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Dead wrong

I am an 82-year-old, long lover of and advocate for animals, and I just have to say that the lady from Norfolk, Va., who wrote the letter to the editor (Aug. 15: Cats deserve protection) about the TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) program for cats is dead wrong!

You get a voucher from the SPCA for participating veterinarians to spay/neuter, give rabies shots and tip the cats ears so we can tell which cats are already done.

This is the only humane way to deal with the feral, stray, homeless or abandoned cats.

If you are having a problem with these cats, then I assume you or someone near you is feeding them or they wouldn’t be there.

You, or whoever is trying to care for them, should, of course, continue to do that. The cats on my property who have been lucky enough to have profited from this program seem very happy and content. Putting these cats in an animal shelter, in cages and where they can hear barking dogs would definitely not be the most humane way to deal with the problem.

Not only that, but our local SPCA is no longer accepting feral cats since they have become a “No Kill Shelter” and they have a waiting list for cats.

And finally, the lady also suggests that these cats should all be taken to the veterinarian and have all the right things done for them that we do for our house cats and then never let them out again.

That does usually make for a healthier and longer life for the cat. I’ve done that with quite a few cats over the years.

That cost about $300 for just the initial visit now in the rural area in which I live.

A lot of people can’t afford that. I suppose that’s one reason they drop them off out here at the barn and hope someone will take care of them. Those cats are different from the feral cats and usually they end up coming in my house and staying for the rest of their lives.

The TNR cats, even though they don’t have some of the advantages of house cats, are much healthier and happier after they are spayed/neutered. They don’t roam as much, or fight as much. The rabies shots, of course, are just another advantage.

So please, if you are having a problem with stray or feral cats, call your SPCA or animal shelter and ask about the TNR program for cats. If you really care about the cats, you’ll be glad you did. I know I am.

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