The P.G.F.F. Program

Overview:

    1. Plan

    2. Trap

    3. Vet

    4. a. Return, or

        b. Socialize and Adopt

    5. Feed and Care

1. Plan

All P.G.F.F. projects are coordinated by P.G.F.F. officers and conform to this plan.

The first step is to evaluate the colony. The number and approximate ages of the cats is recorded. The feeders should be identified and told of the plan to provide care for the cats. If possible, the feeders and neighbors should be recruited as volunteers for some phase of the program.

Determine the availability of foster homes for the cats that are thought to be potentially adoptable. Determine the availability of traps and trappers.

P.G.F.F. will schedule an appointment at the veterinarian's office for the number of cats that are anticipated to be old enough to be spayed/neutered.

Set the trapping day.

Contact the feeders to be sure that they do not feed on the trapping day.

Schedule trappers.

2. Trap

Remind the feeders the day before, not to feed on the trapping day.

The trapping should take place at about the normal feeding time, at the location where the cats are routinely fed.

Cover the traps with a towel to reduce the stress for the cats.

The schedule of trapping day vs. veterinarian appointment will usually require keeping the cats in a safe place, like a garage or basement overnight.

3. Vet

The cats in the P.G.F.F. program receive the following care:

        Spay/Neuter (except for pregnant females)

        Vaccination for Rabies (only)

        Microchip or ear tipping

Veterinary charges will be placed on the P.G.F.F. account.

Anyone interested in helping with the cost of veterinary services should make a donation to P.G.F.F.

4.

As domestic animals, P.G.F.F. feels that all cats deserve a safe indoor home as part of a loving family. P.G.F.F. also realizes that there are not enough homes to accommodate all of the free-roaming cats who need them.  P.G.F.F., therefore practices both Socialization and Adoption (to the extent that foster and adoptive resources are available) and Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR).

4. a. Return

In most cases, there will be more cats than there will be potential adoptive homes, and cats that have been spayed/neutered will be returned to the location where they were trapped.

P.G.F.F. does NOT support relocation of cats, except in a very few extreme cases.

There must be a dedicated caretaker, or better yet, a team of caretakers, to manage the colony. This includes regular feeding of a healthful diet, identifying any new cats that enter the colony so that they can be trapped and sterilized, monitoring the health of the cats so that appropriate vet care can be provided, etc.

4. b. Socialize and Adopt

P.G.F.F. offers a workshop in feral cat socialization. We have found that any cat, regardless of age, can be socialized and become a suitable companion.

The limiting factor is the availability of the foster or adopter who is willing and able to devote 30-45 minutes a day to the process. The taming process may be a matter of a few days or weeks or months, depending on the disposition of the cat and the amount of time that the foster has to devote.

Cats that have been socialized and holistically cared for as prescribed by P.G.F.F. are eligible to attend P.G.F.F. adoption fairs.

The adoption of a cat is not taken lightly by P.G.F.F. Adopters must be qualified and approved by P.G.F.F. They must agree to NOT declaw the cat, and they must agree to keep it indoors 100% of the time.

In addition, the cat must continue to receive a good diet, one that is on a par with the diet they received when cared for by P.G.F.F.

The adopters maintain a holistic approach in the care of the cat. P.G.F.F. provides guidance after the adoption.

5. Feed and Care

The holistic approach maintains that nutrition is a very important aspect of good health. Fosters and caretakers feed a product that passes the standards of the P.G.F.F. Basically, this will mean, a high-quality food with no by-products or chemicals, like BHA, BHT or Ethoxyquin.

Generally, it is also advisable to add some forms of nutritional supplements. A digestive enzyme replaces those lost in the preparation of commercial foods, a probiotic replaces the intestinal flora that may have been destroyed by conventional medical treatments. Vitamin C, particularly Ester-C has been demonstrated to be beneficial in cases of upper respiratory infection (URI).

Some cats may need special treatment -- for immune support, for example.

The regimen will be determined when the cat enters foster care or managed colony, and reevaluated periodically.

P.G.F.F. can provide several kinds of cat food that is healthful. Supplements are also available from P.G.F.F.

Anyone interested in helping with the cost of food and supplements should make a donation to P.G.F.F.