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Press Release
For Immediate Release: November 24, 2008
Contact: ELIZABETH PAROWSKI, eparowski@alleycat.org or 240-482-1984; FRANCIE ISRAELI, fisraeli@johnadams.com or 202-207-1134
ALLEY CAT ALLIES CALLS ON QUANTICO MARINE BASE TO
END FEEDING BAN, TRAPPING OF FERAL CATS
Urges officials to adopt a humane plan and work with local volunteers
BETHESDA — Alley Cat Allies, the national advocate for stray and feral cats, today urged
officials at Quantico Marine Base in Quantico, VA to lift a feeding ban for feral cats who live on
the base, and to end the ‘catch and kill’ initiative that has already resulted in at least 12 of the cats
being turned in to the local animal shelter and another 10 cats missing.
“Feeding bans are inherently cruel to cats, and are counterproductive. Volunteers who have
provided food and veterinary care out of their own pockets have worked hard to carry out humane
efforts to neuter the outdoor cats and stop reproduction,” said Becky Robinson, President of Alley
Cat Allies. “Furthermore, trapping the cats and taking to them to a shelter – where the only positive
outcome for an animal is adoption – makes no sense. Feral cats are members of the domestic cat
species, but they are not socialized to humans and are not candidates for adoption. Feral cats are
almost always killed in animal shelters.”
Several concerned citizens contacted Alley Cat Allies in the last few days seeking assistance,
Robinson noted. One reported that she had been actively trapping cats for neuter and rabies
vaccinations, and had already removed 49 adoptable cats and kittens, while providing a regular
feeding schedule for the feral cats who were returned to their colony.
“Quantico base officials are greatly misguided on feral cats,” said Robinson. “The ‘catch and kill’
approach is not only cruel, it’s ineffective, because intact cats who evade capture will breed and
begin the cycle all over again. Meanwhile, feeding bans only serve to encourage roaming. The cats
will become more visible as they search for a new food source.”
Robinson noted that Alley Cat Allies has consulted with military bases across the country on the
most humane programs for outdoor cats, including Trap-Neuter-Return, which ends the breeding
cycle and makes the cats healthier and better neighbors; and proper colony management, in which
caregivers set up simple shelters and a regular feeding schedule to discourage roaming and keep the
cats out of areas they are not wanted.
“There are simple and humane ways to ensure cats and people coexist peacefully,” said Robinson.
“We urge base officials to work with the local caregivers and feral cat groups to enact policies that
are beneficial for the cats and the base community.”
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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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