Community Cats Book Details Public Opinion on Feral Cats and Programs in Place to Manage Urban Rat Infestations
Research Shows 77% of Americans Support Humane Treatment of Feral Cats
CHICAGO, Oct. 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Anne Beall faced a dilemma; find a solution to the rat infestation that plagued her community or sell her Chicago Lakeview home. Research led her to the Cats at Work Program which became the impetus for her latest book entitled Community Cats: A Journey into the World of Feral Cats.
There are an estimated 89 million outdoor cats in the US and there are 8,000 working cats in Chicago, without which the Chicago rat population would explode. Dr. Beall's cat colony was adopted through the Tree House Humane Society's Cats at Work Program under the guidance of Program Manager Liz Houtz.
1.5 million or 70% of cats in shelters are euthanized each year in the US when they could be put to useful work using sensible cat population management tactics such as Tree House's TNR program that traps, neuters and returns or relocates feral cats. Dr. Beall's research, detailed in the book, reports that 71% of households have never heard of TNR programs, but when given the facts, 77% of Americans would support local TNR programs.
Community Cats chronicles Dr. Beall's interaction with her cat colony, her outreach to other colony caretakers and leaders who advocate for the humane treatment of feral and stray cats. In addition, Dr. Beall's extensive research highlights American support of TNR and Cats at Work programs.
"I started this due to a health and safety issue in my neighborhood and expanded my work to research this at a national level," said Author Dr. Anne Beall. "I expected my cat colony, lovingly dubbed the Rat Pack, would solve my rat problem, but I never expected the bond our family now shares with our wonderfully clever and hard-working outdoor cat colony."
About The Author
Anne E. Beall, PhD. received her M.S., M.Phil and Ph.D. degrees from Yale University. She is President of Beall Research, Inc., a strategic market research firm designing research that is strategic in nature, methodologically sound, and of sufficient depth to provide valuable new insights. Dr. Beall lives in Chicago with her husband, Doug, her indoor cat, Sarina, and her outdoor colony cats: Allie, Eloise, and Duke
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SOURCE Dr. Anne Beall
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