Cat-food contest nets $9,999 for local spay/neuter group
HORSESHOE BAY — A local cat-food contest winner’s generosity may help hundreds of feral cats live out their full nine lives — all thanks to a donation of $9,999.99.
James Rudenstein of Hill Country Cat Control said the group found out this week it received $9,999.99 from the Del Monte food company, makers of 9 Lives cat food. And yes, the figure is related to a cat’s supposed nine lives.
The group helps trap and sterilize feral cats, and returns the cats to live out their lives in their colonies.
“The main thing is, this will help subsidize our sterilization program,” Rudenstein said. “That $10,000 will spay or neuter about 250 cats.”
Deerhaven resident Tina Strong won the grand prize in the contest, which allowed winners to donate the money to their favorite pet charity.
Rudenstein said the nonprofit group has already expressed their gratitude to Strong, a longtime HCCC volunteer.
“It’s a wonderful act of generosity,” he said. “This donation will allow us to expand our program in Burnet and Llano counties.
The group will use the money to purchase more traps, which are loaned out to local residents.
Once the feral felines are secured, they’re taken to a local vet, where they’re spayed or neutered and given a rabies shot, all at a reduced cost.
The animal is then released back to its former habitat, with a small piece removed from the tip of its left ear.
“This is the international symbol to let people know the cat has been fixed,” Rudenstein said.
Post-sugery life for the cats is healthier and safer, Rudenstein said, pointing out that cats in heat often expose themselves to danger during mating season. In addition, spayed or neutered cats are less prone to disease, he said.
“Their life is much healthier, and we’re not killing them,” Rudenstein said.
Not all cats are released back to the suburban wild, however.
Rudenstein said kittens too young for the surgery are raised at a foster home until they’re old enough to be fixed.
During that period, the kittens become used to human interaction, making them perfect candidates for adoption afterward, he said.
The group needs community help to continue its mission, Rudenstein said, adding foster homes, volunteers and funds are always needed.
While the group has only been around for a few years, Rudenstein said the trap-neuter-release method is already producing results.
“We haven’t had a litter of feral kittens in two years,” he said.
The group is totally funded through donations, and uses the services of local vets to perform all the operations.
“We’re saving the cities thousands of dollars they would otherwise have spent trapping and euthanizing the animals themselves,” Rudenstein said. “We don’t get any public money whatsoever.”
For more information about Hill Country Cat Control, or to volunteer, call (830) 598-9883.
chris@thepicayune.com