Whiskers-N-Paws
THE HUMANE SOLUTION TO CAT OVERPOPULATION
Written by CAROLINE NICHOLSON | Photographed by SARA MOORE
Barn Buddies acclimate to their new property inside their temporary enclosure.
“For the people who love cats or hate cats, Trap-Neuter-Return is the answer. It is immediately impactful and humane.”
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You may be shocked and horrified to learn that as recently as 2017, 334 community cats died or were euthanized over the course of a single year at Coweta County Animal Services due to overpopulation and lack of resources.
Thanks to Whiskers-N-Paws, a Coweta County nonprofit, and its prevention-based rescue model, that number was reduced to 26 in 2022.
This means that Coweta County’s save rate, the number of animals who enter the shelter and then leave alive in one year, was 96% in 2022, significantly higher than Georgia’s save rate of 84%.
The story of Whiskers-N-Paws started at the Newnan-Coweta Humane Society when Cindy Lauer and Jennifer Kline, co-founders of Whiskers-N-Paws, began working closely with the Humane Society and identified a need in the community. Lauer headed their Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program where she captured community cats, took them to veterinarians to be spayed or neutered, and then returned them safely to their neighborhoods.
Over time, TNR programs stop the breeding cycle and control the population of community cats.
About this program and its benefits, Lauer says, “For the people who love cats or hate cats, Trap-Neuter-Return is the answer. It is immediately impactful and humane.”
After spending years as the director of the Humane Society’s TNR program, Lauer knew that Coweta County was in desperate need of an organization solely dedicated to community cats and their care, which led to the founding of Whiskers-N-Paws in 2016.
Whiskers-N-Paws’ goal as a nonprofit is to foster transformative change in the community which they accomplish through two preventative programs. First is their Snip, Snip Hooray! (or TNR) program where community cats are trapped, neutered and then returned, controlling the population of community cats in Coweta County by slowing breeding. In 2022, 409 cats were trapped, neutered and returned to their neighborhoods. That number has stayed fairly consistent in the years since they have been in operation.
Benefits of TNR
Ends nuisance behaviors from community cats such as fighting, spraying, and howling
Prevents repeated unwanted litters of kittens
Saves taxpayer dollars by keeping the cats out of county shelters
Organically rids neighborhoods and businesses of rodents and snakes
Improves the overall health of community cats
Serves as the only humane option to reduce and stabilize the large populations of community cats
“Removing community cats from their home is counter- productive. Each colony of cats has a territory that they defend from other colonies of cats. If cats are removed, it leaves an open territory where more unaltered cats will move in and start the breeding cycle all over again.
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What can you do to help?
Spay/Neuter
Lauer and Kline stress the importance of getting your cats spayed or neutered, no matter whether they are indoor or outdoor cats.
If stray cats are hanging out around your house, be a good Samaritan and take it upon yourself to get those cats spayed and neutered as well.
Barn Buddies Program - Working Cats
If you or someone you know is in need of organic pest control, reach out to Whiskers-N-Paws to become part of their Barn Buddies program.
For more ways to get involved and give back, check out the Whiskers-N-Paws website at whiskers-n-paws.org or call them at 678.944.7537.
What is an eartip?
An ear tip is a painless procedure done during the spay/neuter surgery. It allows people to tell from a distance whether or not a community cat has been spayed or neutered. That tipped ear saves the cat the stress of being trapped and anesthetized a second time.