Notre Dame Student Aids Feral Cat Population

(from Chicagotribune.com/South Bend Tribune):

A Notre Dame theology student has taken her concerns about the feral cat population and turned it into a program that traps and sterilizes felines to reduce their numbers. Since September, the Michiana Feral Cat Society has trapped and neutered 66 cats in the South Bend area. Devon Smith, who operates the program, says: "most of them are doing ok on their own, just like a raccoon, so we let them live where they are but spay and neuter them."

When Smith moved into her home on South Bend's east side approximately two years ago, she said she noticed the area had an unusually large population of wild cats. She began spaying and neutering those cats, but soon realized more needed to be done. "It just became abundantly clear to me that this area needed a trap-neuter-return program," she says.

As an alternative to euthanasia, trap-neuter-return has gained momentum in the past few decades, and is endorsed by both the ASPCA and the Humane Society of the United States. The programs generally target established cat colonies; cats are trapped and brought to veterinarian clinics, where they are sterilized, vaccinated for rabies and treated for any injuries or illnesses. The cats are then returned to their colonies, although whenever possible, kittens and friendly adults are placed for adoption.

Smith's group does its trapping on Friday evenings, keeping the cats overnight and often in Smith's basement. On Saturday, it takes the animals to the Anderson Feline Population Reduction Center in Beverly Shores, where they are treated for just $35. This is of course a huge savings, as these services would normally cost $150 or more.

For more information locally, visit http://www.facespayneuter.org/