Forgotten Felines of Sonoma County is dedicated to the humane care and control of the feral cat population. Ferals are domestic cats that, through birth or circumstance, have reverted to the wild, living outdoors in urban, suburban, and rural environments with little or no human contact. There are approximately 60 million feral cats living in the United States today. This massive overpopulation exists because of human abandonment and the failure of humans to alter domestic pets.
Forgotten Felines is a nonprofit, registered 501(c)(3) organization serving Sonoma County since 1990. We have over 4,000 contributing supporters, 200 volunteers and a small staff. We have the endorsement of and cooperate very closely with all six shelters in Sonoma County and are members of the Sonoma County Animal Network.
Forgotten Felines practices the "TNR" or Trap, Neuter and Return method of feral cat control: cats are humanely trapped, tested for disease, vaccinated, altered, ear tipped for identification and then returned to the location from which they were originally trapped. Here they will be fed and watered daily by a caretaker who monitors the health and activity of the feral cats living together in their "colony".
Feral cat organizations throughout the world recognize that the TNR method is the only long-term, humane solution for controlling the overpopulation of feral cats. With proper colony management, feral cats do not suffer and can live well past the mortality of cats who are left to fend for themselves.
Forgotten Felines provides the following services to the communities of Sonoma County:
Trapping Assistance: Forgotten Felines provides information on where to rent a humane trap, how to use it, how to establish a feeding pattern to ensure successful trapping, and which local vets provide services for feral cats. If the caretaker of the feral cat colony is physically unable to do the trapping, a volunteer trapper will provide on site assistance.
Low or No Cost Clinics: Forgotten felines operates a spay/neuter clinic for feral cat caretakers, where basic medical care and assessment are also provided. A small donation is requested for leukemia testing, vaccinations, altering, microchipping, parasite control, ear tipping and an overall health check. For qualifying low income caretakers, clinic services are offered at a reduced rate or at no cost.
Adoptions: Our adoption program finds homes for tame adults we find living in the feral cat groups and for formerly feral kittens who have been tamed down by our volunteer foster parents. Each year we place over 300 cats and kittens in permanent homes. Adoptions take place in a dedicated room at the Rohnert Park Animal Shelter and at select pet stores with the support of part-time staff members, an FFSC veterinarian and a crew of volunteer foster parents, kennel assistants, cat cuddlers and adoption counselors. FFSC vets and volunteers also hold weekly foster care health clinics.
Education: Forgotten Felines assists and educates the public with regard to all aspects of feral and domestic cat care. We provide information and support on our web site, in our newsletter, at our adoption room and thrift store, and through office staff via telephone, email or in person. We have developed several educational brochures which appear on our website and offer clinics on feral cat care.
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