Group Seeks to Curb Cat Colonies

A group of animal lovers are seeking to address the stray cat problem in Willow Springs. Called the Willow Springs Friends of Ferals, the group is raising money to trap, neuter, and release (TNR) the alley cats in town. 

Founding member Emmy Jensen told Howell County News the effort is "grassroots turned to wildfire." She credits a community Facebook group as the starting point. Members saw repeated complaints and concerns about the cats in Willow Springs, so Jensen contacted the Animal Control Department at City Hall to inquire about their resources and policies. 

The City of Willow Springs employs an Animal Control Officer and has ordinances on the books regarding the management and confinement of cats. Impounding services are currently available for dogs only. 

The City was unavailable before press time for further comment or explanation of their policies and resources for the management of feral cats. Statistics on the number of citizen complaints regarding the cats are also unavailable. 

Regardless, the scope of the problem is immediately apparent to anyone who walks the alleys downtown. Howell County News went on an alley walk with members of Willow Springs Friends of Ferals Friday morning. No fewer than a dozen cats were running loose in the three-block area we traveled. 

In addition to the population downtown, Jensen said her group is aware of six or seven colonies of stray cats throughout Willow Springs.

According to member Alynne Wiley, the most important goal for the group to accomplish is a long-term shift in the citizens' relationship with the strays. 

To those who would criticize the people feeding the alley cats, Wiley said, "A little cat food in the mix of good education and goodwill is not such a big deal."

The group is currently raising money to fund their plan to capture, neuter/spay, and return the cats to the streets.

"It's not gonna be a quick project. It's a decades-long thing," Wiley expanded. 

Jensen said widescale extermination is not an answer to the problem. 

"At our levels of population, a majority of the people aren't going to be okay with exterminating the cats," Jensen said. "There's a good amount of people feeding, watering, and caring for them. Besides, [extermination] creates a vacuum effect. Cats from other surrounding areas will move in. Our goal is to stabilize the population, not exterminate it. Extermination isn't a viable option."

The group plans to cooperate with residents to restrict feeding on the days they set traps to encourage the animals to seek food in the traps only. Jensen reported residents have been receptive to this idea. 

"People do want what is best for the cats, but they don't know what the whole process looks like," agreed Wiley. 

Once trapped, the group will transport them to a veterinarian. They will need to raise from $35 to $55 per animal for these services. Friends of Ferals will also offer transport to and from the vet's office for any cat owners who wish to have their pet sterilized. 

The group is accepting monetary donations to fund their efforts. They are also in need of live traps and pet taxis. Donation jars to support their efforts are currently at several businesses in Willow Springs including G&W Foods, Pizza Americana, and Snappy Mart. Email wsfriendsofferals@gmail.com for more information or find Willow Springs Friends of Ferals on Facebook.