HSSV Offers TNR clinics in Medical Center

By Melissa Lisbon, HSSV Volunteer

As someone who has helped feed a feral cat colony, I was interested to know that on May 15th, HSSV will host a TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return) clinic for feral cats. I learned that HSSV partners with Peninsula Fix Our Ferals (PFOF) by providing the medical facility for PFOF to perform the surgeries. This partnership can definitely make a major impact on the feral cat population in our area. In HSSV’s 2010 fiscal year, more than 1,400 homeless cats were spayed/neutered in HSSV’s Medical Center alone!

For people who don’t know what TNR is, TNR reduces homeless cat populations by surgically sterilizing cats so they cannot reproduce. TNR, when accompanied by ongoing homeless cat management, is the most effective, humane method of reducing homeless cat populations. Cats are trapped, taken to shelters or veterinary clinics where they are spayed or neutered, vaccinated and have their ears tipped/notched so they can be identified as part of a managed colony. Only healthy cats are placed back in their colony so there is not a health risk to other cats and animals. It is widely known that sterilization helps make cats better community citizens and as a result, colonies gradually diminish in size.

Did you know that TNR actually saves money? I learned that it costs cities up to $250 to pick up, house and euthanize one homeless cat. For the same price, they can spay/neuter five cats! Peninsula Fix Our Ferals will have future spay/neuter clinics for ferals on June 12 and 26 clinics at HSSV.

Want to learn more about TNR? Watch this video.

Helping One Cat at a Time

By Amber N. Yoo, HSSV Volunteer

Inspired by HSSV’s “Helping Homeless Cats in Your Community” seminar, Virginia McCoy rescued her first feral kitten, Cisco, from behind the building where she works.

Next, Virginia trapped Cisco’s mother, spayed her at HSSV, and released her. “It gives me hope that I’m working towards the solution. Because this one cat--this one mom who is out there--there will not be any more kittens from her. One at a time, I figured. It may not make a big difference, but it makes a huge difference to that one.”

But it does make a difference! One unspayed female cat can have two litters within five months of each other, and those kittens can have kittens within five to six months. By spaying Cisco’s mom, Virginia prevented the birth of dozens more kittens who would have had a bleak existence on the streets.

One by one, Virginia trapped the rest of the litter and found foster homes for them. (The photo is of kitten SOX in his new home.) They will be spayed and neutered at HSSV once they are old enough. “The kittens are young enough that they can learn to be family pets. I’ll feed the momma cat for the rest of her life, and do whatever I can.”

For Virginia, this is only the beginning. She hopes by having the courage to take action, she will inspire others to do the same. “One little thing that one person does may feel small … but, if a whole bunch of people do little things, then it’s a big thing.” I couldn’t agree more. Thank you for being an inspiration to us all, Virginia!

If you’d like to learn more about helping homeless cats, visit www.hssv.org/homelesscats.html

Finding the Courage to Help Feral Cats

by Amber N. Yoo, HSSV Volunteer

Virginia McCoy didn’t realize that attending HSSV’s seminar “Helping Homeless Cats in Your Community” would change her life forever. But that’s exactly what it did. Virginia had been feeding stray cats for years and it left her feeling emotionally drained. “I was aware of the problem, having all these cats. I’ve been feeding them, but I never took them in to have them spayed,” Virginia told us. “I felt like I wasn’t doing enough.”

The HSSV seminar Virginia attended discussed the Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) method, the only humane method proven to effectively control the population of stray cats. The method advocates trapping stray cats in order to have them spayed or neutered, and then returning them to their territory. “When you think about it, it’s the only way to put an end to the suffering,” Virginia said. “I saw all these people in the room, and I thought ‘If they can do it, why can’t I do it?’“

Convinced that she needed to take action, Virginia trapped her first kitten, a 4-week-old in the bushes behind a building on the Cisco campus where she works. “Cisco” weighed less than a pound. She was adopted immediately by a co-worker who gave her medical attention and is caring for her until she is big enough to be brought to HSSV to be spayed.

“Cisco is living the good life with my co-worker, her husband and their other two house cats. She is as sweet as can be, loves to be held, and cuddles in people’s arms for hours, purring and kneading.”

Rewarded by the first happy ending, Virginia was determined to help the momma cat and the rest of the litter. Check back on Thursday to find out what happened next…

Learn more about feral cats and TNR by visiting HSSV, Feral Cat Spay/Neuter Project, and ASPCA.