Paws Up!

To the Cape May City Council of New Jersey for voting to protect both its nesting shorebirds and its stray and feral cat populations. 

Cape May has been hailed by many for its successful Trap-Neuter-Return (T-N-R) program, which has humanely reduced the city’s stray and feral cat population by several hundred over the last decade.  The program was nearly jeopardized when the U.S. Fish & Wildlife agency last year threatened to cut funding to Cape May’s nesting shorebird protection efforts if the city did not remove the stray and feral cats living along the beach shore where the federally protected birds also gather and live.

Thankfully, city officials of Cape May were able to make a compromise that allows the cats to stay and ensure shorebird protections.  Officials voted on a plan that requires the feral cat colonies to be relocated 1,000 feet from shorebird areas, but that will allow T-N-R efforts to continue.  Despite some reported conflict about the plan for the cats, NHES is ultimately pleased that the stray and feral cats and the nesting shorebirds will both continue to enjoy protection.

Please write the Cape May city officials and thank them for their humane efforts!

Cape May City Council

643 Washington Street
Cape May, NJ 08204

Sources:

http://www.thecapemaygazette.com/

http://www.alleycat.org/pdf/pr-capemay08.pdf