The goal — 100 stray or feral cats will be spayed or neutered during the Monongalia County Humane Society’s Fix-A-Feral program in September and October.
The organization is hosting the program in honor of National Feral Cat Day, set for Oct. 16.
Ruth Ann Shinn, MCHS president, sees firsthand the effect spaying and neutering has on cat colonies.
For years, she’s taken care of stray cat colonies. As part of her efforts, she has trapped, neutered or spayed and returned the animals — known as TNR, a humane approach to addressing community cat populations.
In the 18 years she’s taken care of one area, she said she’s seen the number of cats shrink from 12-15 to only 2.
“Once they’re fixed, [the population] fades as they age,” she said.
Roughly half of the 146 million cats in the United States are feral or unowned, according to the National Feral Cat Day website.
“We will issue 100 vouchers to cover the cost of spay/neuter and a rabies shot,” she said. MCHS will also loan humane traps, on a short-term basis, to those who need assistance catching the stray or feral cats they care for.
“The object is to reduce the numbers, prevent pregnancies and protect from rabies,” Shinn said.
To participate in the Fix-A-Feral program, individuals must obtain a Fix-A-Feral voucher from MCHS by contacting Pat Poffenberger at 304-599-9533.
Shinn urges those who wish to participate in the program to act quickly as all cats must be fixed by Oct. 31, before the cold weather begins.
Participating veterinary clinics include AVS Vet Express, Fairmont Veterinary Hospital, Morgantown Veterinary Care and Paw Prints Veterinary Clinic.
Vouchers are limited to five per person.
For more information, visit the MCHS Facebook page.
