Hillsmere Shore’s Success with Cat Overpopulation
First let me thank you for Bay Weekly’s awesome Pet Tales Aug. 10 edition.
I also want to tell you about Hillsmere’s successfull implementation of a Community Cat program to reduce the unowned “community” cat overpopulation. Volunteers rallied with the Anne Arundel Cat Coalition, a non-profit spearheaded by Spay Spa Neuter Nook to trap, spay/neuter and rabies vaccinate 36 cats.
Half of the cats, mostly kittens and three friendly adults, were adopted. The rest returned to their caregivers and outdoor homes. To date there have been no new litters or complaints in Hillsmere.
“With this program our community, the wildlife, cats and residents are a whole lot better off,” said Hillsmere resident Carolyn Kilborn.
“God bless these volunteers,” said caregiver Gordon Thomas.
The goal is to reduce the number of outdoor cats through outreach and by bringing trapping, spay, neuter, vaccination and transportation services to citizens in need,” said one of Hillsmere’s lead volunteers, Marion Hosmer.
Marion has dedicated her life to reducing overpopulation. She alone helped over 300 citizens and got 900 cats spayed/neutered and vaccinated last year.
Nationwide it’s estimated there are 70,000,000 community cats; in Anne Arundel County over 100,000. The county doesn’t remove outdoor cats. Most remain outside unvaccinated and breeding, which creates problems.
The Coalition’s message is this: Keep your pet cats inside, spay and neuter all pets, never abandon an animal and if you see a stray cat, act fast.
–Suzanne Goll Coleman, Edgewater: for the Anne Arundel Cat Coalition