Cat colonies

Shelter

A community cat colony is a group of ownerless cats living in the same place (a car park, a patch of wasteland, a public garden…). The shelter looks after them by having them trapped, neutered, identified and then released on site, with the help of volunteer feeders. The Shelter app lets you keep a record of each colony and see them all on a map.

Opening the colonies

Open the side menu, Management section, then Cat colonies. Two buttons at the top of the page switch between the List and the Map; the app remembers your choice on this device.

Colonies are visible to shelter members who have read access to animals, and can be edited by those with write access. Their location is never published: neither on your website nor on the community map, so as not to expose the cats and their feeders. See Members and permissions.

The colony map

Each placed colony appears as a dot whose colour shows the share of neutered cats among the cats present:

  • red: under 50%, colony to neuter as a priority;
  • orange: 50 to 79%, neutering in progress;
  • green: 80% and above, stabilised colony;
  • grey: no cats recorded yet.

Nearby dots are grouped into a numbered badge when you zoom out. When it opens, the map frames all your colonies; the Show all colonies button returns to this view. The legend shows the number of colonies of each colour and flags the Colonies without position (not on the map).

Two filters, which apply to both the list and the map, help you plan your rounds: To sterilize first and No visit for 30 days.

Acting from a dot on the map

Tap a dot: a summary shows the colony's name and address, the number of cats present, the neutering rate, the estimated headcount and the date of the last visit. Three buttons are offered:

  • Open: the colony's full record;
  • Log a visit: record a visit straight away (see below);
  • Directions: opens navigation to the colony in Google Maps.

If several colonies are at the same spot, the Several colonies at this spot list lets you pick the right one.

Adding a colony

From the map, there are two ways to do it:

  • long-press the map where the colony lives (right-click on a computer);
  • or tap Add in the action bar, then tap the map at the desired spot.

The Add a colony form opens with the dot already placed. Fill in:

  1. the colony's Name and its Address;
  2. the Estimated number of cats;
  3. the Feeders and contacts;
  4. the Agreement with the municipality or authority that oversees the colony, if any;
  5. your Notes, then tap Save.

Once saved, the map stays on screen and opens the new colony's summary. From the list, you can also add a colony without placing it (Add without position) and place it later.

Placing or moving a colony

In the form, the Location on the map block shows a small map:

  • tap the map or drag the dot to put it in the right place;
  • My current location places the dot where you are (the app asks for access to your location);
  • Locate from address places the dot based on the address entered, which you can then adjust;
  • Enter coordinates manually lets you type a latitude and a longitude;
  • Remove from the map clears the location.

On a colony's record, the mini-map shows its location with the Directions and Move the point buttons. A colony without a location offers Place this colony on the map.

A colony's record

The record brings together:

  • the identified Cats: name or description (coat, markings), sex, Identification (chip, tattoo), neutering and its date, Ear-tipped, status (present, missing, deceased, adopted) and, if needed, the Linked animal record when the cat is taken in by the shelter;
  • the Visits: feeding, trapping, neutering, release on site, veterinary care, count or other, with the date, the Number of cats seen and a note.

The neutering rate, which colours the map, is calculated on cats whose status is "present".

Logging a visit

  1. From the map (a dot's summary) or the colony's record, tap Log a visit.
  2. Choose the Type of visit and the Date.
  3. Enter the Number of cats seen and, if useful, a note.
  4. Tap Save.

The last visit is shown in the list and in the dot's summary. A colony with no visit for 30 days stands out with the matching filter.

Frequently asked questions

Are colonies specific to France?

No. In France, the scheme relies on the "chat libre" (free-roaming cat) status and an agreement with the town hall; elsewhere in Europe, similar programmes exist (TNR, "trap-neuter-return"), with local rules. The Agreement with the municipality or authority field is for noting the framework that applies where you are.

The map does not appear.

The base map needs a connection. Offline, a banner says so and Locate from address is unavailable; try again once you are connected.

I can't see the Add button or the long-press.

Your account only has read access to animals. Ask a shelter administrator to give you write access.