The Kitten Marathon

It’s a boy! It’s a girl! It’s another boy! It’s another girl! If you shout these phrases during “Kitten Season,” you’ll soon be out of breath.

In animal rescue circles, the start of Kitten Season (generally, April) is the start of an exhausting marathon. Finding fosters for pregnant mamas and homes for all the new babies. Getting future parents spayed ASAP. These are the never-ending challenges of the rescuer. But with more prevention, government aid, and community assistance, we can work towards making Kitten Season a time for celebration instead of a time for strain.

The Underlying Kitten Problem

The underlying problem is simple: too many animals without homes. In North Carolina, the save rate for strays and lost animals is only 71%. Meanwhile, the national save rate is 79%. Yes, that means almost a third of shelter animals in North Carolina are destined for euthanasia. Why is the save rate in North Carolina lower than the national average? Rachel West, one of FUR’s co-founders, explains, “The shelters in North Carolina are perpetually overcrowded. This is due to a combination of things, like the lack of affordable spay/neuter options (especially in rural areas), not enough TNR programs across the state, and a lack of educational resources.”

Let’s break this down a bit, working back from biology. Why ARE there so many cats? Rachel gives us more info about the breeding cycles of cats. “In one year, a feral, unspayed, cat has 8-10 kittens on average. A cat is pregnant 58-65 days, and each pregnancy and may have 3-7 kittens. That means an unspayed cat can be pregnant on average every 4 months! Those kittens can go on to multiply to 512 in 4 years and 2,097,152 cats in 10 years!” Furthermore, “cats can mate and reproduce as young as 4-5 months of age.”   That’s a LOT of cats!

The Benefits of TNR

What can be done then to control overpopulation of homeless cats? Trap, Neuter, and Release, or “TNR” programs, are an excellent means of stabilizing cat populations. But for those unfamiliar with TNR, it can sound a bit scary. Let us reassure you that TNR programs are a means of improving the lives of cats on a number of levels.

TNR traps are live, humane traps. Volunteers set the traps in places like cat colonies, where multiple cats gather and live. Once captured, volunteers transport the cats to a veterinarian who will spay/neuter the cat before it’s released back into the colony. “The traps that most reputable TNR groups use, including ours, are humane,” Rachel explains. “Some cats can panic in the trap and injure themselves in the process. But, knowledgeable TNR folks know to cover the trapped cat with a cloth and put it in a quiet place to help keep them calm until after surgery.”

At the clinic, the cat will receive vaccines and a quick health check so rescuers can address other health concerns. Vets will also clip the tip of the cat’s ear. Rescuers worldwide use this method to identify a cat in a managed colony who has already been spayed or neutered.

Not only does spaying/neutering a cat ensure that it doesn’t contribute to the overpopulation problem, but it has a wealth of other health benefits for the cat. Rachel tells us these benefits include a reduction in territorial marking, roaming, and aggressive behavior. In fact, spaying/neutering can increase a cat’s lifespan by 3-5 years, lowering the risk of cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

How FUR Is Helping

You may be wondering what your friends at FUR are doing to help with the overpopulation problem in our community. As Rachel tells us, “We provide access to free and low cost spay/neuter, transportation to and from the clinic, and assistance with trapping cats if needed.”

And if you’ve found a feral cat colony that you think needs help? Rachel says, “If we are made aware of a feral cat colony that is not being managed, we will offer assistance with loaning traps or with trapping and returning cats, and help with food and parasite treatment for feral cat colonies, if requested.”

And, since FUR has extra spay/neuter appointment spots available that aren’t presently needed for their own rescued cats, FUR will also assist community residents in getting their personal pets spayed/neutered at an affordable rate.

It Takes a Village

Rescue organizations like FUR can’t do what they do without help from the community. And that includes getting more volunteers to help with TNR efforts and outreach. Whether you join FUR or another local rescue group, become a pet foster, or encourage your local government to provide more resources for Haywood County, your support and participation is one of the greatest needs of rescue groups in Western North Carolina.

Yvonne Holton, a volunteer member of FUR’s Sanctuary Team who has been with FUR since 2013, explains, “WNC does not have enough TNR teams or safe animal rescue options available. FUR is a cat rescue, not a TNR group. However, given the need is so great, we want to help out as much as we can. We do work closely with Salem’s Sanctuary. But there are babies having babies out there. Concerned community members are discussing how to get a low cost spay/neuter clinic in Haywood County. If the community could reiterate how important those clinics are, that would really help a lot.”

Recently, Salem’s Sanctuary, a local non-profit that helps overpopulation with its spay and neuter programs, absorbed Lend us Your Ear and Operation Spay Haywood, two other local organizations. In doing so, they’ve consolidated their efforts to partner with local clinics to for low-cost spay/neuter services in Western NC. Though their combined strength will greatly improve the lives of community cats in our area, they and other rescues still need your help.

Rachel reiterates the need for local government assistance. “We need community members to tell local government leaders the benefits of TNR programs, which at the most basic level include reducing euthanasia numbers and overcrowding in municipal shelters. We need to make it more convenient for the community to obtain help, which could start with establishing a local low-cost spay neuter clinic here in Haywood County. We do not currently have one.”

Rachel also suggests adding educational programs about animal welfare, starting at the elementary school level, to provide future pet owners with the tools they need for caring for their feline friends.

If you’d like to help our local rescue organizations by reaching out to your local government, you can contact the board of Haywood County’s Health and Human Services Agency (which includes veterinary services) at: hhsaboardcitizencomments@haywoodcountync.gov. 

Or send mail to their attention at:
c/o Grizel Gonzalez-Jeuck
Haywood County Health and Human Services
157 Paragon Parkway
Clyde, NC 28721

If you’re interested in becoming a volunteer with FUR or would like more information on how you can help, please visit our website at https://furofwnc.org/contact-us/.