Feel Good Friday - The Cat Network

Most of the time, I use this blog to highlight an organization that’s connected in some way to the time of year or current events. But sometimes I just want to talk about cats. Enter today’s Feel Good Friday Organization, The Cat Network.

Founded in 1995 and headquartered in Miami, Florida, The Cat Network is a grass roots organization dedicated to humanely reducing cat overpopulation. The 2,500 volunteer and donor members that make up the network work towards this goal in several ways.

The first  focus is on sterilization. The Cat Network educates the public about the need to sterilize their pets. They also provide access to low-cost spay/neuter services for stray, homeless and abandoned cats through their certificate program. Members of The Cat Network can purchase low-cost spay and neuter certificates that can be used at participating veterinary clinics. As well, the Miami Meow Mobile is a fully equipped surgery center on wheels that can provide sterilization procedures, vaccinations and basic wellness care for cats.

The second focus involves advocating non-lethal population control and humane public policy. That includes working with multi-family developments to enact TNR (trap/neuter/release) efforts rather than extermination of stray cats on their properties. The Cat Network website lists advice on trapping feral cats for people who want to help in their own communities.

Finally, The Cat Network assists members in finding homes for rescued stray cats and kittens. Before a cat is placed in a home, the member and adopter sign a contract and the member collects the adoption donation of $75. If you’re looking to bring a cat into your life, click this link to learn more about the adoption process.

Since they began almost 30 years ago The Cat Network’s members “have trapped and sterilized over 51,000 stray and abandoned cats and have adopted out over 7,000 cats”. That’s a lot of cats!

If you’d like to join The Cat Network in their efforts to help homeless cats, there are many ways to get involved. People living in South Florida can volunteer, become network members or foster cats. All of us can make a donation and amplify their work on social media by following The Cat Network on Facebook and Instagram.