Spay/neuter clinic strives to lessen feral cat population

Clinic volunteers aimed to warn and educate about the large number of feral cats in the area during a special clinic.

Last Friday and Saturday, the Hi-Line Spay/Neuter Clinic was held for feral and barn cats in the area. The clinic was held at Kitty Keepers Sanctuary and Cat Rescue and was staffed completely by volunteers, many of them from Eastside Animal Hospital, which closed its doors for the two days of the clinic so they could help spay and neuter all the cats that were brought in.

Veterinarian Casey Solomon from Milk River Genetics, who performed surgeries, said that this was the second year the clinic was held. Community members who wanted to have their barn cats spayed or neutered called the Eastside Animal Hospital and set up an appointment for one of the two days the clinic was held, Solomon said. The animals were dropped off around 8 in the morning, she said, and the cats' surgeries were done throughout the day.

Eastside Animal Clinic veterinarian Tari Mord, the other vet performing surgeries, said that when it is time for the cat's surgery, they are given anesthesia and then the veterinarian proceeds with the surgery.

"Boys are easier than girls," Mord said. "With girls we have to go all the way in; it is abdominal surgery."

Veterinarian tech Hannah Martin said that after the surgery, they cut off the tip of the ear so the public can identify which feral and barn cats have been spayed or neutered. Mord added that cats can't regulate heat for about 24 hours after being spayed or neutered so they need to be kept inside for the night.

This kind of clinic is needed since Kitty Keepers closed down, Solomon said. She added that they had around 60 cats booked for surgeries during the two-day clinic.

Cats can start getting pregnant at around 6 months old and can have multiple litters a year, Mord added. Because of this, cats should get spayed and neutered as soon as possible, she said. Cats can be spayed or neutered at around 3 months, Mord said, and "if they are healthy," they can be spayed or neutered up until any age.

Penny Bergren, the owner of Kitty Keepers, said she is appreciative of the Eastside Animal Hospital and volunteers for having this clinic. She said that Kitty Keepers closed down because of a lack of funding and volunteers. Since then a clinic like this is needed, Bergren said, because the feral cat population has increased.

Volunteer Beverly Peterson said that at times there were around 200 cats at Kitty Keepers.

Bergren said a veterinarian from Hamilton used to come down each year and conduct a similar clinic. They had to stop that clinic, she said, when he was unable to come down anymore. With Eastside Animal Hospital's help, it was able to start again, Bergren added.

Bergren said she would like the community to know that they can help with the feral cat situation even when the clinic isn't going on. She said if someone in the community finds a feral cat, they can call up the Eastside Animal Hospital to borrow a cat trap.

If the cost of neutering or spaying a feral cat is a deterrent, Bergren said, there are some grants available. Questions about these grants, she said, can be answered by calling the Eastside Animal Hospital.

If people see a feral cat and ignore it, Bergren said, there is a good chance that cat may not be spayed or neutered. That cat may reproduce, she added, and one cat may become 30.

"Do you want 30 (cats) out there?" she asked. "If you don't take the initiative, who will?"

Bergren said she is always striving to let the community know about the problem. She said her license plate even says "FXURPET."

Havre Animal Control Officer Pete Federspiel said he agrees that the feral cat population in Havre is large. He said he thinks this happens because people move and leave their cat or maybe they just don't want a cat anymore. He added that a majority of these cats aren't spayed or neutered.

Federspiel said that animal control is often called.

"So far this year - 2018 - the Havre Animal Shelter has taken in 54 cats," he said. "Of these cats, we have classified 36 of them as feral."