By Stacy N. Hackett
Posted: August 9, 2008 2 a.m. EDT
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| Several feral cats were relocated to new homes, including a farm in the country. |
The small town of Randolph, Iowa, made the headlines this year when the mayor placed a $5 bounty on the small heads of the city’s feral cats. Animal welfare organizations from around the country stepped in to help the town deal with its feral cat population, implementing a trap-neuter-return program to help control the numbers of new kittens born into colonies.
Area residents also offered help, in the form of new homes for the feral cats living too close to businesses and private homes. Two cats in particular — Mother Trucker and her kitten, Truckee — recently moved to Sandra and Jim Gregory’s barn. Best Friends Animal Society helped relocate the cats after Cindy Fritz discovered the pair living in her garage within Randolph city limits.
Fritz and her husband, Frank, were among the Randolph residents most affected by the feral cat colonies. “We had about 20 cats in our yard,” she explained. “They were eating all of my cat’s food … and there’d be cat fights all day and all night long.”
The TNR program helped control the population living near Fritz’s home, as many of the cats were relocated to more appropriate locations. When Fritz found the mother cat and kitten in her garage, she turned again to Best Friends and the Gregorys for help.
“[The Gregorys] were tickled to take more cats,” Fritz said. “They help with their rodent problem — but I think mostly they really like having them there. I know they’re all really well cared for there and are living a good life.”