Humane Shelter Looking To Spay/Neuter Stray “Community Cats”

The Toccoa-Stephens County Humane Shelter is looking to help control the kitten population by spaying and neutering stray community cats with the help of a grant.

Shelter Director Jeff Roberts said a grant from PetSmart Charities is providing 100 percent of the funding for the effort.

Roberts said that the shelter is looking for 20 so-called “community cats” to get altered on Thursday, April 9th.

“We are looking for basically the neighborhood stray,” said Roberts. “We are looking for the animals that are un-owned but around an area and they are reproducing animals.”

He went on to say that the cats would need to be brought to the shelter in a carrier or a trap that the shelter can provide.

“They can bring them to the shelter one morning and at the end of that day, the animals are released back into that neighborhood,” said Roberts. “The animals will remain in the neighborhood but they will not be reproducing anymore.”

Again, the shelter is looking to have these “community cats” spayed or neutered on April 9.

Roberts said the goal is to help alleviate what is a major issue in Stephens County, which is these stray cats reproducing and creating a host of unwanted kittens.

“Last year, there were over 500 kittens brought into the shelter that were unwanted,” said Roberts. “Many times they come in where they are too young to be taken away from their moms.”

That, he said, makes it harder to care for them.

He added that the issue of unwanted kittens is already starting to show up again this Spring.

“I have already had a litter of kittens brought in that are about a week old,” said Roberts. “It is already starting and it is going to get crazier and crazier if we do not get a handle on the situation.”

For more information or registration details, call 706-282-3275 or 706-599-1060.