'Friends Of Ferals' Want You To Help Stray Cats With Birth Control

YONKERS, NY — Those hearts big enough to help take care of feral cat colonies are being solicited to help safely and humanely control the stray cat population.

Starting on September 11, the SPCA Westchester will offer free Trap-Neuter-Return (also known as T-N-R) to residents of Yonkers who are tending to homeless community cats. With the support of a grant, the SPCA’s "Friends of Ferals" program was created in an effort to reduce the number of homeless and feral cats in Yonkers. The animals have been a significant issue for many years.

T-N-R is a proven humane method used to decrease feral cat populations in the community, prevent homeless kittens from being produced in the wild, and mitigate the unnecessary suffering of cats on the streets, according to the group.

With an effective T-N-R program, members of the community will identify homeless cats, humanely trap them, and bring them to the SPCA’s Cody’s Clinic to be spayed or neutered, preventing unwanted future pregnancies, the agency said.

Cats will also be given a rabies vaccine to control the spread of disease. After recovering from surgery, feral cats will be returned to the field by the trapper and released back to where they were initially found, and where they will continue to be cared for by people in their neighborhoods.

"We desperately need help with T-N-R throughout Westchester County," SPCA Executive Director Shannon Laukhuf said, announcing the program. "Unfortunately, services for feral cats in areas such as Yonkers, the largest city in our county, are scarce. By offering this service for free, we will make it easier for the public to support T-N-R, help reduce the number of feral felines living on the streets, and ultimately, reduce the number of homeless cats being brought into area shelters."

Support from cat-loving residents is critical for this program to succeed, Laukhuf said. They need feral cat trappers with experience and volunteers who are willing to learn how to trap. Further assistance from residents is also crucial in identifying neighborhoods in need and to help with the transportation of feral cats to and from Cody’s Clinic.

To learn more about the SPCA's Friends of Feral Program and how you can help, email Kasey@spcawestchester.org or call (914) 941-2896, ext. 131. The service is strictly by appointment only.

Found in 1883, SPCA Westchester is a no-kill animal welfare organization located in Briarcliff Manor and is not affiliated with the ASPCA.