The City of Mendota is adopting a Trap, Neuter, and Release program to address feral and stray cats, in partnership with Safe House Animal Rescue League, a no-kill nonprofit organization.

The program offers a humane alternative to catch-and-kill methods. Residents report feral cats in their neighborhoods; volunteers trap them; a local facility spays or neuters them; and the cats are released back into their original territory, where they can no longer reproduce.

“I wish all of these cats could have homes, but there’s not enough out there,” Sandy Knott, a Safe House volunteer, said. “Putting friendly cats back outside that are well cared for and in an environment that they know and love is a good thing for these cats, and we have to remember that it’s either TNR or euthanization.”

Mendota Project Director Annie Short and Safe House volunteers Hannah Scoma and Knott presented the program to residents Monday night. Short said the city has ordinances to address stray cats, but enforcement is difficult. A volunteer-led effort, she said, is the most practical solution.

Knott explained why catch-and-kill methods fail. “Every time cats are removed through the catch-and-kill method, more cats will just come in,” she said. “They will actually increase their rate of reproduction, which is already very rapid to fill up that territory to keep other cats from coming out.”

The program is expected to begin in June. A tentative volunteer effort is planned for July to transport cats from Mendota to a facility for the procedure and return them to the city. Short said an initial focus area has been identified, but did not disclose the location.

Participating facilities include Paws For A Cause, Happy Tails, and Just Animals. Several grassroots efforts are already underway in Mendota, including work by Jen’s Jungle, Fritzers, and Manipulations Tattoo and Piercings.

Short said all volunteer help is welcome, including fundraising, marketing, transporting, trapping, and awareness efforts.

For more information, contact Annie Short at ashort@mendotacity.com or 815-539-7459.