Nonprofit proposes trap, neuter, release program in Henry County

A nonprofit organization wants to help reduce the feral cat population in Henry County.

Sam Riepe, who runs a kitten foster program in Mt. Pleasant, told the Henry County Board of Supervisors that he is working with an organization called All God’s Creatures to start a trap, neuter, release (TNR) program in Henry County.

“It’s a proven way to reduce feral populations,” Riepe said. “Feral cats are territorial. They will stay in the same area. If you kill a cat or kill a couple of them, all you do is invite other feral cats to come into their territory.

“If you remove a cat entirely, that area becomes fertile ground for other feral cats, and there’s always other feral cats. You’re just delaying the problem. If you have a TNR program that is run properly, you naturally reduce the number of cats over time.”

He added that female cats can have up to four litters each year.

He explained that the organization, which is a commission of the First Presbyterian Church, plans to partner with the Iowa Humane Alliance in Cedar Rapids.

“They do low-cost spay and neuter, specifically low-cost for ferals with the idea that they will be fixed, given their rabies shot, and their ears will be tagged so they can be identified,” he said. “They require that the cats are returned to the territory they came from.”

Riepe said that they would set up an appointment with the Iowa Humane Alliance ahead of time, and they can take 15-20 cats.

“We would do public outreach to see if people have cats in their area,” he said. “We would provide traps. We have to set the traps out the night before the appointment, and have to leave here between 5:30 and 6 the next morning.

“The next day, we pick up the cats after they’ve been fixed and return them to their areas.”

He said that when they catch a cat that is obviously a pet, they turn it loose immediately.

They do public outreach prior to setting traps.

“We want to be very conscious that we’re doing this where it has been requested,” Riepe said. “We’re not just going to throw traps out willy-nilly.

“We want to make sure people know that we’re doing this, so if they have indoor/outdoor animals, keep Fido in that night.”

Riepe said that they have already had interest in the TNR program from Salem, New London, Oakland Mills, Mount Union and Westwood.