(Dec. 24, 2015) Maryland Coastal Bays Program (MCBP) is launching a Spokescat campaign this month to raise awareness on the importance of keeping feline companions inside.
The organization is looking for a charismatic and photogenic cat to be its spokescat to use in promotional literature. The winning cat will have a photo session with photographer Tina Walas. Artist Ralph Hastings will take one photo and stretch it on canvas for the owner to display. The winning cat’s owner must give MCBP the rights to use the photos from the photography session.
To register a cat for the campaign, visit www.mdcoastalbays.org, and then have friends and family vote for their favorite cat.
Outdoor and feral cats worldwide are credited with killing more than a billion birds each year and are partially responsible for the extinction of at least 33 avian species.
In the U.S. and U.K., studies have shown that feral and outdoor cats can make upward of 10 kills a month of local birds and small mammals. And according to researchers, that number is probably on the low side.
The Maryland coastal bays hosts 360 types of birds. The watershed provides a significant passageway for winter migratory birds. Those with the good intention of feeding winter visitors with bird feeders provide outdoor cats easy access to an unsuspecting guests.
Allowing cats to roam outdoors is not only harmful to birds; it can significantly shorten the pet’s life. Potentially deadly dangers—parasites, catching diseases from other cats, being hit by cars, stolen by strangers, attacked by predators, or just plain getting lost—are constant threats to an outdoor cat.
Obviously, due to large feral colonies, keeping domestic cats indoors doesn’t solve the problem, but it’s a start.
The MCBP is a nonprofit dedicated to protecting the five coastal bays behind Ocean City and Assateague Island through restoration, preservation and education. Visit www.mdcoastalbays.org for more information on how to help protect our bays.
For more information on the contest or other MCBP programs, contact Sandi Smith at sandis@mdcoastalbays.org or 410-213-2297 ext 106.
The organization is looking for a charismatic and photogenic cat to be its spokescat to use in promotional literature. The winning cat will have a photo session with photographer Tina Walas. Artist Ralph Hastings will take one photo and stretch it on canvas for the owner to display. The winning cat’s owner must give MCBP the rights to use the photos from the photography session.
To register a cat for the campaign, visit www.mdcoastalbays.org, and then have friends and family vote for their favorite cat.
Outdoor and feral cats worldwide are credited with killing more than a billion birds each year and are partially responsible for the extinction of at least 33 avian species.
In the U.S. and U.K., studies have shown that feral and outdoor cats can make upward of 10 kills a month of local birds and small mammals. And according to researchers, that number is probably on the low side.
The Maryland coastal bays hosts 360 types of birds. The watershed provides a significant passageway for winter migratory birds. Those with the good intention of feeding winter visitors with bird feeders provide outdoor cats easy access to an unsuspecting guests.
Allowing cats to roam outdoors is not only harmful to birds; it can significantly shorten the pet’s life. Potentially deadly dangers—parasites, catching diseases from other cats, being hit by cars, stolen by strangers, attacked by predators, or just plain getting lost—are constant threats to an outdoor cat.
Obviously, due to large feral colonies, keeping domestic cats indoors doesn’t solve the problem, but it’s a start.
The MCBP is a nonprofit dedicated to protecting the five coastal bays behind Ocean City and Assateague Island through restoration, preservation and education. Visit www.mdcoastalbays.org for more information on how to help protect our bays.
For more information on the contest or other MCBP programs, contact Sandi Smith at sandis@mdcoastalbays.org or 410-213-2297 ext 106.