Nine Cats Fixed Yesterday. Injured Mom Cat Undergoes Eye Removal Surgery

I took nine cats in to be fixed yesterday. Four are from Corvallis--a feral mother and her three kittens. The other five are from the Albany resident with at least nine unfixed cats. At least five, three females and two males, are now fixed.

I have been working with a Corvallis woman who contacted me wanting me to take a feral mother cats' three kittens. She live trapped the mother with the help of some of her neighbors who took her to a vet to be fixed, then gave her the bill. She then called me horrified, that getting one feral cat fixed cost her $200! I said "There are no cheap spay options in Corvallis. I told you I could get her fixed for $40 at Countryside." She said she realizes now why there is an overpopulation problem, when a spay costs that much. She said a lot of people she talked to, told her to dump the cats on Peoria Road. She said that must be a popular local option for Corvallis residents, because she heard it so frequently. She thought it a disgusting option, and condemned those who suggested it soundly.

She live trapped one kitten a few days ago, housed her in a carrier, then live trapped a second yesterday morning, then he got away from her when she was trying to transfer him. I went over then and helped her set the trap better.

Later on, she called to say she'd caught one of the two remaining kittens. When I went over to help show her how to set the trap, I brought home the female kitten she'd caught a few days prior. The kitten is skinny and scared, a female. Last night, she finally agreed to take back the kittens, once they are fixed, and feed them there. I haven't heard from her this morning.

The Freddies district university employees, who fed the feral mother with the three kittens, all fixed yesterday, said the same thing about the fact the high cost of fixing cats is causing part of the overpopulation problem. The vet they used wants $250 for a spay. Nobody is going to be able to help a stray mother with kittens get at least fixed, when that is the normal price of spays in the Corvallis area. A good share of people could never afford to fix their own cat at that price.

I know this is a huge problem--the prices charged for spay at most vets. I know vets are just running a business and not out there to solve overpopulation. So, since they're not into solving the overpopulation problem, there needs to be an alternative out there, so it can be solved, not only for the cats, but for the community, as a community livability issue, an environmental issue and a public health issue.

The injured mother cat is recuperating after surgery that removed her damaged eye, that was knocked out of the socket by blunt force trauma, according to the woman who took her to the vet in Corvallis. She was likely hit by a car, I would guess. Blunt force trauma injuries with cats are usually from being hit by a car or bike. Sometimes, cats get such injuries if kicked or hit by a person, also, but the usual manner is when hit by a car.

She was otherwise healthy, outside of a white count consistent with infection, which was setting into the eye socket, and severe earmites, which her kittens, here with me, also have. I spent hours yesterday cleaning their ears. They're sweet kittens--two boys, one a brown tabby with green eyes, and a tabbical female kitten.