Dear Editor,

I am writing on behalf of our Blanco County Cat Coalition to let our community know that we urgently want to help our residents to trap, spay, neuter, and return their feral cats. The cat coalition is not just for cats. It is also for all of us who anguish over stray and feral animals who are not cared for. We don’t have a humane society for animals in Blanco County. It is therefore entirely up to all of us to do what we can to control our cat population and we have to help each other.

We can’t identify colonies that need help with TNR (trap, neuter, return) if we are not told about them. Judging from the number of calls we are receiving regarding unexpected and multiple litters of kittens on people’s properties, we know that the population of adult cats needing to be spayed and neutered is escalating. We want to say to anyone having this problem, “Please let us help you help them!”

It can be very difficult for you to deal with this problem by yourself without prior experience and without help. We can teach you how to trap the cats, loan traps to you, and help you to pay for your ferals to be spayed and neutered by the veterinarian of your choice. You will also get tremendous moral support from our group of volunteers, many of whom have had their own experiences with out of control feral populations.

When my family first moved to Blanco, our ferals were multiplying exponentially, causing us great stress. We benefitted greatly from the assistance of the cat coalition. With their help and instruction, we spayed and neutered all of our cats and turned the situation around. We really enjoy our cats now and don’t live in constant fear of further offspring. Many of them have become tame and they keep our property free of mice and snakes.

Anyone can benefit from help and support for controlling their cat population. As an added bonus, you will help us greatly when you let us help you. Perhaps together we can get ahead of the problem by trapping, spaying, neutering, and returning more cats- thereby reducing the numbers of litters born in the future. Please don’t hesitate to call us at 512-318-5875 or visit our website at www.blancocountycat.org. You can also attend our meetings on the fourth Tuesday of every month at 6:00 p.m. at the Blanco library. The meetings are very helpful and informative.

Let’s Fix ‘Em!

Miranda K. Roberts