It might not be raining right now, but it is raining kittens. In fact, “there’s a tsunami wave of kittens coming at us, ready to flood the shelters” says Lynne Achterberg of Project Purr, and your help is needed.
The truth is, there isn’t a big enough umbrella. The only way to lessen the severity of the wave is through spay and neuter efforts. Cats can begin having litters of kittens at just six months of age, and each birth represents hundreds of offspring as the cycle continues. But help is available:
*^"^* Project Purr Provides FREE Feral Cat Spay Neuter in February and March *^"^*
Each spring marks the beginning of “kitten season,” the time of year when hundreds of kittens are born and brought to animal shelters. To prevent unwanted litters and save lives, Project Purr is offering FREE spay/neuter for feral cats of Santa Cruz County in February and March.
“While kittens are cute, there are simply too many. With your help, we can prevent hundreds – even thousands of kittens – from being born to face an uncertain future. Anyone feeding a stray cat and concerned about too many kittens should take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to get the cats spayed or neutered,” says Achterberg, Project Coordinator. “Let’s help teach our children a kinder way to treat animals.”
Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) stabilizes cat populations and improves cats' lives, and is an essential component in a comprehensive spay neuter program. Project Purr’s program includes FVRCP and rabies vaccines, parasite control, and a visual identifying eartip, and is available at two veterinary locations: East Lake Animal Clinic, 740 East Lake Avenue, Watsonville 831/724-6391, surgeries 7 days a week, no appointment necessary; and Animal Hospital of Soquel, 2651 Soquel Avenue in Santa Cruz 831/475-0432 please call this location before trapping to ensure surgery space Monday - Friday. Cats must be brought to the veterinary clinic individually in humane traps, which can be borrowed free of charge (refundable security deposit required) from both Santa Cruz County animal shelters.
Dr. Dave Carroll of East Lake Animal Clinic says, "Each feral cat spayed/neutered represents hundreds of kittens who won't suffer and it makes me smile knowing I've given each feral cat a second chance on a healthy life."
About Project Purr
Project Purr is a feral cat advocacy organization founded in 1989 to humanely reduce cat overpopulation in Santa Cruz County. This grassroots all-volunteer nonprofit funds the only county-wide year round low cost spay/neuter program for feral cats and kittens, and provides a unique and invaluable resource to the community with guidance on Trap-Neuter-Return.
Project Purr is a 501C3 charitable organization and does not receive any federal, state, or local government funding. Our many community programs rely solely on community support and much creative fundraising. Volunteers are welcome and donations are tax-deductible.
For more information about Project Purr, call 831/423-MEOW (6369) or visit www.projectpurr.org.
Credit: Project Purr
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