WINNEMUCCA - We would like everyone to meet Juniorette. Juniorette is a black and white feral cat about 4 to 5 years old. As a kitten, she was abandoned near Raley's.
She learned to survive on her own. For the past three years, our family has been caring for her and her kittens by feeding them and providing a home for her kittens. She could have been a wonderful cat for a loving home. Currently, she will let a person come within a few feet of her, but will not let you touch her. Those of us who care love her like we would if she actually lived with us. We worry about her all the time because she lives outside.
Because of her, we began thinking about how bad the feral cat problem is in this area and why it is such a major problem. It is much worse than we had previously thought after we had witnessed specific examples. Most of the cats we see diving in Dumpsters all over town are feral cats. Many of these adult cats were kittens when abandoned because the local animal control center will not take cats. Many of the feral cats were originally strays who have been left behind by families when they moved out of the area.
These poor critters are subject to a number of diseases, some of which are contracted from spoiled food and garbage which they feed on out of Dumpsters and trash cans. These diseases can be passed from animal to animal and even to humans. This is something that our country commissioners and city council do not seem to understand or consider when they do not take action to help manage the significant feral cat problem.
Why do we have so many stray and feral cats? One primary reason is that the animal shelter only deals with dogs. Another is that neutering and spaying costs more than a lot of people feel they can afford. Since this community is primarily dependent on mining, and to a lesser degree, agriculture and tourism, people move in and out fairly frequently and many just leave their animals to fend for themselves. The local vets sometimes have a waiting period of a month or more before you can have an animal neutered or spayed. In the meantime, the feral cat may become pregnant or have more kittens. Then the fee would cost even more.
The animal control shelter must be modified so they can take and treat unwanted domestic, stray and feral cats and also invoke a "no kill" policy. The area also desperately needs a lower-cost spay/neuter clinic so that residents will be more inclined to sterilize their animals. The local gold and silver mines are making hundreds of millions of dollars and creating a major economic boom for the city and the county. Tax revenues, housing prices and employment are up and more businesses are coming in every day. Still, the commissioners and council members are doing nothing to help the cat problem. Cats are running all over town, especially near motels, markets and food establishments.
This is a problem which needs to be fixed now. Let your commissioners and council members know that you care about the town, the county and the feral cat problem. Some of us have established a group on Facebook called "Cats Have Rights Too." Please check out our group and lend your support.
I have lived in Winnemucca all my life. In the past, when the animal control shelter accepted cats, we never had a problem where we had to give away kittens or have feral cats run all over the place. We need an animal shelter which deals with more animals then dogs.
Juniorette is a lovely cat and I will continue to take care of her the rest of her life. Hopefully, with our care, she will have a much longer life. It is sad that whoever dumped her had no local shelter to take her to where she might have been adopted. Unfortunately, at "kill" centers such as we have here, two out of three cats admitted are put to death. It would also help the overall situation if we could entice at least one more vet to practice in the area.
Please have empathy and concern for these poor critters. Put yourself in their place and see how you would like it. Remember that "Cats Have Rights Too!"
Melany Johnson is a resident of Winnemucca.
[[In-content Ad]]
