Ally Cat Allies created National Feral Cat Day ten years ago, and this year the Athens Area Humane Society is taking part in educating the community about trap-neuter-return (TNR) of feral cats. AAHS offers a feral cat package for $35 year-round, which includes the spay/neuter surgery, rabies vaccine and ear-tipping. To do our part in supporting National Feral Cat Day 2012, AAHS will offer its feral cat packages for only $20 from October 15-18! All feral cats must be brought in humane traps with only one cat per trap.

What is a feral cat?

The Humane Society of the United States defines a feral cat as “the offspring of lost or abandoned pet cats or other feral cats who are not spayed or neutered. Stray cats are accustomed to contact with people and are tame, but feral cats are not accustomed to contact with people and are typically too fearful and wild to be handled. Whereas stray cats may be reunited with their families or adopted into new homes, feral cats do not easily adapt or may never adapt to living as pets in close contact with people.”

Why should you spend $20 to fix a cat that doesn't belong to you?

Spaying and neutering feral cats will stabilize, and over time reduce, the number of homeless feral cats in your area. Less litters will be born, so the number of stray cats will not get out of control in your area. Cats can become pregnant as young as 4 months old and can have 3 litters each year with 4-6 kittens per litter--so do the math, and you'll quickly realize that unaltered feral cats can become a major problem for your neighborhood!

The cats will live longer, healthier lives. Spaying and neutering them will decrease the stress on their bodies of having constant litters of kittens, and it may help the to better gain weight and live longer lives without the stress of mating. And without the extra cats being added to the colony, the cats already there won't have to compete as much for their food supply with an increasing number of cats.

The cats will be better neighbors! Spaying and neutering will reduce many behavioral issues associated with mating, such as yowling or fighting.

The cats will be vaccinated against rabies, so there's less worry about them becoming rabid.

Adult feral cats that are caught by animal control are generally euthanized. By participating in TNR, the cats can live out their lives without contributing to additional generations of feral cats and you'll be saving your tax dollars by reducing the number of complaint calls and service calls by animal control. You'll also be supporting the AAHS mission to lower the area's euthanasia rates, which always ultimately comes back to spaying and neutering.

You'll be doing your part as a compassionate human. If you love animals and care for their well-being, please also think about feral cats and help them to live out their lives as healthy, altered animals. It'll benefit the cats but also your community and neighborhood!

Please visit www.AthensHumaneSociety.org or call 706-769-9155 for more information about the AAHS Spay & Neuter Center, and visit www.AllyCat.org for more information about National Feral Cat Day and TNR facts.