SMU Feral Cat Program
Volunteers needed!
Water delivery person needed for Fall 09 semester. This volunteer picks up
the full water jugs from our storage room and delivers them to the 11 water
stations on campus. Water can be delivered any time, any day, though you
may prefer to do the rounds when parking is not a problem (weekdays: before 8
a.m. or after 7 p.m.; or weekends: anytime). In warm weather, water
is delivered once a week. In cooler weather, water is delivered every
other week.
Email for more info:
cats@smu.edu
Have you seen our cats?
Our elderly little Dawson kitty has been taken out of the colony and put in foster care.
FYI:
University Gardens area cats on the move!
Read here for more info.
City of Dallas leash laws and feral cat programs
Birthday or holiday in your office? Check out our gift
donation cards below!
The Feral Cat Program
The Feral Cat Program consists of faculty, staff, student, emeritus, and alumni volunteers who monitor, evaluate, and provide humane care for the campus feral cats. Supported by the Summerlee Foundation and KittiCo Cat Rescue, SMU joins universities across the country in using the veterinarian-approved TNR system for managing the cat population.
About 57 feral cats populate 12 established colonies on the SMU campus and university property.
How did the cats get here? Campus settings are ripe for the proliferation of feral cats. Un-sterilized family pets are sometimes abandoned and left to reproduce in the wild. Feral cats, generation after generation, are the offspring of these orphaned pets. When abandoned or mistreated, or born outdoors and not socialized, a cat may become "feral" or unapproachable by people. Although they may look relaxed, they suffer through extremes of temperature, harsh living environments, dangerous traffic conditions, and the constant threat of predators.
One important fact to keep in mind is that our cats do benefit the campus. Most obviously is rodent control. While the surrounding neighborhoods battle rodent issues, you won't see a rat on campus! Whether you love cats or hate cats, trust me, you'd rather see a cat than a rat.
How you can help:
Drive slowly through campus streets and driveways. Critter crossing!
Keep your distance from the cats; feral cat behavior is unpredictable.
Do not disturb feeding stations or humane traps displaying The Feral Cat Program labels.
Become a volunteer in The Feral Cat Program.
Donate.
If you have information about a cat needing attention, please contact campus police (214-768-3388). We work closely with campus police, and they can contact us quickly.
If you need information about feral
cats in your own back yard, click here.
For advice on resolving litter box issues at home, click
here.
Information on urban coyotes; yep, we have coyotes,
click here.
Advice to other feral cat programs about our experience with building
demolition, click here.
How to start a
feral cat program on your own campus.
Updated: Aug 2, 2009
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