Clinic Already Helping Cat Colony

Cats discovered at a large colony south of Fredericksburg are already getting necessary medical care less than a week after . The story brought attention to cat colonies in the Fredericksburg area, which animal welfare groups say is a major problem.

Kim Kincheloe, the executive director of Virginia Kincheloe Spay and Neuter Clinic in Fredericksburg, had two new cats in her small clinic Monday that came from the colony. After she read the story, Kincheloe volunteered to spay and neuter any of the cats on the property that need the operations. She will be taking the cats in batches of two early on until the clinic can dedicate a few days to care for larger groups of the animals.

. The nonprofit group visited the property once before in January 2007, but more cats have been dropped off at the property and the numbers have increases, including groups of kittens.

"I didn't know the situation over there was as it is," Kincheloe said. "The beginning of the game plan was to get the animals that are catchable in here immediately."

"Please, everybody, be responsible and spay and neuter your pets," she pleaded. "These animals just didn't drop out of the sky."

Kincheloe said she needs foster families to care for some of the kittens trapped from the property until they are old enough for the operations. She estimated at least 25 kittens so far need foster families. To help, call Kincheloe at 540-845-8802.

"They will need some socialization," she said about the kittens.

Kincheloe's clinic, which is attached to the Spotsylvania Animal Control Shelter at 452 TV Dr., is open Monday-Friday with appointments only.

The clinic is offering a buy-one-get-one free for spay and neuter operations. A cat spay operation costs $55 and a cat neuter operation cost $40. To make an appointment at the clinic, call 540-507-7461.

"How can you pass that up?" Kincheloe said. "It doesn't even have to be from the same household. Go get a friend's cat, too."

Shadow Cats Advocates Need Help

Cari Bartz, founder of Shadow Cats Advocates, met with about six people on Saturday at Porter Library in Stafford County, to discuss feral cat colonies, fund raising and ways to increase the number of volunteers. She spends almost five hours a day feeding seven cat colonies in Fredericksburg and Stafford County. She is a big proponent of trapping the cats, spay or neutering them, and then releasing them back to where she found them.

"TNR (trap-neuter-release) is the only way we're going to be able to slow the population down," she said.

Bartz said she is desperate for foster homes for cats and she needs more volunteers to help her feed the cats at the seven colonies. 

How to Help

To donate to Alley Cat Allies to help the cat colony south of Fredericksburg, visit the donation website by clicking here, and include that you prefer your donation go to the Fredericksburg cat colony.

To help Shadow Cats Advocates with foster homes, food, donations or feeding cats, go to their donation page. Monetary donations can be sent to its mailing address: P.O. Box 514, Garrisonville, VA 22463. People can also make PayPal donations via email: shadowcatadvocates@comcast.net and you can also visit: http://www.shadowcatadvocates.org

If you can foster any of the kittens from the cat colony south of Fredericksburg until they are old enough to be spayed or neutered, call Kincheloe at 540-845-8802.