There is a growing issue in our community surrounding abandoned cats that requires our thoughtful consideration. Every year, after Eastern Washington University’s spring quarter ends, when students go back to their homes, pets are left behind to fend for themselves. These animals are forced to seek food from kind homeowners or they try to feed from garbage cans and dumpsters. These animals have not been spayed or neutered, resulting in more animals and this cycle continues unabated.
Most of us have seen these animals in our neighborhoods, so what if we become proactive and get these animals spayed or neutered? Traps can be rented cheaply through Cheney Veterinary Clinic, who also offers a reduced price for spaying/neutering feral cats. Pet Savers, in Spokane, also offers a reduced price for feral cats. SCRAPS will accept a trapped cat, but if it cannot be physically handled or if it is sick, it is euthanized.
Half of the problem is solved by spaying/neutering, but we are left with how to feed these animals as they live out their life span. Could feeding stations be set up in certain parts of the city, out of the residential areas? How are other cities dealing with this issue.
Dixie Heyer
Cheney
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