First feral spray/neuter event a success

Pets Lifeline, in association with Arroyo Veterinary Hospital, spayed 15 feral female cats and neutered seven feral male cats at the free Feral Spay/Neuter Day on Feb. 7.
By 10 a.m. on that day, twenty-two cats had been trapped and brought to the Pets Lifeline Animal Shelter. They were transported in the Pets Lifeline van to Arroyo, where in addition to being spayed or neutered, they were tested for feline leukemia and feline aids, vaccinated, de-wormed, and given extra pain medication. The colony caretakers took the cats home to finish recovering in a warm place, and they were released the next day.
“Getting these 15 female and seven male cats fixed will cut back on the 400 plus kittens that Pets Lifeline usually receives during the year. This will allow us to spend our much needed resources on existing animals,” said Monna Throop, Pets Lifeline’s shelter supervisor.
Pets Lifeline’s executive director, Desiree Stinson, said, “With private funding in such jeopardy, it is vital that we are diligent in reducing costs quickly and effectively without negatively impacting the quality of care for our existing animals. With Arroyo’s help in reducing this spring’s feral population problem we were able to accomplish both objectives. Sadly, it is still not enough. If the public understood that when they choose not to spay or neuter a cat they directly or indirectly contribute to the euthanasia of innocent animals. The country’s shelters are simply too full and underfunded to house every animal that comes to the door. We do what we can by providing low cost and no cost surgery, but the burden of the abandoned and feral cat population is becoming too great. My vision is that one day the cat population, like the dog population, will become manageable. If we can motivate the public to become more involved in the solution, we will have been successful in managing our most demanding challenge. It is so simple.”
Pets Lifeline is a privately funded animal shelter located in Sonoma Valley. It does not receive any government funds or support from national animal organizations. For more information on how to spay/neuter your cat through Pets Lifeline, contact Monna Throop at 707.996.4577 or e-mail Monnathroop@petslifeline.org or visit Petslifeline.org.