The Lake County Animal Shelter is encouraging residents to participate in its on-going program to help decrease the feral cat population countywide. Through Operation Community Caturday, the shelter has already sterilized 500 free-roaming cats since the program began last year.
Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return, or TNVR, improves the lives of cats, addresses community concerns, reduces complaints about cats, and stops the breeding cycle, according to leading cat advocacy group, Alley Cat Allies.
The shelter continues to sterilize and vaccinate up to 50 community cats on the last Saturday of each month and invites residents who are feeding outdoor cats to register online for a TNVR appointment. Appointments are now open for May 25 at bit.ly/CaturdayTix.
“TNVR is the only humane and proactive approach to reducing the outdoor cat population,” said Shelter Director Whitney Boylston. “With the support of LEASH, Inc., we have been successfully able to offer this monthly service at an affordable rate, making sterilization of community cats more accessible to the public.”
The cost of surgery is $10 per cat, paid directly to the shelter. Appointments are limited to three cats per resident per month, and each cat must arrive at the shelter on Friday between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m., or Saturday between 7:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. All cats must be in a humane trap, be healthy, and be a minimum of four pounds. Trapping and returning the cats is the responsibility of the caregiver and not a service provided by the shelter. Residents are required to pick up the cats after surgery on Saturday afternoon and return them to the location where the cat was trapped. Operation Community Caturday is limited to unowned, free-roaming cats, and all cats will be ear-tipped.
To find out more about the Lake County Animal Shelter, visit 28123 County Road 561, Tavares, or call 352-343-9688. For the most up-to-date information and photos of adoptable animals, follow the shelter on Facebook at www.facebook.com/
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