Helping the feral cat community

By Kelli Comer

Area animal shelters are renowned for going above and beyond the call of duty to help cat communities in need. Unfortunately, the feral feline population outnumbers the resources they can provide.

In an effort to keep the free-roaming cat population in check, spay and neuter programs are essential to the survival of existing feral cat communities and the prevention of unwanted litters.

Since 2015, Community Cat Companions has sterilized, vaccinated, returned or assisted in the placement of more than 6,000 cats through Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) services. This spay/neuter initiative aims to reduce the feral cat population by managing existing colonies and preventing future litters. TNR is considered the most effective and humane method of helping to control the overpopulation of feral felines.

TNR consists of trapping, transporting and recovering animals after sterilization and vaccination. Animals are then returned to their outdoor territories where they are looked after by qualified caregivers. Although most of these animals are not suitable for adoption, about 30 percent of these animals are considered “friendlies” and have been placed for adoption through the organization’s adoption partner, PetSmart Charities.

Community Cat Companions’ Spay and Neuter Initiative was founded in 2016 specifically to assist caregivers in Lake County with the cost of surgery. The average cost of spay/neuter services is $30 per cat. With assistance from the Ohio Pet Fund, Western Reserve Junior Service League and Petco Foundation, the program was extended to Ashtabula County caregivers in 2019. To date, the organization has issued nearly 2,000 vouchers.

Cats and the communities where they live benefit when people work together to reduce the numbers of homeless animals in a humane manner.

To learn more about this passionate team of cat lovers and find out how you can help, visit LakeCountyCommunityCats.org or call 440-467-2287.