very cheap (dirt cheap!) spay and neutering!

I guess spring is the time of year when the kittens start coming, so there are some local efforts to try to fix feral and other cats out there.

http://blog.cleveland...

UPDATE: Low-cost neuter services are also available in Summit County.

'On Saturday, May 3, Citizens for Humane Animal Practices, in cooperation with Summit County, will offer the surgeries for $35 for males, $45 for females, at the NEFCO Building at 180 East South St. in downtown Akron.

Call 330-724-6181 to make an appointment.
C.H. Pete Copeland / Plain Dealer Peg Tucker of Community Action to Save Strays holds kittens she found in Oberlin. Their mother is a feral cat who has since been neutered and returned to her outdoor cat colony.
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The Cleveland Animal Protective League is asking for help this kitten season.

"We need spay fever to catch on," adoption supervisor Marta Anderson said.

She is distributing fliers to promote low-cost neuter services.

"Please give thought to places where you could leave a stack or post some on a bulletin board," she said. "I'd love for the Greater Cleveland area to be wallpapered with these fliers, in places where permission has been obtained to post them, of course." '

The artical has a link to fliers and we could all make one and post it at our local library, or other place that allows fliers.

I just thought I would add my recent experience with the APL Animal Welfare Clinic {low-cost spay/neuter clinic}. I coordinated TNR for a feral cat colony with Marta Anderson, Adoption Counselor & TNR Coordinator at the APL. I was assisting an older low-income man in my area, Ohio City, to trap and fix as many cats as we could for a colony he feeds. Marta was very helpful, nice and easy to work with. I had some traps, but we also borrowed 7 from the APL. The man and I trapped on Tuesday evening and managed to catch 7 cats, who we brought in on Wednesday morning at 8:00am. Once the coordination was settled, the process was seamless. We/he will continue trapping until he thinks we got them all.

I strongly recommend getting involved with TNR, especially if you know someone who is feeding cats and not getting them fixed. It is very rewarding and, in my situation, the man was very appeciative. He loves his cats, but was feeling helpless as to what to do. He admitted he would have never made the calls to the APL on his own. I think it seemed too overwhelming to him. Now that he experienced the process with assistance. he is able to trap on his own now, although I still check in and coordinate with the APL for him.

The APL takes cats for surgery on Wednesday and Friday mornings. Call Marta Anderson to coordinate TNR. The cost is $40 per cat, regardless of sex. There is no extra charge for pregnant females. {FYI...Female cats are fully pregnant NOW!} If you are, or are working with someone who is low-income, the APL MAY be able to reduce the cost more, but this is case by case. They are already doing this at cost.

Good luck in your efforts! I urge you to get involved! It is estimated that there at least 225,000 stray/feral cats roaming the city. Your participation WILL make a difference. With the 5 female cats this man and I caught {plus 2 males}, we have prevented another 30-70 or more cats from being born homeless on the streets this season. I can't stress enough how empowering that feels...Get involved!