There are thousands of feral cats throughout the city of Yakima. They are usually too fearful to be handled or adopted, but there is a program available to help with the feral cat population.
During the Yakima City Council’s Public Safety Committee meeting last Thursday, August 1st, Code Administration Manager Joe Caruso shared about the Yakima Humane Society Spay & Neuter Clinic’s “Trap-Neuter-Return” (TNR) program.
“A female cat can become pregnant as young as 16 weeks of age and go on to have two or three litters a year, so the feral cat population – and the problems associated with it – grows and perpetuates,” said Caruso. “In just a couple of years a single female cat and her kittens can produce dozens of cats. Fortunately, TNR practices now offer a humane solution to euthanization.”
TNR involves:
- Catching the cats in a humane trap,
- Taking them in to be spayed or neutered, and
- Releasing them back into the area where they were trapped
To participate, call the Yakima Humane Society Spay & Neuter Clinic at 509-426-2460 to schedule an appointment. A few days before the appointment, the clinic loans participants a trap at no cost to catch the feral cat.
The clinic provides the spaying and neutering procedures at a reduced charge of $25 for feral cats. The fee covers not only the surgery, but also a rabies vaccine as well as treatment for fleas and ticks.
The City of Yakima Municipal Code limits pet owners to no more than six cats. They must be vaccinated for rabies.
The City’s code does not require a license for cats.
Click https://www.yakimawa.gov/services/codes/ for more information about the City’s Offices of Code Administration.