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Help Build the Community Cat Atlas

Every colony tells a story. Every observation adds to the science.

Community Cat Atlas is creating a long-term record of how community cats, human communities, and the environments they share change over time. By registering a colony, you help build a research dataset that future scientists, conservationists, policymakers, and communities can learn from.

Register a Colony
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Frequently Asked Questions

  •  

    Most community cat colonies are never documented.

    When colonies are undocumented:

    • Population changes are difficult to understand.

    • Important historical information is lost.

    • Long-term trends remain invisible.

    • Future research opportunities disappear.

    The Atlas exists to preserve those records and better understand how free-roaming cats interact with people, wildlife, and changing environments.

  • A single observation may not seem important.

    But when combined with observations from hundreds of colonies, patterns begin to emerge.

    Questions we hope to better understand include:

    • Why do some colonies grow while others decline?

    • How do communities influence colony outcomes?

    • What role do sterilization and adoption play over time?

    • How do colony populations change across different environments?

    • How can communities and free-roaming cats coexist?

     

    Your colony may be one small piece of a much larger story.

  • Step 1
    Create an Atlas account.
    Email verification helps us reduce spam and maintain data quality.

    Step 2
    Register your colony.
    Provide information such as:

    • Colony name

    • General location

    • Estimated population

    • Colony history

    • Caretaking information


    Step 3
    Review and validation.
    Submissions are reviewed before becoming part of the Atlas.
    This helps improve data quality and reduces duplicate or fraudulent records.

    Step 4
    Join the Atlas.
    Once approved, your colony becomes part of the growing Community Cat Atlas research platform.

  • Community Cat Atlas does not publicly display exact colony locations.

    Location information is used for research, analysis, and validation purposes.

    Public maps and reports use generalized community-level information rather than exact addresses.

  • The Atlas is designed for long-term observation.

    Colony registration is only the beginning.

    Registered contributors will eventually be able to:

    • Update colony populations

    • Record observations

    • Document changes over time

    • Upload photographs

    • Contribute to future research

    The value of the Atlas grows not only through the number of colonies it contains, but through the continuity of observations collected over time.

  • Community Cat Atlas welcomes participation from:

    • Colony caretakers

    • Property owners

    • Residents

    • Volunteers

    • Rescue organizations

    • Researchers

    • Wildlife observers

    • Community members

    You do not need to be a scientist to contribute meaningful information.

Why Registration Requires an Account

Community Cat Atlas uses member accounts and email verification to help maintain data quality, reduce spam, and support long-term colony tracking.

 

Registered contributors will eventually be able to update colony records, submit observations, and participate in future Atlas research.

Before You Begin

Please register only colonies you actively observe or have reliable information about.

Accurate data helps improve the quality and usefulness of the Atlas for future research.

Contribute to the Atlas

Help document the relationship between community cats, people, and the environments they share.

Create Atlas Account

Already Have An Account?

Report a Colony
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