Have you ever gotten a glimpse of a cat with a “tipped” or clipped ear? Then you’ve seen firsthand the work of the Blanco County Cat Coalition (BCCC).
A small, dedicated team of volunteers is committed to controlling the population of homeless or feral cats in the county. The core group of volunteers, led by June Newhouse, includes Stacy Kamas, Chris DeBremaecker, Sally Wall and Karen Dye (currently sidelined by an injury), all of whom have volunteered with the coalition for more than 10 years. They are seeking additional volunteers and resources.
The coalition’s goal is to reduce the population of feral cats, which they estimate to be more cats than people in the county. Through a trap, neuter and return program, they strive to have 90 percent of the cats in the county fixed.
“The trap, neuter and return program reduces breeding in managed cat colonies,” Kamas said. “We have trapped and had 102 cats fixed so far this year. Kitten season starts around Valentine’s Day and lasts through June. And there is a fall kitten season in October-November. We push before kitten season because after the season, it can be a nightmare. Usually only half of the kittens survive.”
Because neither Blanco County nor the BCCC has a shelter, the coalition traps feral cats and pays for their sterilization before returning them to their colony. The coalition also has an “It Pays to Spay” program that provides $25 for paid receipts from any vet for cat neutering, and up to $40 for female cat sterilization. The program is open to any cat owner, which BCCC says will help reduce the county’s overpopulation.
The BCCC doesn’t believe that rounding up feral cats and taking them to a shelter, and since they are wild and likely unadoptable, they would likely be euthanized.
“The suffering is needless and doesn’t need to happen,” Kamas said.
The BCCC is a 501(c)3 Texas non-profit organization and accepts financial donations that are tax deductible.
Last year, the BCCC loaded up 534 kittens and cats and took them to Austin to be sterilized at the Humane Society, as part of their Community Cat Program. While the spay/neuter clinic is free for cats found in Travis County, they charge $20 for those from Blanco County. Cats are also vaccinated for rabies at the clinic.
Newhouse’s daughter founded the BCCC more than 10 years ago when two cats were dumped on a county road.
Recently, a rancher in the north part of the county contacted the BCCC after discovering a feral cat colony on his property.
“We found 54 cats, and almost half were females,” DeBremaecker said. “There had been lots of inbreeding so many were not healthy. We taught the rancher how to trap the cats, and we’ve helped him so that are just a few more to be trapped.”
They use traps specifically designed for cats and will train people on their use. Traps are also available for purchase at area hardware and feed stores.
DeBremaecker has made the trip to Austin with 15-18 cats loaded in her car many times. She returns a day later to pick them up and return them to the wild.
She relayed a situation where a mother/daughter who live close together had 60 cats. They had 20 cats fixed, but they couldn’t keep up as litter after litter were born.
“One of the key things is to trap and neuter all of the cats,” DeBremaecker said. “Even one cat left unfixed can start the cycle all over again.”
The BCCC will help train people to do their own trap, neuter and returns. They need volunteers and funds to continue their work.
“We don’t come and get stray cats,” Kamas noted. “We are not animal control. But we can help people protect feral and stray cats in the county.”
“We receive $5,000 a year from Johnson City to fix cats within city limits,” Kamas said. “And we received a $1,000 grant from the On Shore Foundation last year as well as grants from PEC.”
The group meets from 6 to 8 p.m. the third Tuesday monthly at the Blanco Library. More information on how to volunteer and donate is available at blancocountycat.org.
