JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – In an effort to end the overpopulation of cats in Jacksonville, the Humane Society used a grant from Alley Cat Allies to team up with veterinarians to spay or neuter more than a 100 cats Sunday.
Dozens of people from the community lined up at the Jacksonville Humane Society with stray cats they've trapped that needed to undergo surgery to stop reproduction.
"We are calling it the kitten crisis. It really does feel like a crisis when it's happening. The numbers of kittens entering the Humane Society in Jacksonville is climbing and climbing every year," said Lindsay Layendecker, with the Jacksonville Humane Society.
She said the Human Society sees a huge influx of kittens coming into its shelter from March until December. Although the kittens are cute, workers say when they get too many of them, it becomes unmanageable.
Humane Society workers said cats as young as 4 months can get pregnant, so the sooner a cat is brought in for surgery, the better.
Many people took advantage of Sunday's free service.
"We had quite a few people here at 7 o'clock. Some people came with just one cat. Some came with six or seven,” Layendecker said.
Anyone who has cats that need to be spayed or neutered and who missed Sunday's event can bring their community felines to the Jacksonville Humane Society on Oct. 27, but the cats have to be in traps.
For people who have a cat at home and would like to get the feline spayed or neutered, the Humane Society is offering a special price of $25 for now.