Hello, Community of Lake City!
My name is Stephanie and I’ve lived in Lake City for about two years. I’m a vet tech and a lifelong animal lover and advocate. One of the first things I noticed upon moving here is the large number of stray cats living alongside us in our community. Some of these cats are fortunate enough to have caregivers that feed them and genuinely care for them, however, many of these cats are surviving on their own.
Studies have shown the most effective way to reduce the number of community cats is through Trap, Neuter, and Return (TNR).
Here’s how it works:
Trap: Cats are humanely trapped.
Neuter: They are taken to a clinic where they are spayed or neutered, vaccinated, given a flea treatment and ear-tipped. If you see an ear tip on a cat, this means they’ve been through the program and there is no need to trap them again!
Return: After the procedure, the cats are returned to the location they were trapped. These cats know the area they came from very well, and in many cases, they were born there and it is the only home they know. They are always very happy to be returned home!
There are many other benefits to TNR! Not only does this reduce the numbers of adult cats, it reduces the numbers of kittens dying outside, reduces the numbers of kittens that overwhelm the shelters, it also reduces nuisance behaviors such as spraying, roaming and fighting. Vaccination improves the overall health of the cat colony and decreases the chance of animal to human diseases such as rabies.
I’ve been doing TNR in Lake City since the beginning of 2021 and have already helped close to 70 cats and the people who care for them! Now I’m super excited to be working together with the Lake City Humane Society to help even more cats!
I will be reaching out to people who have previously contacted LCHS for help with their community cats. Priority will be given to people who feed these cats and will welcome them back onto their property. Speaking of feeding, did you know the Lake City Humane Society has a food and cat litter bank for those that qualify? You can apply for it on their website by clicking here!
This mission is a calling for me. I love animals and I love my job as a vet tech. I’m now even more compelled to help those animals that don’t come to the clinic, the animals that are outside just trying to survive. If this mission tugs on your heart, please consider making a donation to the Humane Society towards the TNR program.
Stephanie
503-941-8632