CAT ASSISTANCE TEAM OF CENTRAL OHIO INC

I have been involved with animal welfare programs for nine years. My experience with animal rescue started as a way to help find homes for the many pet cats that were being "dumped" by their owners near my home. I quickly realized the enormity of the cat and dog overpopulation problem in the central Ohio community. In order to stop the useless killing of healthy companion animals, we had to stop the endless flow of unwanted kittens and cats into shelters and rescues. Additionally, we had to create awareness of the plight of feral, or unsocialized, cats. I decided, many years ago, to direct my energy, time, and resources to developing accessible and affordable spay/neuter programs for unowned cats and dogs. At the time, resources for low-cost pet sterilization were extremely limited. I contacted many Columbus veterinarians to see if there was other humane ways to address the overpopulation of stray and feral cats. Few veterinarians would talk with me about providing spays/neuters for feral cats. After depleting my personal funds paying for spay/neuter surgeries for homeless animals, I learned about other models being used in the United States for high-volume, safe spay/neuter clinics. The veterinarians started listening. There are now over 15 low-cost options in our community, and most have agreed to work with feral cats. The feral cats are sterilized and returned to their original sites, which are managed by trained caretakers. It is amazing to watch the cats become healthier, develop shiny coats, and put on weight once they are no longer reproducing. This process, which is called trap/neuter/return, is recognized throughout the world as a humane, effective way to manage feral cat overpopulation while creating space in shelters for adoptable cats. We have to become more proactive about spay/neuter efforts in this community to bring the killing of healthy, adoptable animals to an end. It can happen if we all help these beautiful creatures!