AGREEMENT BETWEEN STANFORD UNIVERSITY
AND THE STANFORD CAT NETWORK

pertaining to

HOMELESS CATS LIVING AT STANFORD UNIVERSITY

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This Agreement was adopted in January, 1989 [1] , and is bilaterally revised as appropriate [2]. It permits homeless [3] cats to live on the Stanford University campus [4], subject to population management and continuing care. The Stanford Cat Network is authorized to and responsible for providing this, in coordination with the cognizant University Facilities office [5]. The conditions of this working agreement are as follows:

1. Population control [6] and continuing care. The Stanford Cat Network is responsible for making every effort to assure that every homeless Stanford cat is:

a)	Sterilized (spayed or neutered).
b)	Vaccinated against distemper (4-in-1) and rabies
c)	Identified by 1) Registration in the Stanford Cat Registry with a caregiver of record. 2) Ear notch (effective Fall, 1993, for any cat requiring anesthesia) [7].
d)	Fed by a caregiver of record who monitors the health and safety of the cat and seeks veterinary care as needed [8].

2. Trapping. Trapping of cats is done by the Stanford Cat Network.

a)	Any cat trapped by the University or its outside contractors will be surrendered to the Stanford Cat Network, which assumes responsibility for its identification and disposition [9].
b)	The only exception is a cat exposed to hazardous or infectious materials, about whom the University will notify the Stanford Cat Network but will assure its humane euthanization in lieu of surrender.
c)	The University or its outside contractors will notify of and/or surrender to the Stanford Cat Network any injured, sick or dead cat found.

3. Mediation. Problems involving homeless Stanford cats are reported to the cognizant University Facilities office, which will promptly notify the Stanford Cat Network. They will cooperate to mediate with the parties involved to reach a mutually-agreeable solution [10, 11].

4. Humane education [12]. The Stanford Cat Network will undertake efforts to educate students and other members of the Stanford community in the humane treatment of animals and responsible pet ownership, with the cooperation of University administration. Faculty and staff residing on Campus will be encouraged to spay or neuter, vaccinate and identify their pets.

END NOTES:

1. The Agreement was negotiated in response to the announced intent by the University Administrative Council to trap and euthanize the feral cat population living on the Stanford campus. Primary concern was for the health of the cats, many of whom were diseased and starving in areas where no one was caring for them. This concern was addressed by the conditions of the Agreement, which extended to the entire feral cat population, not only those cats for whom care already was provided. Of secondary concern was the perception that feral cats were decimating the indigenous bird population; however, the impact of loss of habitat to buildings and paved areas also was noted, as well as the abundance of birds and wildlife observed in open areas. Later community concern for the potential health risk to humans was addressed in a memo of November 24, 1992, from G. Morrow of EH&S to B. Witscher of Facilities (available on request).

2. Initial agreement was approved by the Administrative Council, as negotiated between the University and the Stanford Cat Network. The University was represented by Peter Sidebottom of the Office of Public Affairs, and Herb Fong and Ron Parker of the Grounds Division of Operations and Maintenance, in consultation with Crane Pest Control. The Stanford Cat Network was represented by Dolores Arnold, Patricia Elsen, Carole Hyde, Carole Miller, Christina Peck and Hildegard Taleghani. Revisions have been made by agreement between Herb Fong, Ron Parker and Stanford Cat Network representatives named above.

3. Homeless describes all cats whose ownership is not claimed by anyone independently of the volunteer caregiver under the auspices of the Stanford Cat Network. Wild and semi-wild cats are released on Campus to the care of a caregiver of record; however, every effort is made to find the owners of tame stray cats. Unclaimed stray cats and any kittens are boarded or fostered until they can be placed permanently in carefully-screened adoptive homes. No cats are euthanized unless medically warranted by a consulting veterinarian.

4. The original area referenced in the Agreement encompasses the main campus, student housing and the Medical Center--including Hoover Pavilion, the ChildrenÕs Hospital at Stanford (CHAS) and the main Hospital/Medical School complex. Ongoing efforts extend to SLAC, faculty/staff housing, the golf course, stables and Stanford Barn, Welch Road and beyond.

5. Coordination and cooperation with the University has been through the Grounds Division of Facilities which is responsible for implementation of the Agreement by the University.

6. The homeless cat population was stabilized at about 250 healthy animals and is decreasing slowly through natural attrition. In recognition that this is a dynamic situation, the Stanford Cat Network diligently monitors the cat population for newcomers, who are trapped before they are assimilated into the Campus cat population and begin reproducing. See Note 4 above.

7. Initially, cats were required to be collared and tagged. However, cats repeatedly lose collars, and collars are unsafely worn by wild and semi-wild cats. The veterinary staff of the Palo Alto Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Clinic, with whom the Stanford Cat Network cooperates in the spay/neuter program, will not collar any cat if it must be done under restraint or anesthesia. As of February 2001, microchip identification is being utilized for cats trapped and re-released.

8. See document Feeding Guidelines, June, 1993.

9. Because many cats behave wildly when trapped and many cats lose their collars and tags, it cannot be readily determined whether a trapped cat is wild/tame, homeless/owned pet. See Note 4 above.

10. Problems are most effectively resolved on site, by changing feeding times or relocating feeding stations within the same area (See document Feeding Guidelines, June, 1993). Relocating cats away from their established territories often results in: a) uprooted animals wandering away from relocation sites and caregivers losing track of them, which undermines the program of continuing care; b) other cats moving in to the vacated territory without oversight of a caregiver; and c) the cat population being concentrated in limited areas, which potentially increases its environmental impact on humans, wildlife and itself in those areas (The natural distribution of the homeless cat population minimizes such impact across Campus).

11. The only exception to on-site resolution of problems involving homeless Stanford cats is the Cat Exclusion Zone encompassing the Facilities/Athletics area in the vicinity of the Child Care Center on Pampas Lane (memo of November 18, 1993, from Herb Fong to Carole Miller available on request). Many cats have been relocated from the Cat Exclusion Zone to the designated CHAS Relocation Site. Cognizant Facilities staff are responsible for monitoring the remaining cats in the Cat Exclusion Zone for any population increase or health problems, notifying the Stanford Cat Network and cooperating in further relocation as necessary.

12. Experience indicates that Stanford students are the source of most tame stray cats on Campus. Every year most hungry, tame strays show up at Campus feeding stations coincident with the beginning of the schoolyear, quarter breaks and after school is out in June. The Stanford Cat Network supports University Housing Policy which prohibits student residents from having pets in or around Campus housing. It endeavors to discourage students from adopting cats and then abandoning them and offers assistance as appropriate. The Stanford Cat Network also is instrumental in helping faculty and staff residents of Campus find lost pets.