Ritzville community to benefit from feral cat program: SNYP receives state grant for trap-neuter-return

For countless years, areas in the City of Ritzville have been plagued by colonies of feral cats. Throughout the next six months, Spay Neuter Your Pet (SNYP) is working to reduce the negative effects of the colonies through a trap-neuter-return program.

Funded through a grant from the Washington Federation of Animal Care and Control, the dedicated group of local volunteers will be setting traps throughout the areas deemed with the largest feral cat population. If residents see these traps, which are marked by a tag for SNYP, they are asked to leave them alone as they are an integral part of the program.

The SNYP board is comprised of three members: Janet Bowman, President; Leslie Greenwalt, Vice President; and Mikki Kison, Treasurer. The SNYP organization is a recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

The board members and additional volunteers have been working to assist with the animal needs primarily in the Ritzville area. The board applied for The Federation grant and received $4,000, enough money to help neuter an estimated 60 feral cats.

The Federation grants are funds generated from the purchase of the “We Love Our Pets” specialty license plates. The funds are earmarked through an agreement with the State of Washington for spay/neuter surgeries for cats and dogs.

SNYP and The Federation share a common interest of being proactive in order to correct the pet overpopulation problem in the state. The local program for trapping, neutering and returning the cats back to the community also follows the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) guidelines.

The project began recently and with a group of trained volunteers, SNYP has created a trapping schedule for animals in the highly populated feral cat areas. During the next six months, SNYP members encourage local residents to ensure their cats safely remain indoors or are properly identified by a collar if they are allowed outdoors.

Any cat found in the traps that does not have identification is liable to be labeled as a feral animal.

These cats will then be taken to Dr. Tim Johnstone to be spayed or neutered, and the ears of each cat caught and treated through this project will be released with a notched ear.

The grant funds are solely for the neutering of the animals, and does not include any vaccinations minus a rabies shot. The SNYP board is raising money for the captured animals to receive vaccinations prior to being released, but it will be based on the amount of funds raised.

The board members also explained the group is looking for individuals to help raise the kittens discovered during the project who are too young to be fixed.

The residents who assist in the care for these animals will be provided with a voucher to have the cat fixed when it is old enough, but it must be completed within the six-month deadline of the project.

The purpose of the program is to manage the feral cat population in a humane and effective way. Cats treated during the project will return to the same neighborhood they were trapped in, but residents can expect to see a change in the demeanor of the animals.

By eliminating the ability to mate, the cat population will stabilize and eventually decrease over time, Kison explained.

Studies show neutered cats tend to fight less and become healthier in their colonies, as well as becoming less aggressive towards each other.

The project includes humane treatment of the cats, and the sterilization process will gradually reduce the amount of feral or stray cats within the city. While it could be decades before the effects are clearly visible, the living environment in the community will improve with the reduction of aggressive animals.

The trapping, neuter and return is the preferred method instead of a kill option, Kison said, not only for humane purposes but also for practical reasons. While many see the trap and kill option as a quick solution, cats in a colony tend to rely on their numbers and higher breeding rates become a common trend.

As the project progresses, the board mentioned the volunteers assisting as excited and anxious to help in any way possible.

The volunteers assist the board with scheduling the appointments for Dr. Johnstone to neuter the animals.

The distribution of The Federation grant is released on a quarterly disbursement. The SNYP board will be unable to request additional funds until after March 31 of next year, Kison explained.

The grant is provided to organizations that have limited access to low cost veterinary services to help offset the cost. The board expressed their gratitude to Dr. Johnstone for his assistance and cooperation in helping make this project a possibility.

The SNYP board is dedicated to informing the public about their efforts and programs they have available. Residents or businesses in the area of a designated cat colony were contacted prior to the implementation of the program, and provided with informational handouts regarding the process.

Bowman said this is a community program, and it needs to be a community project. With the support of the community, the project can succeed and SNYP may have an opportunity to receive another grant, potentially with the option to help another community in need.

The board stressed the importance of community education, and encourages any local interested in assisting with the organization or project to contact them.

The three women on the board have more than 30 collective years in experience with animal welfare endeavors, and they began SNYP because they recognized a need in their local community.

Kison explained based on the “feral cat calculator” method, there is one feral cat for every six people. Because of this statistic, Kison said it is important for the traps to remain undisturbed until checked by a volunteer, which is completed frequently.

While the ongoing project is in Ritzville, the board said they are also interested in helping Lind and Washtucna, as much as their funds provide.

They are working to determine future outreach projects, but are determined to keep all of the funds local to the three communities.

Any individual who is interested in donating monetary funds, cat food or blankets can contact the SNYP members at [email protected].

A member will respond to the email, and for food and blanket donations, a pick up service may be available depending on location.

The SNYP board members emphasize the importance of the project and ask for community participation and cooperation during the next six months.

If any individual has concerns about the project, they are asked to contact the SNYP board for more information.