Burlington County Feral Cat Initiative

The Burlington County Feral Cat Initiative (BCCI) is designed as a county-wide program offering TNR, infrastructure and oversight to feral cat caregivers in Burlington County New Jersey. This program has been seen as a “win-win” for local county and municipal government, the county health department as well as for feral cat caregivers and their cats. Reliable data from two full years of program implementation on feral populations within the program demonstrate 99%compliancece on rabies vaccination as well as similar compliance for the spaying and neutering of cats whose caregivers are participating in the program. Reliable census numbers on BCCI colonies demonstrate decreasing populations of feral cats. Local county animal shelter data on stray/feral cat intake have similarly shown a recent downtrend which is believed to be in some ways attributable to the success of the BCCI program. These data, although encouraging, do not address the underlying issues (free roaming, pet abandonment, mandatory spay/neuter of outdoor owned cats) that are main contributors to feral cat population numbers and on which a successful feral cat initiative ultimately depend. The BCCI is, as a respected intermediary between feral cat caregivers and government, in a unique position to address these underlying issues and is currently involved in educational outreach programs through liaisons with local animal control, and the distribution of BCCI literature through municipal government websites and newsletters and through the local health department.