Downtown Gasport, like many other areas of Western New York
and even the nation, has long been overrun with homeless, wandering cats. This
summer, Standish Jones Building Supply, along with the Talk of the Town diner
and several concerned neighbors, has launched an effort to fix the problem. At
the end of September, the nonprofit organization Community Cats Alive will come
to Gasport, trap the feral cats, have them spayed or neutered and vaccinated,
and returned.
Feral cats—those homeless cats which will not socialize with
humans—are a nuisance in some ways, as they can be very noisy, and they often
spray or eliminate around people’s homes and places of business. More
alarmingly, this year has seen a spike in feline illness and death.
Studies have shown that TNVR (Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate,
Return) is the most humane way to resolve cat issues. Simple removal does not
work, as more new cats will be drawn to the vacated area. The benefits of TNVR
are many. First, it will halt the spread of feline diseases such as distemper,
feline leukemia, and rabies, which also serves to protect humans and other
animals co-existing with the cats. Second, spaying and neutering slows the
growth of the feral cat population. Female cats can have two litters a year
with as many as ten kittens per litter. Spaying is the only way to control the
birth of so many unwanted cats. Neutering reduces marking and the aggressive
behaviors of male cats. Finally, as cats in heat will travel great distances to
mate, spaying and neutering will allow the cats to settle into an established
colony. Colony cats are good for pest control, and will prevent other cats from
coming into the territory.
At this time, Standish Jones, Talk of the Town, and
volunteers from the Gasport community are raising money to fund the Gasport
TNVR effort. Through Community Cats Alive, the surgery and medical treatment
for each cat costs about sixty dollars. Each cat that is trapped will be given
a name for identification purposes. At Standish Jones, anyone who donates
twenty dollars can choose a name and be a cat “sponsor.” At the Talk of the
Town, patrons can enter for a chance to win a lottery ticket tree.
To learn more about TNVR and the Change for Cats effort in
Gasport, the public is welcome to attend an informational meeting at Talk of
the Town, 4443 Main St in Gasport, on Thursday, September 5 at 5:30 pm.
Representatives from Community Cats Alive will be there to answer any
questions.
To donate or help in any way, please contact Emily Bragg at
Standish Jones, at (716) 772-2611. To read more about the work of Community
Cats Alive, please visit http://www.communitycatsalive.org.
For more information,
please contact:
Emily Bragg, Media and Marketing
Standish Jones Building Supply
4440 Central Ave, Gasport, NY 14067
Ph: (716) 772-2611
E-mail: emily@spaldingacehardware.com
