Feral Cat Outreach Suspends Operations Due To City Funding Cuts

ST. LOUIS, MO — St. Louis Feral Cat Outreach, which has in the past partnered with the city to trap, neuter and release feral cats, says it is suspending operations due to budget shortfalls. The group is asking for donations to help it resume operations, and wants St. Louis residents to contact their city representatives to ask them to support the program.

"We are incredibly sad and frustrated to announce that the city has cut all funding for TNR (trap, neuter, return)," the group wrote on Facebook this week. "They are indicating it is not in the budget going forward."

The group said it is grateful that the city has passed an ordinance to protect feral cats, but that the lack of funding leaves them in the lurch.

"This effectively means that all TNR done over the summer will be St. Louis Cat Outreach's responsibility," the group said. "[The city] will not pay for any TNR done after 6/30. The bulk of our outstanding debts are to cover TNR done in north city."

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The change in the city budget cuts the group off from about $9,000 promised by city officials last year, St. Louis Feral Cat Outreach said, adding that the city is effectively getting the group's services for free.

Those services include maintaining a database of feral cats and citizen service bureau calls, hours spent on the phone with citizens and city officials, time spend trapping cats, and hundreds of neutering procedures, "including 40 in north city done just last week."

The group said it has only ever asked the city to cover the cost of neutering the animals. All other services are provided by volunteers free of charge.

"However, because we are now on the hook for every city cat clinic, every city TNR surgery done since 6/30, we are announcing that we must immediately cease operations," the group announced. "Once we catch up on the bills from over the summer, we will have just enough to pay for the surgeries already scheduled and no more.

"We feel this is unfair. This is a service to the City of St. Louis Health Department and the City of St. Louis animal shelter."

According to the group, about 80 percent of kittens are born to feral cats and the only humane way to reduce feral cat populations is through TNR. Cutting the group's funding could lead to an explosion in the city's feral cat population and end up costing more money than it saves. Or it could lead the city to trapping and killing the cats like some other jurisdictions.

"If you care about feral cats, please contact your county government," the group wrote. "Contact your city. Contact your alderperson. Thousands and thousands of kittens are at stake."

Patch has reached out to the St. Louis Health Department, Animal Care and Control and several city officials for comment. This story will be updated when we hear back.

If you'd like to help, you can donate to St. Louis Feral Cat Outreach here.

Image via Shutterstock