Stray cats that roam the Gainesville streets face harsh conditions and uncertain futures. Local residents and organizations are stepping up to make a difference.
George Miljevich recently visited the Humane Society of North Central Florida after losing his cat, Mitsu.
“I was very broken up when we had to put her to sleep. I held her in my arms,” he said.
Emma Van Riper made it a mission to care for stray cats.
“People are like, Emma, why are you going after this cat? And I’m like, but there’s a cat. I should at least feed it,” she said.
Van Riper has spent the past four years adopting and caring for cats in need.
Gainesville’s Operation Catnip has also been a leader in the effort. Since 1998, the organization has used a trap-neuter-release (TNR) method to treat and sterilize local stray cats, helping to control the population while improving animal welfare.
Operation Catnip treats around 8,000 cats each year and is approaching a milestone of 100,000 cats treated.
“We have a cat that came yesterday with a leg that was so broken that its knee is basically down kind of by its shin,” Operations Director Melissa Jenkins said.
Jenkins added that community members like Miljevich and Van Riper play an essential role in giving these animals a chance at better lives.