LIVING PROOF NO-KILL PROGRAM THAT NEUTERS FERAL CATS DEEMED A SUCCESS.Byline: Eric Leach Staff Writer SIMI VALLEY - Volunteers in southeastern Ventura County are trying to reduce the population of feral cats - without killing them - through a program that has spayed spay tr.v. spayed, spay·ing, spays To remove surgically the ovaries of (an animal). [Middle English spaien, from Anglo-Norman espeier, to cut with a sword and neutered neu·ter adj. 1. Grammar a. Neither masculine nor feminine in gender. b. Neither active nor passive; intransitive. Used of verbs. 2. a. hundreds of felines in Simi Valley. ``When we started, the situation in Simi Valley was pretty bad,'' said Patricia Meyer, one of the volunteers at the Valley Veterinary Clinic Charitable Non-Profit Corp. ``There were feral cat colonies in some areas living in terrible conditions. We've been able to spay spay v. To surgically remove the ovaries of an animal. spay, spey to remove the ovaries. See also ovariohysterectomy. spay hook see spay hook. and neuter neu·ter adj. 1. Having undeveloped or imperfectly developed sexual organs. 2. Sexually undeveloped. n. A castrated animal. v. To castrate or spay. neuter 1. more than 1,000, and the euthanasia rate is down tremendously now.'' Authorities say there are millions of feral cats in the United States and that widespread efforts, including one operated for three years through the California Veterinary Medical Association, reduce the population by altering them, rather than killing them. ``We participated in that program until it concluded in 2001,'' said Diane Bentz, a veterinary technician with the Valley Veterinary Clinic of Dr. Lowell Novey in Simi Valley. ``Then we established our nonprofit to help cover the cost of spaying spaying: see castration. and neutering neu·ter adj. 1. Grammar a. Neither masculine nor feminine in gender. b. Neither active nor passive; intransitive. Used of verbs. 2. a. . With the California Veterinary Medical Association program and ours, the problem definitely has decreased.'' Bentz and Meyer are calling attention to their Ventura County program in connection with Feral Cat Day on Saturday, a nationwide observance by people like the Simi Valley volunteers seeking to deal with feral cats through spaying and neutering rather than euthanasia. In the communities of Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks and Moorpark, anyone concerned about feral cats may call (805) 584-3823 to borrow humane traps to catch the animals and bring them to the clinic. Cats are examined, spayed and neutered Mondays through Fridays, then given vaccinations before they are returned to whomever whom·ev·er pron. The objective case of whoever. See Usage Note at who. whomever pron the objective form of whoever: brought them. This is done at no cost, but the organization accepts donations, said Carol Olson of Thousand Oaks, another volunteer with the clinic. ``A lot of people aren't aware of what a feral cat is or that there are people here to help,'' she said. ``If we can get the kittens young enough, under eight weeks, they can be adopted. If they are older than eight weeks, they are already semi-wild,'' said Olson, who was helping a feral feral untamed; often used in the sense of having escaped from domesticity and run wild. mother and her kittens found recently behind a mechanic's shop on Thousand Oaks Boulevard. Olson said the mother would be returned and the kittens put up for adoption. Eric Leach, (805) 583-7602 eric.leach(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Carol Olson, a volunteer at the Valley Veterinary Clinic, takes care of kittens from feral cats before they are adopted. Tina Burch/Staff Photographer |
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