Tehama County has feral cat problem

A Rancho Tehama man gives credit to God for the plethora of cats he and his wife, Amber, have living with them.

"We weren't looking for them. We didn't really want them," said John Strunks. "But in two years, we went from having one cat to having 52, so I guess God decided we were supposed to take care of cats."

There are a number of reasons the Strunks' cat population boomed.

According to Strunks, people have dropped cats off at his property, he is unable to afford the cost of spaying and neutering the animals and he has rescued cats from desperate circumstances.

"The first cat we got was pregnant and we didn't know it when we got her," Strunks said. "Then her babies had babies and so on, and so on."

Feeding the animals is expensive for the Strunks, making it difficult for them to find the necessary funds to have the animals spayed or neutered.

"We have been able to get quite a few of the males neutered," Strunks said. "Almost all of our cats are domesticated and friendly and he would like to find good homes for them."

Such isn't the case for hundreds of feral cats that roam free in Rancho Tehama, and throughout the entire county — causing plenty of problems.

Tehama County Agriculture Commissioner Rick Gurrola said feral cats cause a variety of issues.

"They can decimate bird, and other wildlife populations," Gurrola explained. "The also spread disease and a single breeding pair of feral cats can be responsible for the production of thousands of offspring."

In an effort to do something about the problem, the county formed the Feral Cat Ad Hoc Committee, which held countywide meetings.

"Although the committee has been disbanded its efforts resulted in a group of citizens organizing to work on lessening the feral cat population through a trap, neuter, and release program," Gurrola said.

The way the program works, according to Gurrola, a person sets out a humane trap to catch a feral cat. Once the cat is captured, the trapper can take the cat to veterinarian working with the program, who then spays or neuters the cat and then the trapper releases it back into the wild.

"Cats multiply so quickly if we don't take responsibility to spay and neuter the them. When we don't, we end up with the problem we have now with tons and tons of cats roaming and breeding in the county," said Tehama County Animal Services Director Mark Storrey.

He feels everyone in the county needs to take responsibility for the animals they own by getting them spayed and neutered.

"Even if every cat owner in the county got their cats spayed and neutered right now, it still would probably take 10 years to put a dent in the overpopulation, but we have got to start now," Storrey said.

Animal Services is in the process of opening a spay and neuter clinic on location.

"We would offer low cost spay and neuter services, mainly focused on the feral cat population, but also for domestic cats," the director explained.

He said many of the cats turned over to the animal shelter are feral, or semi-feral, and intact, meaning not spayed or neutered.

"That makes it difficult to adopt them out and causes a large population of cats at the shelter," Storrey said.

Corning also has its own problems with an overabundant cat population, and currently does not have the facilities to shelter unwanted cats.

"It is everywhere and crazy," said Debbie Eaglebarger, Corning Animal Shelter caretaker and founder of Second Chance Pet Rescue. "Second Chance's 'Friends of Felines,' holds a clinic once a month during which cat owners who have made an appointment can have their cats spayed or neutered at a low cost charge of $25 for females and $20 for males."

She said the program is open to both feral and domestic cats.

"At one time we spayed and neutered 17 cats belonging to one owner," Eaglebarger said.

Eaglebarger said Sharon Novack heads the Friends of Felines clinic, and the trap/spay/release program, and can be reached at 824-9100.

"I get calls everyday from people in the community reporting someone dumped cats and kittens," Eaglebarger stated.

She said Friends of Felines is always in need of donations to keep the program going. To make a donation contact Eaglebarger at 824-1985.

If anyone would like to adopt one of Strunks cats or kittens, call 585-2233.