Mars Petcare funds select organizations with community cat programs

According to a recent report,¹ there are approximately 41 million street and stray cats. Many of these free-roaming cats are cared for through a community cat program, in which shelters, volunteers, and cities collaborate to feed, spay or neuter, and vaccinate outdoor cats, striving to help humanely decrease overpopulation and nuisance behaviors. That’s why today Mars Petcare surprised 6 organizations throughout the nation with funds to promote their community cat programs.

What’s more, to further advance community cat programs, Mars Petcare recently debuted its first Community Cat Toolkit through its Better Cities for Pets program that offers a resource for cities on caring for cats and being more pet-friendly. The toolkit provides a comprehensive summary of community cat care, plus model legislation supporting trap-neuter-return (TNR) programs.

"Providing care for cats that don't have homes is an important part of being a pet-friendly community – both through increasing adoption and caring for cats whose best lives are lived in outdoor colonies," said Jam Stewart, vice president of corporate affairs at Mars Petcare, in a company release.²

"From volunteering to educating the broader community, we can all play a critical role in making our cities more welcoming to cats. We're glad to help shine a spotlight on how strategic community cat programs can reduce overpopulation and improve community cats' overall quality of life."

The grant recipients are as follows¹:

• Community Cat Coalition (Mukilteo, WA) for its feeding program
• Indy Neighborhood Cats (Indianapolis, IN) for its winter shelters program
• New Leash on Life (Lebanon, TN) for its rural community cat outreach program
• SoBe Cats Spay & Neuter (Miami Beach, FL) for its community cat adoption program
• TrapKing Humane (Atlanta, GA) for its trap-neuter-return education program
• Williamson County Animal Center (Franklin, TN) for its working cat program

Mars Petcare collaborated with various grant recipients, including Sterling "TrapKing" Davis, founder of TrapKing Humane, Williamson County Animal Center and New Leash on Life, this week in Franklin, Tennessee, to support community cat programs. The event featured informative sessions for the public about caring for and enhancing the lives of community cats. Plus, it emphasized the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives throughout Middle Tennessee's animal welfare community.

"I am passionate about serving communities and will continue to advocate for cats everywhere," expressed Davis, in the release. "Through ongoing collaboration across shelters and organizations, we can implement programming in cities to support community cats and prevent overpopulation. Having the backing and support of a company like Mars Petcare will help me and many others who are focused on this issue expand our critical work even further."

References

1. Keeping people and pets together: Mars Petcare 2021 report. Mars Petcare. November 2021. Accessed September 20, 2022. https://endpethomelessness.com/static/Mars-Petcare-Keeping-People-and-Pets-Together-Report-1f2fc8ca36f90062dac9b68c3ce65bc3.pdf
2. Mars Petcare awards grants to organizations serving cats and introduces community cat toolkit through its Better Cities for Pets™ Program. News release. Mars Petcare. September 20, 2022. Accessed September 20, 2022. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mars-petcare-awards-grants-to-organizations-serving-cats-and-introduces-community-cat-toolkit-through-its-better-cities-for-pets-program-301628162.html