Los Angeles is home to a whopping 1 million to 3 million feral and stray cats, so it is no surprise that the California city has a cat program to tackle the issue. Passed in 2020, the Citywide Cat Program follows a TNR system, helping control the community cat population. However, the policy has taken a hit due to the veterinarian shortage across the United States.
Citywide Cat Program suffers due to nationwide veterinarian shortage
The Citywide Cat Program is much loved by feline lovers, with the trap-neuter-return system ensuring the optimum health of the existing cats while also controlling their population. CEO of Stray Cat Alliance, Christi Metropole, tells Los Angeles magazine, “It is the most important piece of city policy…The issues are that it really does rely on the nonprofits to carry it out.”
The vet shortage has led to several nonprofits joining hands to tackle the feral or stray population issue. They are stepping up to spay or neuter the felines instead. Metropole has also started her own spay/neuter clinic, which is open once a week and is looking to open twice a week soon.
Metropole acknowledged that spaying or neutering felines is already hard for the public, as cat owners have several things to do throughout the day, and trapping cats is already an added task. So, the organization would like to make the process as accessible as it can be for everyone to participate. Since the Citywide Cat Program relies on Angelenos for its success, authorities making the process easier will make people more willing to help the community cats.
Los Angeles has several initiatives to encourage people to participate in ensuring our furry friends have a comfortable life. On April 19, the Los Angeles City Council approved a motion that allocates a stipend for volunteers willing to foster animals from the city’s shelters. This will help prevent overcrowding in shelters, which can lead to animals being neglected and underfed.
