THE COUNCIL

What is the CATalyst Council?
The CATalyst Council is a coalition of the veterinary community, academia, nonprofits, industry and animal welfare organizations. The permanent seated board members include representatives from the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP), the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the Society of Animal Welfare Administrators (SAWA) and the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA).

Where and when was the CATalyst Council formed?
It was formed on May 22, 2008 in Kansas City, Missouri, the heart of the Kansas City Animal Health Corridor.

Why was the CATalyst Council formed?
According to the AVMA, there are 81.7 million owned cats versus 72 million owned dogs, yet the reported number of cat visits to the veterinarian has declined. According to SAWA, there is a higher number of cats than dogs surrendered to shelters nationwide, increasingly so in these economic times of financial strain and home foreclosure. The organizations that formed CATalyst believe that cats deserve better care, hence its mission to elevate the status of the cat and reverse these trends. CATalyst was also formed to ensure that cats get their due recognition as America’s #1 Companion.

What is the purpose of the Council?
The CATalyst Council is charged with elevating the status of the cat and calling attention to the fact that there are more owned cats than dogs, yet cats receive less frequent veterinary care than dogs. Most recently, the higher number of cats surrendered to shelters nationwide has heightened this concern.

What are the programs of the Council?
“It’s All About the Cat!” Campaign -- The CATalyst Council’s umbrella campaign is to continue positive conversations about America’s #1 Companion, the cat, with veterinary and shelter professionals, the cat-owning public and the media. This includes media interviews and presentations at veterinary, pet and shelter conferences through Dr. Jane Brunt, CATalyst executive director and other board members including Steve Dale, spokesperson for the CATalyst 2009 Top 10 Cat-Friendly Cities campaign.

Research Collaboration – The CATalyst Council is committed to promoting research by its member organizations and collaborating on research that will benefit the veterinary profession, shelter community, cat-owning public, and most importantly, the cat.

Promotion – The CATalyst Council is committed to promoting its mission and initiatives of other organizations including sponsors that celebrate the cat, educate the public and veterinary healthcare teams. For example, the CATalyst Council plans to promote the Feline Life-stage Wellness Guidelines for veterinary professionals initiated by the founders of the CATalyst Council. The American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) and American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) are partnering to develop feline life-stage wellness guidelines for veterinary professionals. The Winn Feline Foundation will coordinate the writing of a consumer version of the guidelines with the assistance of writers on its media committee. Once adopted, the CATalyst Council will work with other animal organizations to share this information with shelters, other cat care providers, and consumers.


THE CATALYST 2009 TOP 10 CAT-FRIENDLY CITIES

What are the cities selected?
Tampa, Phoenix, San Francisco, Portland (Ore.), Denver, Boston, Seattle, San Diego,
Atlanta and Minneapolis.

Are the cities ranked?
We are celebrating the concept of a cat-friendly city by embracing all cities together. The cities are named in rank order: Tampa, Phoenix, San Francisco, Portland (Ore.), Denver,
Boston, Seattle, San Diego, Atlanta and Minneapolis.

What is happening in each city?
The CATalyst Council is focused on the national issue of raising the stature of the cat through positive public conversation. Each local veterinary and shelter community will celebrate this accomplishment in their own special way in the coming weeks and months.

Are funds available for local veterinary clinics, shelters, and affiliated organizations?
There are no direct funds available at this time, but downloadable art and documents are available to the veterinary and shelter community -- in fact, anyone who wants to celebrate the cat -- in each city at the CATalyst Council web site, www.catalystcouncil.org. In addition, CATalyst Council and sponsor organizations are helping get the word out through their respective organizations.

Why was the CATalyst Top 10 Cat-Friendly Cities list created?
The CATalyst Council believes the societal conversation about the cat needs to change from negative to positive. This list starts the conversation by calling attention to how much the cat is loved and cared for in these cities, and sets the bar for other cities to follow in the annual rankings.

What were the criteria in selecting the cities?
The calculation process started with the top-25 largest metropolitan areas as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau. The criteria were ranked by the CATalyst Council and assigned a numerical weight relative in their importance of defining cat-friendliness. The CATalyst Council then compiled the data for each criterion. The CATalyst 2009 Top 10 Cat-Friendly Cities, as defined by the CATalyst Council criteria, were then calculated by an independent research firm.

What information was compiled?
The Council compiled a number of lists including number of cats, veterinarians, veterinary specialists, cat shows, local ordinances, and microchipping data. These lists were ranked and weighted, then an independent research firm compiled the final rankings.

What kind of shelter data was included?
The list counted if there was a SAWA member in the zip code list. Unfortunately uniform adoption and other shelter related data was not available for each city. We are working closely with SAWA to be able to include some new data points for the next ranking which will be announced in July, 2009 at the AVMA Convention in Seattle. (One of the top 10 catfriendly cities!)

How can I get my city selected?
The data was compiled using the Top-25 largest metropolitan areas. If you live in one of those areas you will always be considered for the Top 10. Other cities will be considered for honorable mention. This is a special award that is given out each year to a smaller city or town that is doing their part to improve the health and well being of felines.

What can I do to raise awareness about the cat if my city wasn’t selected?
The CATalyst Council has also created some other materials under the “It’s All About the Cat.” This artwork is available at www.catalystcouncil.org .

Is this an annual event?
This is the first year of the list of the Cat-Friendliest Cities. An evaluation will occur in May, 2009 and the new criteria will be announced in July, 2009 at the AVMA Convention in Seattle.

Where can I go for more information?
The CATalyst Council
The American Veterinary Medical Association
The American Association of Feline Practitioners
The Society of Animal Welfare Administrators
The American Animal Hospital Association  (veterinarians)
The American Animal Hospital Association  (pet owners)

What can I do to help?
If you are in a CATalyst 2009 Top 10 Cat-Friendly City, celebrate your city by:
1. Letting others know that your city was selected.
2. Volunteering, fostering, or better yet, by adopting a cat!
3. Visiting your local veterinarian for a lifetime of health for your present and new cat(s).

If you are in another city and a cat lover yourself, celebrate the cat by:
1. Letting others know what you think is cat-friendly about your city.
2. Volunteering, fostering, or better yet, by adopting a cat!
3. Visiting your local veterinarian for a lifetime of health for your present and new cat(s).