Operation Cat Nap has now been endorsed by the Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine and by the Office of the Provost as a safe, humane and effective method for responding to the feral cat problem on main campus. Operation Cat Nap is under the direction of Dr. Brenda Griffin of the Scott-Ritchey Research Center. Dr. Griffin directs the reproductive endocrinology laboratory at the Center. Her research examines strategies for population control in companion animals. She has lectured and presented her work on feline reproduction at both national and international conferences.
Feral cats are unsocialized, unowned free-roaming cats.
They do not trust humans and flee if approached. They, however, are NOT a wildlife species and can not fully fend for themselves. Unattended, they breed prolifically, to the limits of their food supply. Feral cats lead meager lives shortened by malnutrition, disease, trauma, and high kitten mortality. They can become public nuisances and make up a large portion of the cats euthanized at animal shelters.