Bingham County Humane Society begins new program to help feral cats
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BLACKFOOT — A local humane society is doing what they can to help people overwhelmed with feral cats in a new program called, “Fix the Ferals Friday.”
The Bingham County Humane Society in Blackfoot is a nonprofit organization run by volunteers. Jennifer Andrew, the president, told EastIdahoNews.com the program started Friday and she hopes to help as many people in the county as she can.
“There are so many feral cats in southeast Idaho. I am going to try and raise money on Fridays. I am going to get a list of people who need help and I am hoping I can get volunteers to start doing some trap and neuter and go out and help these people,” said Andrew.
Trap and neuter are where feral cats are trapped, spayed or neutered, and then released. It’s an effort that tries to help keep cats healthy and keep the population from multiplying.
“We have these people who have too many cats. They might have five cats, they might have 10 cats but we want to get them fixed so they don’t end up with 20-30 cats because cats can have three litters a year,” Andrew said. “Realistically, 75% of those kittens will die. It’s a horrible death – they die of illness, they die of hunger, they die from predators, they die of overheating and we want to stop that kitten death.”
Feral cats prove to be an issue in surrounding communities. Back in August, EastIdahoNews.com reported the Blackfoot Animal Shelter & Rescue was pleading for people to spay and neuter their pets. In July, the shelter received more than 100 cats and 81 of them had to be euthanized. The reason behind the euthanization wasn’t because due to space issues but because of diseases the cats brought in.
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According to the Humane Society of the United States, spayed and neutered animals live longer than their non-neutered peers. The reduced lifespan of pets who are not spayed or neutered can be partly attributed to an increased urge to roam.
Andrew said “Fix the Ferals Friday” will start slow, with just the first Friday of every month to see how people respond to donating money to the program. Andrew said they don’t receive county funds or national humane society funds but the Bingham County Humane Society relies on donations from the public.
So far, she has had an overwhelmingly positive response from the community for the new feral cat program.
“I’ve got all these ideas and I’m excited,” she said.
If you would like to donate, Andrew has posted a PayPal link on The Bingham County Humane Society Facebook page. Click here.