During our restricted coronavirus activities, it's important to know that those who feed neighborhood/feral cats are still needed! Cat caregivers can carry on with their care and feeding routines so long as the caregiver is:
* Not infected with or experiencing symptoms of the coronavirusNot under mandatory quarantine for exposure to a person with the coronavirus
* Maintaining appropriate social distancing guidelines from other people.
* Following safety tips and instructions provided by local health authorities and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to keep themselves safe and reduce community spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
Caregivers who are unwell or under quarantine should reach out to friends or local Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) groups for help to check on and feed community cats under their care.
"By feeding feral and community cats in managed groups, we can keep better tabs on them," says Pet Pals TV's Susan Hobbs, a local outdoor cat advocate. "Watch for things like sickness, animal dumping, and animal neglect and cruelty. It also keeps them from roaming into other neighborhoods where their lives might not be so safe."
Both the CDC and the World Health Organization (WHO) report seeing no evidence thus far of transmission of the coronavirus from humans to cats. There is no evidence that companion animals, including pets, can spread COVID-19 or that they might be a source of infection.
For more info or to volunteer, visit www.indyneighborhoodcats.org, or their Facebook page.