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Press Release
For Immediate Release: February 19, 2009
Contact: ELIZABETH PAROWSKI, eparowski@alleycat.org or 240-482-1984; FRANCIE ISRAELI, fisraeli@johnadams.com or 202-207-1134
ALLEY CAT ALLIES THANKS ‘FERAL FRIEND’ ELLEN
DEGENERES FOR KINDNESS TO STRAY CAT
Offers assistance with humanely trapping cat to be neutered at local veterinarian
BETHESDA, MD— Alley Cat Allies, the national advocate for stray and feral cats, today thanked
Ellen DeGeneres for feeding a cat who has made her home on the set of “The Ellen DeGeneres
Show,” and offered help with teaching the basics of Trap-Neuter-Return.
“By caring for this cat, Ellen joins the millions of Americans who are ‘feral friends’ – people who
reach into their hearts and wallets to feed and care for feral cats,” said Becky Robinson, president
of Alley Cat Allies. “Yet too many people don’t really know what a ‘feral cat’ is. We hope Ellen
takes advantage of this terrific opportunity to educate the public about what makes these cats
special and how best to help them.”
Feral cats are members of the domestic cat species. These cats are just as healthy as pet cats, but in
general they are not socialized to people and can’t be adopted into homes. Because they can’t be
adopted, they are almost always killed in animal shelters.
“This “catch and kill” approach is cruel, costly and ineffective in managing outdoor cat
populations,” Robinson said. “The best course of action for feral cats is Trap-Neuter-Return, which
ends the breeding cycle and improves the cats’ lives.”
With Trap-Neuter-Return, the cats are humanely trapped and taken to a veterinary clinic to be
neutered and vaccinated. The cat is then “ear-tipped” – the veterinarian removes a small portion of
the left ear to identify the cat as having been neutered – and returned to their outdoor home.
Volunteers provide food and water.
“We would be delighted to assist Ellen with trapping this cat and arranging for veterinary care so
that she may live out the rest of her life happily and healthily,” Robinson said.
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About Alley Cat Allies
Alley Cat Allies is the nation’s leading advocate for stray and feral cats. Their website is www.alleycat.org.
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