Gravenhurst is the latest municipality to support a trap-neuter-release program for feral cats.
Town councillors approved a $2,000 contribution to Muskoka Animal Rescue’s (MAR) Feral Cat Project at a meeting Tuesday afternoon. Bracebridge and Huntsville pledged their support for the program earlier this year.
“It’s a great feeling to know that we have the support of not only Gravenhurst, but Bracebridge and Huntsville,” says Sue Hummel, Animal Care Manager at MAR. “It’s nice to know that within our communities there’s an appetite to help feral cats.”
According to Hummel, the funds pay for trapping, neutering, and vaccinating feral cats, who will then be either released back where they were found, or relocated to a property that wants them around as “working cats.” She says the work costs upwards of $100 per cat, so every little bit helps, adding the organization is funded entirely by donation.
With female cats able to bear two litters per year of between two and 10 cats, Hummel says it’s important to humanely keep the population under control.
“Cats aren’t native species to our area, so we don’t want a lot of cats destroying our songbird populations,” says Hummel. “I know they are good for rodent control, but in moderation. Cats are very prolific, and if you start out with a couple, you could end up with a very big problem very rapidly.”
Go to Muskoka Animal Rescue’s website for more information.