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DRAFT <br /> <br /> <br />outside and unconfined, making it more likely that they will mingle with raccoons and <br />other wildlife that carry rabies. <br />Wildlife Depredation: Outdoor cats also pose a risk to birds and other wildlife. Orange <br />County does not host vulnerable, threatened or endangered species whose existence <br />could be made more perilous by the presence of feline predators. Nevertheless, cats <br />can be a concern to backyard feeding stations and in parks and nature preserves <br />seeking to sustain native habitat. <br />Sheltering occupancy and operations are driven in no small part by cats and the loose affiliation <br />people have with them. A number of key statistics for Orange County are presented in Cat <br />Statistics.5 These include: <br />Kitten Season: As a result of uncontrolled reproduction, there is a huge influx of kittens <br />each spring that is responsible for the number of shelter cats tripling from less than 50 to <br />more than 150 in the course of a given calendar year. <br />Seasonal Cycle: The influx of kittens and other cats beginning in spring continues to be <br />the single largest cause of a substantial and predictable seasonal cycle in the population <br />of shelter animals. From fewer than 100 in the winter months of a given year, the overall <br />population grows to upwards of 250 animals in the summer months, and generally <br />exceeds 150 animals in the transitional periods of early summer and late fall. <br />Cat Sheltering: The successful sheltering of cats requires that they be kept significantly <br />longer than dogs to be homed or rehomed. The average length of stay for cats can <br />approach nearly twice as long as dogs at times. Also, as a result of the number of cats <br />and their average length of stay, cats account for a large share of total board days. In <br />2013, for instance, they accounted for almost two-thirds of 55,000 total board days. <br />These shelter operation dynamics have not changed despite the accomplishments of our effort <br />to manage the county’s overall problem of pet overpopulation. In the case of cats, these include <br />decreasing the number of cat intakes from more than 2,000 per year to less than 1,500, as well <br />as increasing the number of live releases of cats. In 2013, fewer cats (1,483) were admitted <br />than dogs (1,628); and more cats (787) were adopted than dogs (692). <br /> <br />5 These statistics are available at http://orangecountync.gov/animalservices/documents/CatStatistics03- <br />14.pdf.