According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, 75% of stray cats don’t live to six months. To combat this, a new nonprofit has been started in Wayne County to help the local strays get a chance at a full life. 

Cats of Wayne County is an organization of volunteers that seeks to assist stray cats in the towns of Carroll, Winside and Wayne. According to Dr. Carolyn Albracht, a co-founder of the group and arts professor at Wayne State College, their policy is TNVR: trap, neuter, vaccinate, release. 

“We recognize that there are going to be strays in the community, but we don’t want that to explode in numbers with unhealthy cats,” Albracht said. “So, if they’re healthy, that’s a win-win for the cats and the community.” 

Last Sunday, Sept. 28, there was a fundraiser for Cats of Wayne County at a car show in Carroll. Kim Hirschman, another co-founder of the group, explained that she has always helped stray animals because “they don’t have a voice.” When Hirschman and her friend Erin Palu first moved to Carroll in 2020, the stray population was “out of control,” so they decided to do something about it. 

“[There were] a bunch of ferals, so we just started trapping them, fixing them, vaccinating them, feeding them… out of our own pocket,” Hirschman said. “At least twice a month we would get a cat.” 

Eventually Hirschman came in contact with Wayward Winside Cats in Winside and began to collaborate with them. They worked with the Blue Cat Gallery in Wayne to host a fundraising event to help pay for the cats’ vet bills. From there, Cats of Wayne County was created as a nonprofit to further raise funds. Hirschman credits WSC student Heidi Taylor for helping with the paperwork for setting up the nonprofit. 

Cats of Wayne County volunteers spend a lot of time communicating with locals who see cats so they can find the cats, trap them and take them to the vet. 

“We get a lot of phone calls, messages on Facebook, things like that from people in the county who need help rehoming a cat, trapping a cat, and fixing [a cat] that’s in their neighborhood,” Eric Palu, another volunteer, said. 

“Last week we had three different people reach out that needed help with cat colonies,” Hirschman said. “We would love to say yes to everybody, but we don’t have the funds or the space. We do it out of our own home.” 

Neutering and vaccinating feral cats is incredibly important to keep the population in check and help prevent the spreading of disease. 

“Female cats can have a litter every 65 to 70 days and they can start at four months old,” Hirschman said. “[Our work] stops the spread of disease because we also vaccinate when we trap. Feline leukemia is a big one that we vaccinate for… That can be a death sentence for a feral cat because you can’t keep them medded and they’re more susceptible to diseases.” 

Hirschman also said that an added benefit of spaying and neutering feral cats is that it can result in a decrease in violence among the population. 

“[Female cats] pretty much get beat up by the toms,” Hirschman said. “And if you have unfixed toms, they fight; and they will fight until they claim territory, until death.” 

The volunteers at Cats of Wayne County also explained what locals should do when they see a stray cat. 

“If you can get close enough, assess it,” Hirschman said. “Does it look sick? How’s the fur look? Snotty nose, goopy eyes? If you can, take a picture and reach out [to Cats of Wayne County].” 

Hirschman and Palu also said that Wayne residents can contact the Wayne Veterinary Clinic, who will reach out to them or other volunteers to set up a live trap. Live traps are small cages with food placed in them that close behind the cats when they enter the trap. After entering the trap, the cat is then neutered and vaccinated.  

If the cat isn’t tamable, it is released back where it is found. Younger felines, however, still have a chance at being domesticated. 

 “There is the potential when they are still kittens that they can be socialized, and that’s the ideal,” Albracht said. “When we can, we can take them in and find the perfect place for them. So I would say long-term, that is one of our goals; to have a shelter.” 

Sometimes, tough decisions need to be made for the benefit of the cats. Dr. Albracht recounts a time that she found a mother cat that had recently had a litter of kittens. When she brought the cat in to get spayed, she learned from the vet that the cat was already pregnant with a second litter. 

“I got a phone call saying she’s pregnant,” Albracht said. “[They said] ‘do you want us to proceed?’ So you have to make decisions like that… Part of TNVR is that you have to make decisions like that. I had my little cry session after I said yes, go ahead with the surgery.” 

After making the decision, Albracht was reassured by another volunteer that she had made the right decision. Albracht said that this communication is another important part of Cats of Wayne County. 

“I think that’s also what the organization is about. Helping each other understand that difficult work,” Albracht said. “It’s not just about doing the work, but the people who have been doing it can help those of us who are new to it and understand what we’re getting ourselves into.” 

Cats of Wayne County has meetings on the first Friday of every month at the Blue Cat Gallery & Studio. Their next meeting is Oct. 3 at 6:00 p.m. Wayne County Residents who would like to report a stray cat, volunteer, or adopt a cat can visit Cats of Wayne County’s Website: catsofwaynecounty.com 

Cats of Wayne County’s volunteers can be reached on their Facebook and Instagram pages: @catsofwaynecountyne 

Donation can be made via Venmo: venmo.com/catsofwaynecounty