Update on the TNR’d Colony Cat Trapped by Animal Control

Mama Skipper is a colony cat that was TNR’d by Heather a few years ago. She was trapped by a Chicago Animal Care and Control (CACC) Officer last week.

Since Skipper was microchipped to Heather, we were able to pick her up from CACC.

The situation is confusing, and it usually is, because really, there is no set process in Chicago for these cats. I have found every situation to be different throughout the years. In this case, CACC does need to respond to people’s calls about outside animals, but they are supposed to leave ear tipped colony cats outside. Last week it was very cold, so perhaps the officer did not want to leave her. Also, she may have shown signs of friendliness, and since more and more ear tipped cats are now being adopted into indoor homes, the officer could have thought she was lost outside. But, once inside CACC, it is up to whomever the cat is microchipped to get that cat out of CACC.

*(As a side note, I need to make sure the contact information for any of the colony cats originally chipped to me is changed to the people around here that I know who have adopted them, let them in/out of their homes, etc. These are no longer colony cats that can just be put back outside, they are pet cats that should be vetted and cared for by that person now for the lifetime of that cat.)

The other explanation given by CACC is that the cats need to be brought in regardless so they could make sure that the cats are updated on their rabies shots. But, part of the TNR package for colony cats is a rabies shot (good for three years), so chances are most ear tipped cats are updated. Also, in this case, CACC did not give her a rabies vaccination. They gave her a distemper vaccination.

So, Skipper needs some additional vetting to be ready for adoption, including the rabies shot, Revolution, and a snap test for FIV/FeLV.

Skipper has been in Melissa’s foster room for over a week now, and is healthy and doing well. She started to explore, and in true cat form, loves boxes.

She is still pretty shy and needs someone to spend more time with her, so another foster is lined up. Heather went back to Skipper’s territory and found that the home she hung out at has since been torn down. So she’s pretty lucky girl to be inside – she’s out of the cold, her outdoor colony home is gone, and the microchip saved her life at CACC.