend, co-worker, or acquaintance about feral cats.
    Here are some talking points to get you started.

  5. Connect to protect.
    Join Alley Cat Allies online! Become a fan on Facebook, follow our blog posts on MySpace, or keep up with our tweets on Twitter to stay connected and up-to-date on the latest news and information—and so we can stay connected with you. Learn more at www.alleycat.org/SocialNetworking.

    Devote your status (on Facebook, MySpace or Twitter) to Alley Cat Allies—let your friends know you are celebrating National Feral Cat Day on October 16, and ask them to do the same.

    Other online ideas:

    • Write about feral cats and NFCD on your blog.
    • Comment on articles or blogs about feral cats online to make sure a positive perspective is presented.
    • Create a meet-up group (www.meetup.org) and connect with other cat lovers in your community.
    • Add information about feral cats to your email signature and link to www.alleycat.org.
    • Post our widgets or web banners to your website or social networking pages to get a conversation started.

Handy Downloads