Fighting back against feral cats in Duval County

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As Clay County  works to stem the tide of feral cats in the area, residents of the Regency area of Jacksonville said something needs to be done there too.

There is one group though that does trap hundreds of cats each week to make sure the numbers don't spiral out of control.

Regency Mall is one area where the infestation is the worst and Evelyn Ray-Rogers, who works in an office behind the mall, said that the cats have been around for years.

"They may be being fed. I don't know where they come from. Sometimes they come out of a garage, sometimes off top of a building," Ray-Rogers said.

There is one group that is on the front lines in the battle against these growing cat colonies. First Coast No More Homeless Pets spays and neuters thousands of stray cats each year. It's the largest spay and neuter clinic in the country.

"It's not a problem that's getting worse. If anything, we've made a lot of progress in Duval County with our feral cat population. We tend to do local projects that see a lot of great local results," Dr. Kelly Farrell with First Coast No More Homeless Pets said. "We've been working in the Regency area trapping cats and spaying them and giving rabies vaccination. You can tell by looking for an ear tip on left ear, flat on the tip of left ear and those have been spayed and given vaccinations.

Anyone who sees feral cats in their area can call First Coast No More Homeless Pets at 904-425-0005 and they will respond to trap, spay and neuter any feral cats in the area.
 


About the Author:

Scott is a multi-Emmy Award Winning Anchor and Reporter, who also hosts the “Going Ringside With The Local Station” Podcast. Scott has been a journalist for 25 years, covering stories including six presidential elections, multiple space shuttle launches and dozens of high-profile murder trials.