Feral cats are a growing problem - 13abc.com Toledo (OH) News, Weather and Sports

Experts say there are tens of thousands of feral cats in our area. Those are cats that don't have any human socialization. A local spay-neuter clinic has teamed up with volunteers and rescue groups to help change that.

It is a big problem in our community and most other communities in America for that matter, and they are found just about everywhere.

We visited a Sylvania neighborhood that has a growing problem, but a number of neighbors are doing something about it. When you look at the quiet Sylvania community you may be surprised to learn there's is a feral cat problem here. Natalie Hefner is one of the neighbors working to get the cats fixed, "We're looking at upwards of 50 cats in a span of just 2-3 blocks." Those numbers obviously grow quickly with every cat that is not spayed or neutered. That's why Hefner and her family got involved with the effort to get the cats fixed.

Jill Borkowski is with Humane Ohio, one of the local organizations that run what's called a trap neuter and release or TNR program,"People trap the cats and bring them in to be fixed and then return them to the area where they were found after they are fixed and vaccinated. Those people are usually also caring for the cats by providing food, water and shelter on an ongoing basis."

Borkowski says humane Ohio fixed several thousand feral cats last year,"We offer low cost rates of $25 for any feral, stray or barn cat to anyone in Ohio and Michigan. Call us even if you can't afford that or if there is a large number of cats because as a non-profit we do have additional financial assistance available."

Natalie and her family just moved to Sylvania from Indianapolis where she also worked with a program to fix feral cats and it didn't take long for her to figure out there was a big problem in her new neighborhood too,"Since the end of June we have trapped 12 adult cats that we fixed and then released and three of them were already pregnant. In addition to that we took 17 kittens from the neighborhood and we're just getting started."

Natalie says it's quickly become a family affair, "My kids come with me to Humane Ohio and everybody knows them, so my kids are growing up with the notion that we have a responsibility and that something can be done, it is manageable."

Tuesday is National Feral Cat day to celebrate all the volunteers who donate time and money to the effort. It's also aimed at bringing attention to the problem and letting people know how they can get involved with the solution.

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