Over 12,000 stray, feral, and free-roaming or “community” cats currently reside in Haywood County alone. Considered a nuisance by some, they often are trapped and turned into the county’s Animal Shelter to face certain death.
Since 2006, over 5,000 cats have been euthanized at public expense using county tax dollars. Most were community cats. In 2009, 66% of all shelter cats and kittens were killed – that’s two of every three. All too frequently, whole litters are killed for lack of adoptive homes.
HAWA’s Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program will reduce these alarming statistics by preventing unwanted litters – and the undesirable behaviors of their parents – through sterilization. The health benefits of spaying and neutering community cats include a life untroubled by the ongoing cycles of fighting, mating, pregnancies, and nursing seen in unaltered cats.
The financial (tax) burden of euthanizing shelter cats becomes unnecessary when unwanted litters and “bad behaviors” are controlled through sterilization. Intact males are very territorial. Their fighting and spraying to protect their domain is a nuisance for even the best of cat lovers. Unspayed females face a life of pregnancy and nursing, beginning as early as four months of age. If every existing female community cat has two litters of four to six kittens each this year, then an additional 14,000+ cats could be added to Haywood County’s animal population by next.
Kittens have a short timeframe to become socialized and thus adoptable. If they remain in their colony beyond six weeks of age with little or no human interaction, then their fate – if surrendered to the county shelter – is certain death. You can help us stop this insane cycle through financial support and diligent spay/neuter practices.
HAWA’s TNR PROGRAM follows SEVEN SIMPLE STEPS:
1.
A colony is identified.
2.
The cats are trapped humanely.
3.
The cats are transported to The Humane Alliance Spay/Neuter Clinic in Asheville for low-cost surgery, extra pain medication, an anti-parasite injection, and rabies vaccination. Ears are cleared of mites and general health is noted.
4.
The left ear is “tipped” for easy, future identification that the cat has been sterilized and protected against rabies infection.
5.
The cats are returned to their colony within 48 hours.
6.
Volunteer caretaker(s) feed and monitor the colony on a daily basis.
7.
Data is gathered on a regular basis to track the colony’s health and size.
HAWA’s TNR program is an accepted, effective, humane intervention to control our county’s growing cat population and reduce its euthanasia rate.
We invite you to call (828) 452-1329 for more information.
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Community Cats 
