The City of Foster City, Homeless Cat Network and Sequoia Audubon Society today announced the successful completion of Phase II of Project Bay Cat, a unique coordinated effort to humanely solve feral cat challenges along Foster City’s Bay Trail. Project Bay Cat was officially launched last year to curb the homeless cat population growth through aggressive spay/neuter and adoption programs, as well as to protect bird habitat and improve debris management along the path.

To reach the program’s goals, the collaborators of Project Bay Cat have worked together to achieve success on several fronts, including stabilizing the feral cat population, reducing the cats’ environmental impact, and educating the community while enlisting its help.

Stabilizing the feral cat population
With over 170 cats living along the popular trail in 2004, one of the program’s primary goals is to stop the homeless cat population from growing. To this end, volunteers have diligently trapped the cats to have them spayed/neutered, tested for disease, and vaccinated. Spearheaded by Homeless Cat Network volunteers and thanks to the veterinarians from San Mateo Animal Hospital and Crystal Springs Pet Hospital, 92% of the cats that live along the levee pedway have now been altered. This has successfully stabilized the population’s growth. Homeless Cat Network also created an aggressive fostering and adoption program and found homes for over 60 kittens and friendly adult cats.

Due to its dedicated spay/neuter and adoption efforts, Project Bay Cat has already reduced the number of cats living along the levee pedway by 30%, thereby exceeding the program’s initial goals.

“The homeless cat population started as a result of illegal abandonment by irresponsible people,” says Cimeron Morrissey, Project Bay Cat manager for Homeless Cat Network. “We’re correcting the problem in a wonderfully positive and humane way while also protecting the environment and improving the pedway for trail users. It’s a win-win-win program.”

Reducing the environmental impact
To protect birds and their habitat and reduce debris along the levee pedway, 10 cat feeding stations were built by Homeless Cat Network and installed along the trail. Appropriate locations for the stations were jointly identified by the three groups, with special consideration given by Sequoia Audubon Society to insure that the stations were placed away from bird habitats. The program’s effectiveness is a result of keeping the cats well-fed and concentrated away from avian nesting sites.

"There are fewer cats on the Foster City Bay Trail now, and those that remain appear healthier," says Robin Winslow Smith, Conservation Committee Chairperson of the Sequoia Audubon Society. "Thanks to the feeding stations and the spay/neuter effort, the cats seemed to have settled into the program and don't need to hunt for dinner since they have it in their feeding stations." As further evidence of the program’s effectiveness, Sequoia Audubon Society recently found that the endangered California Clapper Rail, which lives in a marsh on the border between Foster City and San Mateo, is thriving and is not impacted by the cats. In fact, the Rails are quite easily seen and heard there at high tide.

Educating the community and increasing involvement
To educate the public about the unique program and encourage community involvement, the City of Foster City erected four Project Bay Cat signs along the levee pedway. Because the homeless cat problem is a result of animal abandonment, which is an illegal and inhumane act, the signs discourage abandonment and inform the public to call police if they see suspicious or malicious activity. The signs also ask the public not to feed the cats unless they are registered through Homeless Cat Network as official feeders.

“The results speak for themselves about the success of this wonderfully collaborative project,” says Kevin Miller, Foster City’s Parks and Recreation Director. “Most impressively, we’ve achieved success without expense to taxpayers since the program has been implemented by volunteers, and by veterinarians who have donated their services to this humane endeavor. Project Bay Cat is a wonderful improvement effort for the community and by the community,” says Miller.

Initiating Phase III
The successful completion of Phase II marks the transition from active program development to ongoing maintenance. In Phase III, volunteers will continue to provide food and water to the homeless cats while also working to trap the remaining unaltered felines for spay/neuter surgery. Homeless Cat Network is seeking additional volunteers to help feed the cats, foster and socialize kittens, and to humanely trap cats for spay/neuter.

Project Bay Cat Tool Kit
Project Bay Cat has become a model program for others around the world hoping to humanely solve feral and homeless cat challenges in their own communities. The collaborators have created a step-by-step Tool Kit, which is available for free by emailing info@homelesscatnetwork.com.

About Project Bay Cat Partners

City of Foster City
Located on the peninsula, Foster City has a population of approximately 29,500. The City is redefining what it means to be a planned community, working beyond architectural and city planning issues to find ways to resolve issues collaboratively. This unique municipality embodies the positive ideals originally set forth in its development.

Homeless Cat Network
Homeless Cat Network (HCN) is an all-volunteer, 501(c)(3) nonprofit, feline rescue organization working to humanely reduce the homeless cat population on the San Francisco Peninsula through spay/neuter, adoption, public education and responsible colony management. The organization provides advice, assistance and mentoring to individuals, public agencies and businesses. HCN offers a variety of rewarding volunteer opportunities including kitten fostering, cat socializing, feral cat management and homeless cat rescuing.

Sequoia Audubon Society
The mission of Sequoia Audubon Society is to participate in environmental education and conservation, and in the restoration, preservation, protection and enjoyment of our native natural resources with emphasis on birds and their habitats.