Brackenridge Park
Community Cats
What is a community cat?
Stray Cats: domestic cats that strayed from home, were lost or were
abandoned.
Feral cats: can be a domestic cat that was lost or abandoned and has reverted
to a wild state, or was born in the wild with little or no human contact.
Why are there community
cats in Brackenridge Park?
Over the years, people have abandoned fertile female and intact male
cats and kittens in the park. These cats have bred, resulting in a large
number of feral cats that inhabit the park.
In 1 Year
1 Unspayed Female Can
Potentially Have 14 Kittens
Mama’s
14
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Kittens
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And
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Kittens
Can
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At
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Each
Have
14
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The
End
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There Are Potentially 196 Cats and Kittens
Without Homes From
1 Mama Cat
1 Year
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Can City of San Antonio
Animal Care Services help?
The city’s animal care facilities are overwhelmed with
healthy animals in need of homes. The city facilities process and
care for over 133 cats per week—7000 per year. Kittens are brought
to the ACS facility at a rate of 4 litters per day.
Shelters are designed to help adoptable cats find new homes. Most
community cats are not adoptable; they rarely have a positive
outcome when impounded in a shelter.
Community Cats Live In
Managed Colonies
1980s
Community cat care was an underground effort
1994
Purrfect Haven was chartered as a non-profit for cat food donations
2004
The Express-News exposes the bad conditions for the cats at the city’s
animal shelter. San Antonio Feral Cat Coalition is founded to advocate
for community cats and promote safe TNR. Purrfect Haven begins
focusing on the Japanese Tea Garden cats.
2004
TNR is codified by the city and organized trapping begins
2007
The city declares that free roaming cats are not a nuisance
2011
A volunteer led effort initiates a business approach to address cat
management issues in the park and beyond
2013
A Memorandum of Understanding is signed to recognize volunteer
efforts and benefit the managed community cat colonies
Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR)
In Brackenridge Park
Photo courtesy of Alley Cat Allies
Trap and Remove
Trap-Neuter-Return√
TNR√
Removing an intact fertile cat to a new location only moves
the problem, creates a vacuum for new cats to move into the
original location, and allows more breeding.
Now two unhealthy breeding groups have been created
instead of one stable non-breeding group.
Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR)√
This humane program reduces the number of feral cats
immediately and for the long term.
• Stabilizes and decreases populations of cats
• Addresses nuisance concerns and behavior
• Improves the lives of the cats
• Proven to work when other methods just don’t
• Helps the Animal Care Services, non-profit animal
shelters and the local community Volunteers Are Key To
Managing Community Cats
Results
2015
15 regular volunteers
35 donated hours per week
$100 per week in donated food
15 gallons of fresh water carried
into the park for the cats
2005 -2015
504 cats trapped
231 released after TNR
235 adopted out
33 euthanized or died
$19,000 donated by
volunteers for Brackenridge
Park community cats’
expenses
How do I know what a TNR
community cat looks like?
Community Cat Goals
Stable, managed colonies of healthy cats
Reduce the number of feral cats in the park
Disposition
Name
Sex
Care
Outcome
Days Fostering
Tame
Bravo/Ramsey
M
Vaccinations. Test
Fostered Christal
7
Feral
Snow Flake
F
Bath, Meds, Vaccination
Back to Park
21
Feral
Macho
M
Neuter, Vaccination, FIV
Back to Park
0
Feral
Rocky Raccoon
M
Vaccination, Treated Wound
Back to Park, Missing 2014
Semi Tame
Gracie
F
Spay, Vaccinations
Adopted
90
Tame
Sasha
F
Vaccinations
Run Over 6/9/12
0
Feral
Como
M
Neuter, Vaccinations
Back to Park
0
Very Tame
Chula
F
Delivered 7 Kittens
Adopted
78
Tame
Panda
F
New Kitten Care
Adopted
68
Tame
Moonshine
F
New Kitten Care
Adopted
68
Tame
Lollipop
F
New Kitten Care
Adopted
68
Tame
Sunshine
F
New Kitten Care
Adopted
68
Tame
Rainbow
M
New Kitten Care
Adopted
68
Tame
Rasta
M
New Kitten Care
Adopted
68
Tame
Lebron
M
New Kitten Care
Adopted
68
Very Tame
Mavbel
F
Kitten Vaccinations, 1st Series
Adopted
7
It Is Cruel And Illegal To
Abandon Or Relocate
An Animal
In Brackenridge
Park Or
Anywhere
In San Antonio
How can you help the
community cats in
Brackenridge Park?
Learn the correct process and implement TrapReturn for outdoor cats in your immediate area to
limit the number of unwanted cats
Advocate for outdoor cats
Volunteer to educate your neighborhood and
community
Volunteer to help with the Brackenridge Park
community cat program
For more information
or to volunteer contact
Lynn Osborne Bobbitt, Executive Director
210-227-7804
[email protected]
The Brackenridge Park Conservancy
Community Cat Outreach program is funded by the
San Antonio Area Foundation.