http://www.thedailystar.com/news/sto...08/04/nnn.html
70 trailer-park cats spayed or neutered by area veterinarian
SPCA helps with effort to control feline population, provide vaccines
By Amy L. Ashbridge
Staff Writer
ONEONTA — The cat population at Messina’s Trailer Park is getting more manageable, thanks to the work of a local veterinarian and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
To try to control the number of kittens born in the park — as well as territorial behavior — Dr. Joan Puritz spent part of last week spaying and neutering cats from the trailer park for free.
"There are lots of cats everywhere," Puritz said Thursday. "It’s really quite incredible."
As of last Thursday, Puritz said she had spayed or neutered about 70 cats.
"It’s amazing how it gets out of hand," Puritz said.
The cats also received rabies vaccinations, Puritz said. The SPCA covered the cost for the surgical procedure and the Otsego County Department of Public Health covered the vaccines, she said.
"This is a really good service," Puritz said.
Spaying or neutering a cat can cost between $60 and $75, Puritz said. Most of the cats are not feral, or wild, she said.
"So far, they’ve all been really friendly," Puritz said.
Past efforts at trying to control the overpopulation problem at Messina — and similar locations — hadn’t been successful, said Susquehanna SPCA executive director Patti Timoney.
"We’ve been aware that there was some concern for quite some time," Timoney said Tuesday. "We were finally able to go do something that may help down the road."
Simply removing the cats from the trailer park wouldn’t solve the problem, Timoney said.
That method — trapping and occasionally euthanizing cats — has been tried in the past, and it hasn’t worked, she said.
When animal-control officials try that, other cats inevitably move back into the area, Timoney said. Spaying and neutering cats works, she said.
"It’s an established way of getting a handle on the problem," Timoney said. "Other cats don’t move in."
To make sure the cat population stays under control, Timoney said, the SPCA would continue to monitor the park and check on the cats.
Timoney said the SPCA wasn’t an unwelcome visitor in the trailer park.
"People were very receptive," Timoney said Tuesday. "The majority of people were thrilled we were there."
Timoney said several people gave the SPCA kittens to put up for adoption, and the group also took in some adult cats that were in poor health.
Besides the kittens from Messina, Timoney said there are plenty of other animals at the shelter that need homes.
"We’re overrun," she said. "Any size, shape or color — we’ve got it!"
Animal population can be a very serious problem, Puritz said. She said that’s why she donated her time to help the animals from Messina.
"The overpopulation problem is one of the things I’ve always felt strongly about," Puritz said. "It’s heartbreaking in a lot of ways."
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