Reducing Feral, Homeless Cats in Anne Arundel County

DAVIDSONVILLE, MD — An effort to reduce the number of stray cats euthanized in Anne Arundel County will target homeless cats in the Hillsmere Shores community, where two groups will trap strays, then vaccinate, and spay or neuter the felines before they are released.

The Anne Arundel Community Cat Coalition, led by the Spay Spa & Neuter Nook, has signed an agreement with Anne Arundel County to launch a pilot project to spay/neuter and vaccinate homeless, stray and community cats in the county. The project will take place in Hillsmere Shores and is funded by Rude Ranch Animal Rescue and Alley Cat Allies.

“A lot of the stray and homeless cats and kittens living on the streets in our county are lost or abandoned pets and their offspring that were never spayed or neutered. Unfortunately, these cats produce many kittens. Often these litters of kittens are rounded up and turned into the county’s animal control or local shelters and rescues. By spaying and neutering these cats before they have more kittens, we will stop the influx of unwanted and homeless animals,” said Bob Rude, executive director of Rude Ranch Animal Rescue and the Spay Spa & Neuter Nook, in a news release.

According to a Maryland Department of Agriculture’s survey of animal control and animal shelters in Maryland, 46,360 cats and kittens were turned in to animal controls and shelters statewide in 2015. Of those turned in, 37 percent (17,500) of those cats and kittens were euthanized. In Anne Arundel County, 2,584 were turned in (excluding owner requested euthanasias), and 1,104 were euthanized (excluding owner requested euthanasias); 1,554 of those cats that were taken in were considered to be stray or free roaming.

This program will reduce the number of relinquished cats and kittens by catching or trapping stray and homeless cats, providing spay or neuter surgeries, vaccinating for rabies and other communicable diseases, and returning them to their neighborhood. As part of the pilot project to designate that a cat has been spayed or neutered, the cats will have both ears tipped — a painless procedure in which the tip of the ear is removed to provide visible identification that they have been a part of the project.

“This program will show immediate benefits for the county’s communities and the cats,” said Katherine Evans, president of Rude Ranch Animal Rescue. “Over time, the population of community cats will be reduced, and animal control’s cost of accepting and caring for these homeless animals will be reduced, saving the county’s resources and ultimately taxpayer dollars.”

Residents of Hillsmere Shores and nearby areas can attend a kickoff presentation on Saturday, Oct. 8, at 11 a.m. at the Key School. The meeting will include a project plan presentation and a question / answer session. Anyone interested in volunteering with this project may email Suzanne Goll: macesuz@verizon.net

About Rude Ranch Animal Rescue’s Spay Spa & Neuter Nook

The Spay Spa & Neuter Nook was created by Rude Ranch Animal Rescue to provide high-quality, low-cost spay and neuter services to residents of Anne Arundel County and surrounding areas. The goal is to work toward a day when we no longer euthanize healthy animals because of pet overpopulation.

Rude Ranch Animal Rescue is a501(c)3 organization dedicated to the rescue, care and adoption of homeless animals in the Maryland and Washington, DC area. All donations are tax deductible. The facility receives no government funding.