Operation Cat Nap

["Student Information" <stuinfo@mail.auburn.edu>]

CALL FOR ALL FACULTY, STAFF AND STUDENTS TO REPORT THE PRESENCE OF CATS LIVING ON CAMPUS

OPERATION CATNAP is a university-approved program designed to humanely care for and control cats residing on campus. If you have seen cats or feed cats on campus, please report this information to us at the following email address: griffb1@vetmed.auburn.edu

Thank you for helping us take responsibility for these animals.

For more information about this program, read below.

        In January 2000, Auburn University's College of Veterinary Medicine implemented a program to control the cat population on the Auburn University campus. The program (called Operation Cat Nap) is under the direction of Dr. Brenda Griffin and has been approved by the Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine and the University Provost. To date, a total of 19 groups of cats have been identified at various locations on the AU campus. Most of these cats have been humanely trapped, surgically sterilized, vaccinated and tested for disease. Sick cats and young kittens have been humanely euthanized.  Healthy adults have been released at the sites where they were captured.  Because they are very territorial, the resident cats prevent new cats from migrating in. Trapping and euthanizing cats has not been successful as a control procedure as new cats invariably migrate in from student housing areas surrounding campus and repopulate. The vaccinated, sterilized cats form a small stable population that do not breed and do not represent a public health threat. Neutered cats do not spray and are usually not reported to be a nuisance like sexually intact, breeding, fighting cats. An additional benefit to releasing the sterilized cats is that they provide free and effective rodent control. As a part of this program, the cats are fed by volunteer caretakers on a regular basis. After they become accustomed to a feeding routine, they can be easily captured with baited traps at the feeding site. Per the University Safety Committee, only caretakers appointed by Operation CatNap should feed cats on campus. This program has been successful at controlling cats at many sites across campus and sets an example for responsible cat care.