| |
The Cat Colony Care Programme (CCCP) is ongoing, with our carers continuing to successfully trap feral cats. By the end of March 2007 we have processed 12,789 cats through the programme.
 Well done and thank you to all concerned. 
Of these 12,789 cats, 12,206 were re-released back to the care of the carers, having been ear tipped to identify them as neutered and microchipped to identify them as part of the programme.
The ear-tipping is useful as it is an easy means of identifying cats on the street as having been neutered or not and also if AFCD officials pick up a feral cat and note the ear tip in an area where the CCCP operates. The easy visual identification is a key to the ongoing colony surveillance but micro-chipping is a more accurate means of identification and also helps us, through our records, to reunite cats with their carers and enable us to return them to their specific location.
437 of the cats were put up for adoption in our homing cattery so they could be placed in loving homes. 86 unfortunately required euthanasia on humane grounds through ill health and 21 were returned to the carer for treatment of medical problems.
The colony size can vary from just a few individuals to quite large numbers in areas where the cats have been resident for a while and breeding unchecked with an abundant food source. We currently have over 380 registered carers.
We receive many phone calls about the programme and it attracts a lot of media interest and public support. |
|
It is very encouraging for us for this long-term initiative to stop killing healthy animals and control the street cat population by reducing birth rates to be received so well.
We hope that you will continue to support us and be our ambassadors for the programme in whatever way you can. |
|
 Figure of financial year 2006 - 2007 
|
The previous financial year shows an encouraging figure of nearly 3700 de-sexed cats, which is a 10-fold increase in number comparing to the number when CCCP first started. 93% (3589 individuals) of the handled cats were de-sexed and returned to their colony, while 2.2% (82 individuals) were put up for adoption in the Homing cattery. A small percentage 0.4% required euthanasia on humane grounds after examination by veterinary surgeon.
Since CCCP started in August 2000, it could be observed that number of de-sexed cats increases with an average of 33.7% annually. Many locations, including outlying islands which are traditionally ecological sensitive to spray population, were under SPCA monitoring to prove CCCP works. At a particular survey site, stray cats were estimated to be 750 in year 2000 but decreased to around 300 in year 2005.
|
|
All the de-sexed cats have been ear-tipped, which proved to be a successful technique for identification to the carers, government officials and the general public. It is worth mentioning that the CCCP programme follows a scientific approach in operation procedure and data collection so that the result is representative enough to be a pioneer reference to other foreign countries. |
|
Number of cats de-sexed through CCCP increases annually, showing that CCCP is
increasing effective in drawing public participation to control stray cat population.
|
The majority of cats were de-sexed, returned to their colony and rehomed.
|
At a specific survey site, low level Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) activity present pioneer to year 2002 and effort increased after 2002. (Data in 2003 is unavailable due to operation difficulty in that year). From the figure, stray cat makes up the majority of the total cat population. TNR is proved working as the stray population became stable and decreased to half of the starting population in 2005.
|
|
