KINGSVILLE, Tx — Like other cities, stray animals in Kingsville are what many consider an issue that needs a solution.
"Any kind of over population is not good for animals or people. People get frustrated with cats staying in their yard, peeing on their flower beds..." resident Liz McCullough said.
That's exactly the focus of Kingsville's Trap, Neuter, Release (TNR) Program. It's aimed at capturing feral cats, spaying or neutering them and then releasing them back into the community.
"They kind of calm down some and they become more at ease in the sense because they won’t be out roaming around and attracting other cats to reproduce," City of Kingsville Health Director Emilio Garcia said.
Treated cats will get a notch in their ear so the Health Department can identify them. The program hopes to reduce the city's feral cat population by starting at the source of the problem.
"It keeps our intake of cats low at the shelter and it keeps our euthanasia low as well," Garcia said.
Last year the city got 102 cats spayed or neutered with the program. This year so far its 25, with 10 more scheduled next week.
Church Kitty is a former stray cat who a local church community took in after she had gone through a similar program. Church member Liz McCullough said Church Kitty was captured, spayed and then given back to roam free and safe within the church courtyard.
"Oh Church Kitty, she’s a sweetie… she was one of those strays. We have not seen a mouse so she’s welcome to stay here. She technically doesn’t belong to anybody but she has been spayed. She’s not going to reproduce and she’s loved and appreciated here," McCullough said.
A statistic from the Animal Rescue Professionals Association said in just seven years, a single pair of cats and their offspring could produce a staggering total of 420,000 kittens.
"It’s definitely a proactive solution to keeping them from producing those liters and just over populating everywhere," McCullough said.
PAAC offersfree spay and neuteringfor Kingsville residents who own cats. They also offer $25 spaying and neutering services for outside community cats. Appointments open up each week.
Garcia and McCullough both urge pet owners to be responsible and get their pets spayed and neutered.
To neuter or spay any stray cats that don't belong to anyone, call the Kingsville Animal Shelter for a TNR assessment to get the process started at no cost.
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