10-15-2011, 08:52 AM
Euthanization hasn't cut down free-roaming cat population, so spay/neuter now favored. About time they caught on.
By Kelli Wynn, Staff Writer Updated 11:35 PM Friday, October 14, 2011
DAYTON — The problem with feral and stray cats is that they reproduce frequently. A female cat can produce up to four litters a year and “one male cat that has not been neutered can impregnate a neighborhood,” a local animal welfare official said.
“Nobody is providing for their medical care, so they become ill. They are not vaccinated, so it becomes a crisis for certain neighborhoods,” said Nora Vondrell, executive director for SISCA, an animal welfare and adoption center at 2600 Wilmington Pike in Kettering.
Vondrell on Friday commended the Humane Society of Greater Dayton on its plans to spay and neuter, not euthanize, the great majority of the feral and stray cats it takes in.
Society officials have found that euthanization has not significantly cut down the free-roaming cat population. The nonprofit organization believes that by spaying and neutering the animals, their population will shrink over time.
Montgomery County has an estimated 89,000 feral and stray cats. The local Humane Society plans to spay or neuter up to 20,000 of them every year.
The organization will only euthanize too ill or injured to survive, according to Brian Weltge, executive director for the humane society.
Weltge calculated the approximate number of stray and feral cats in Montgomery County by taking the county’s human population and dividing it by six. This is the same formula used by the The Humane Society of the United States, according to Nancy Peterson, cat programs manager for the national organization.
The local humane society will offer spaying and neutering for free, Weltge said, even though each procedure costs approximately $10 for a male cat and $24 for a female cat.
Last year, the local society took in approximately 4,000 feral or stray cats. Of those animals, approximately 2,500 were adopted and 1,500 were euthanized.
Weltge would like to see the organization spay or neuter between 10,000 and 20,000 cats a year. The organization currently spays or neuters about 3,500 cats a year.
The local society is currently interviewing for a full-time veterinarian. Weltge estimates that if the organization operated with at least one veterinarian 350 days a year, it could perform approximately 11,000 spayings and neuterings annually. The humane society currently contracts with outside veterinarians.
The local Humane Society is considering whether to launch a fundraising campaign to help pay for the program, said Bruce Langos, chairman of the organization’s board. The organization also must prepare to acquire more space for the cats.
The actual spaying and neutering process takes about 15 minutes, but the cats are kept overnight for observation.
Local society officials also want to make it clear that their facility is not for nuisance cats.
“There are a number of people who consider cats a nuisance. We do not want to be the repository for the people who just don’t like the cat in their front yard,” Weltge said. “We would love for people to step out and help that cat. Bring them into us so we can spay or neuter, either adopt or put back.”
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2414 or [email protected].
By Kelli Wynn, Staff Writer Updated 11:35 PM Friday, October 14, 2011
DAYTON — The problem with feral and stray cats is that they reproduce frequently. A female cat can produce up to four litters a year and “one male cat that has not been neutered can impregnate a neighborhood,” a local animal welfare official said.
“Nobody is providing for their medical care, so they become ill. They are not vaccinated, so it becomes a crisis for certain neighborhoods,” said Nora Vondrell, executive director for SISCA, an animal welfare and adoption center at 2600 Wilmington Pike in Kettering.
Vondrell on Friday commended the Humane Society of Greater Dayton on its plans to spay and neuter, not euthanize, the great majority of the feral and stray cats it takes in.
Society officials have found that euthanization has not significantly cut down the free-roaming cat population. The nonprofit organization believes that by spaying and neutering the animals, their population will shrink over time.
Montgomery County has an estimated 89,000 feral and stray cats. The local Humane Society plans to spay or neuter up to 20,000 of them every year.
The organization will only euthanize too ill or injured to survive, according to Brian Weltge, executive director for the humane society.
Weltge calculated the approximate number of stray and feral cats in Montgomery County by taking the county’s human population and dividing it by six. This is the same formula used by the The Humane Society of the United States, according to Nancy Peterson, cat programs manager for the national organization.
The local humane society will offer spaying and neutering for free, Weltge said, even though each procedure costs approximately $10 for a male cat and $24 for a female cat.
Last year, the local society took in approximately 4,000 feral or stray cats. Of those animals, approximately 2,500 were adopted and 1,500 were euthanized.
Weltge would like to see the organization spay or neuter between 10,000 and 20,000 cats a year. The organization currently spays or neuters about 3,500 cats a year.
The local society is currently interviewing for a full-time veterinarian. Weltge estimates that if the organization operated with at least one veterinarian 350 days a year, it could perform approximately 11,000 spayings and neuterings annually. The humane society currently contracts with outside veterinarians.
The local Humane Society is considering whether to launch a fundraising campaign to help pay for the program, said Bruce Langos, chairman of the organization’s board. The organization also must prepare to acquire more space for the cats.
The actual spaying and neutering process takes about 15 minutes, but the cats are kept overnight for observation.
Local society officials also want to make it clear that their facility is not for nuisance cats.
“There are a number of people who consider cats a nuisance. We do not want to be the repository for the people who just don’t like the cat in their front yard,” Weltge said. “We would love for people to step out and help that cat. Bring them into us so we can spay or neuter, either adopt or put back.”
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2414 or [email protected].
