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The
Kitty Cat Roundup
is a Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program for feral cats
living in Woodford County. The TNR services are
provided by the HOPE Spay-Neuter Clinic in Versailles
and funded by the Elizabeth Simms Gay Spay/Neuter
Endowment Fund, which is administered by the Woodford
Humane Society. The Kitty Cat Roundup began in March
2004 and four times per year, approximately 70 cats
have been sterilized and vaccinated.
What
is a Feral Cat?
Feral
cats are cats who have wandered away from
their home, were abandoned by their owners,
or were kittens of an unsterilized pet. They
are often called free-roaming or stray cats.
Feral cats usually live in colonies that
average 12-15 cats where a source of food
and shelter has already been established.
Some people view feral cats as a nuisance
and annoyance, and seek to eliminate the
problem through extermination. However,
Trap-Neuter-Return is more effective and
less costly than euthanasia.
What
is Trap-Neuter-Return?
Trap-Neuter-Return
(TNR) is a program growing in popularity
with groups all over the country in which
feral cats are trapped, using safe and
humane traps. They are then taken to a
veterinarian to be spayed or neutered,
vaccinated, and then returned to their
colony.
Why
is TNR the Best Option?
TNR stabilizes and reduces feral cat
populations. When colonies of feral cats are
removed by extermination, more cats inhabit
the vacated area. Vacated areas are soon
filled by other cats who start the breeding
process over again. On the other hand, TNR
programs stabilize and maintain healthy
colonies so that in time, the colony size
shrinks because there is no more breeding.
Volunteers set
out humane traps near feral colonies several
days before the date of the Round-Up,
allowing the cats to get accustomed to the
traps for an easier capture. Once trapped,
the cats are then transported for surgery. Upon
arrival at the Clinic, veterinarians,
technicians, and a team of volunteers then
prepare the cats for surgery.
During
their stay at the Clinic, each cat is spayed
or neutered, receives a three-year rabies
shot, receives antibiotics, is treated for
fleas and intestinal parasites, and has his
or her ears cleaned and treated for ear
mites. The Clinic will tip the left ear to
make future identification as an altered cat
simple. After surgery, volunteers
monitor the cats’ recovery until they are
returned to their homes. This is often the
only time these cats will ever be touched by
human hands.
  
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