Humane Ohio, a federally licensed non-profit organization, has announced that it will begin offering free spaying and neutering of feral and owned cats in East Toledo.

According to Jill Borkowski, marketing manager for Humane Ohio, the organization began offering to fix what the agency calls “free roaming” cats in the 43609 zip code, which encompasses Toledo’s old south end, in April 2010.

The agency is now, for a limited time, offering to fix free roaming and owned cats in the 43605 zip code at no cost.

“We’ve fixed over 1,700 cats in 43609 since April 2010 and placed 160 friendly cats and kittens into Planned Pethood’s adoption program,” Borkowski said. “The reason we chose the 09 zip code, and are getting ready to expand it to include 05, is because statistics from local animal shelters and rescue groups show that most cats surrendered to them come from these two zip codes.”

Humane Ohio is a local proponent for the Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) process used in both Lucas and Wood Counties, as well as cities across the nation and in Canada.

“The spay/neuter program will immediately stabilize a free-roaming cat colony and prevent more litters from being born,” Borkowski said. “Humane Ohio offers low-cost spay/neuter services to anyone caring for a stray or feral (wild) cat in Ohio or Michigan. Humane Ohio understands that not everyone enjoys living with cats in their yard and stresses the importance of spay/neuter and responsible pet ownership as the only way to humanely reduce the free-roaming cat population.”

Lucas County residents who cannot afford Humane Ohio’s low-cost spay/neuter price can call Planned Pethood at 419-826-FIXX to request a voucher through their Litter Patrol program that will cover the spay/neuter cost at Humane Ohio. This is for free-roaming cats and owned pets and is available while vouchers last.

Humane Ohio also offers low-cost vaccinations for owned pets and free-roaming cats at the time of the spay/neuter only, Borkowski said.

Taking responsibility
In order to gain control of the cat population, Humane Ohio advises that pet owners act responsibly, not abandon the cats and fix them.

“All it takes is for a couple of people to decide they no longer want their pets and put them out on the street, or for a couple of people to let their unaltered cats be “outdoor” cats, and those couple of cats breed,” Borkowski said. “The free roaming cat population increases very quickly from there, especially when you consider that each female cat can have up to three litters a year and get pregnant as young as four months old.”

Borkowski said feral cats are wild animals, similar to raccoons and opossums.

“They usually fear humans,” she said. “They usually keep their distance and only come out when it’s dark. Most of the time, cats will stick close to their food source and only creep towards civilization when they’re hungry and looking for food.”

Feral cats that have gone through the TNR process and live in managed colonies with a volunteer caretaker, who provides food, water and shelter, can live healthy, content and long lives. Finding homes for feral cats is not a realistic option, she said.

“Animal shelters rarely accept them because they cannot be touched by people and are thus not adoptable,’” Borkowski explained. “If they do accept them, they are usually euthanized without a holding period. Humane Ohio does NOT recommend relocation; it should only be done under extreme circumstances when the cats’ lives are in danger. Cats are territorial animals and form strong bonds with the location they inhabit. A food source exists in the area and the cats are acclimated to local conditions. Relocating feral cats is a difficult, time-consuming, and challenging undertaking.”

For people with feral cats in their neighborhood, the best option is to get them fixed and vaccinated, provide them with a regular food source in a safe area away from your house and make winter shelters out of Rubbermaid containers, she said.

“Thousands of people every year absorb the cost to spay/neuter and vaccinate neighborhood cats as a community service, just like some people choose to pick-up litter or plant flowers in the median to improve their neighborhood,” Borkowski said. “We are here in the community to make sure pet owners and free-roaming cat caretakers have access to low-cost spay/neuter, and as a resource for people who need advice on how to humanely reduce their free-roaming cat population and how to trap a feral cat for spay/neuter.”

For the staff at The Press, taking in a free roaming cat was both for the health of the animal as well as staff members.

According to Woodville resident Melinda Sandwisch, assistant office manager,  Princess Peaches Pumpkin Pie, a.k.a. “Peaches,” came to The Press a few months ago and has made herself right at home.

“She just started hanging around so we let her in,” Sandwisch said. “She was not feral. She has loved getting affection since day one. We believe she was with a family at some point, but was abandoned.”

The Press staff took up a collection to get Peaches spayed. Sandwisch, a member of Planned Pethood, was able to get the spaying done at a reduced cost at East Suburban Animal Clinic, in Northwood.

“We got her spayed and now she is the office cat,” Sandwisch said. “She goes in and out, and from office to office. She picks a desk to lay for a couple days and then moves on.

Sandwisch said Peaches is a very loving and affectionate cat who has brought happiness and a sense of well being to staffers.

“She is good for morale and our blood pressure,” Sandwisch said. “I pet her and I feel this calm feeling come over me. She is an anti-anxiety medication for us. The customers seem to like her too.”

Visit the website at www.humanehio.org. The organization wants people to celebrate National Feral Cat Day on October 16th by making a spay/neuter appointment anytime for a stray, feral or barn cat. To make an appointment, please contact Humane Ohio at 419-266-5607.

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