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Taking a nip out of feral cats

And now a story that would make Bob Barker proud. As Florida's 89.1, WUFT-FM's Deena Lewis reports, Alachua county's "Operation Catnip" is offering free services to spay and neuter stray cats.

http://www.wuft.org/media/audio/FPDinaCatsFINAL.mp3

Operation Cat nip is preparing to nip the amount of stray and feral cats that are euthanised at its annual "Sunday Spay day." Operation Cat nip has served the Gainesville Community since 1998 and has spayed around thirty-five-thousand feral cats.  Operation Cat Nip will hold its monthly "Spay day clinic" where people in the community who see or feed any stray or feral cats can bring in those animals for spay neuter and vaccine treatments for no charge.

Operation Catnip's office is fittingly located in the back of the offices of the  Alachua County Humane Society located on NW 6th street in Gainesville.  Executive director for Operation Catnip Shay Olmstead says the operation will take anyone willing to help out.  Olmstead says the volunteers can choose where they would like to be stationed based on their experiences.

Olmstead says the 3609 zip code area has the largest intake of cats and dogs than any other zipcode in the county. This area is also why Operation Catnip is working on a 2- year program to provide services to the animals in need in that area.  Olmstead stresses the spaying and neutering of cats is vital to the community because it is a way to stop killing cats in Alachua County and reduce the overpopulation of these animals.  The next Sunday Spay Day clinic will be held on Sunday February 5th. For more information people can contact 352-380-0940.

 

Dina is a reporter for WUFT News and can be contacted by calling 352-392-6397 or emailing news@wuft.org.