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'Putnam' the Cat is Alive and Well and looking For A Home
by Edward Paul Greiff
 | | Jean Siegel (l) of Putnam Felines and volunteer Rae Etherington discuss 'Putnam' the Cat |
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Two local women, Jean Siegel and Rae Etherington, have highlighted a major problem that many people are not aware of, the abandonment of a domestic animal, namely cats. "In New York State, abandonment of a domestic animal is a misdemeanor yet the population of unwanted cats continues to rise;" writes Jean Siegel, President of Putnam Felines Inc. A recent incident at Putnam Valley Town Hall has brought this issue to the forefront and has united a group of PV residents to do something about the problem.
Suffering a broken pelvis and a knee injury, Putnam the cat made his way to Putnam Valley Town Hall after apparently being hit by an automobile on Wednesday, November 7, 2007. First on the scene was Putnam Valley's Dog Control Officer Patti Smith who got Dawn Powell involved who contacted Jean Siegel, President of Putnam Felines Inc. a 501 (c) 3 organization. Ms. Siegel, who lives in Putnam Valley, contacted the Bedford Animal Hospital which is open twenty-four hours a day and always has a veterinarian available. She brought the kitten to the hospital where they diagnosed the surgical procedure Putnam needed. His operation was Saturday. On Sunday the surgeon reported Putnam was doing fine and should have a full recovery and only a slight limp. Putnam is scheduled to be released on Monday, November 12. He will be staying with a veterinarian living in the Roaring Brook Lake neighborhood who will provide a temporary home for Putnam until he fully recovers. Jean Siegel says, "Applications for adopting little Putnam when he is well enough can be made through our Web site www.putnamfelines.org."
Rae Etherington, one of the many volunteers helping Jean Siegel, helps in the fund raising efforts for the program. So far they have raised over a thousand dollars to help Putnam recover, and his surgical costs have been assured by Putnam Valley's Agnes and Ron Powe and their family.
Putnam the cat's story so far has a happy conclusion but "that is not the case for the thousands of abandoned stray and feral cats in our country," says Ms. Siegel.
She goes on to explain there are feral (wild) cat organizations throughout the United States and they have been working to control the unwanted cat population with a technique called Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR). She says, "Cats are humanely trapped, sterilized and immunized against rabies by a veterinarian and then returned to their outside home with volunteers to monitor their ongoing health and well being. The ASPCA and the Humane Society of the United States have both said this is the most effective and humane way of controlling feral cat population and protecting wildlife. We have TNR'd 163 cats in this area since May of 2006. This technique has been hugely successful in communities across the country."
Volunteers provide long term care including food, shelter, and health monitoring. Ongoing surveillance ensures that any newcomers will be vaccinated and sterilized to allow the colony to diminish over time. Friendly cats and kittens are placed in foster homes and adopted out to caring families.
Their aim is to reduce the number of stray cats through attrition. Siegel advises, "Of course the very best way to stop this suffering is to spay/ neuter your pet cats even if you intend to keep them indoors."
Siegel says there are a number of low cost spay/neuter options and if you contact them through their website they will provide you with additional free information. All tax deductible contributions go directly to care for the cats. Should you want to make a contribution to Putnam Felines you can do so through their website www.putnamfelines.org or mail it to P.O. Box 609, Putnam Valley, NY, 10579.
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