April 27, 2008

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- It began as a rescue group for healthy, adoptable cats. Now, Operation CatNip spays and neuters cats that no one adopts or ever owns: feral cats.

Feral cats are considered “wild” that live in colonies. Some are strays that were abandoned. Either way, veterinarians recommend you not touch them because they may carry diseases. As “wild” cats, their people skills may not be what you’d expect from those that are pets. Yet in Gainesville, feral cats are still cared-for and sterilized.

“They are considered a nuisance by many groups of people who are concerned about their impact on wildlife and public health if they carry diseases,” said Operation CatNip organizer Dr. Julie Levy of the University of Florida Veterinary School. “We do believe by neutering and vaccinating (feral) cats, we can make them more healthy and reduce their numbers so they don’t have a negative impact on communities.”

Operation CatNip is part of a bigger plan to create a no-kill community. The effort is non-profit. The monthly event (twice in April – “kitten season,” said Dr. Levy) can treat more than 300 cats in one day. The veterinarians, students and volunteers all donate their time. The university donates the space – a large operating room with more than a dozen operating tables.

It’s done in assembly line-type fashion: feral cat caretakers bring in the cats in donated traps. After being checked-in and numbered (each cat is given a tag – similar to a “hospital bracelet”), the cats are placed in the first holding area next to the operating room.

They’re vaccinated and anesthetized while still in the cage. Then they’re prepped, which includes being placed in restraints on a board and shaved (not entirely – just the area where the doctors will do their work).

Vets and students conduct the operations, after which cats are sent to a short recovery area where hospital bracelets and records are matched. The cats are then placed back into cages to recover under heating lamps.

Caretakers pick up the cats and watch over them for 24 hours before releasing them back into their colonies.

“This is a truly a partnership between medical care and the care afterwards. It requires a big collaboration to pull this off,” Dr. Levy said.

No-kill advocates say that programs like Operation CatNip are needed to reduce the killing of animals – period. Just like people, cats seem to like the warm climate of Florida. That makes managing the feral cat population in the Sunshine State even more of a challenge, said Dr. Levy.

“In many communities, we have as many feral cats as pet cats,” she said.

“We’d like to reach a place where our communities can be pet friendly – animal friendly – where every animal that’s socialized can have a home. And animals that aren’t socialized can have another strategy that doesn’t take their life, but still doesn’t contribute to any problems in the community.”

Last year, Operation CatNip sterilized close to 4,000 cats in Gainesville. It also has operations in Raleigh, N.C .and Richmond, Va.