Regarding stray cats.

Once again I am compelled to write a letter in response to one from Gee Weaver regarding stray cats. I deal with feral and street cats on a daily basis as president of the Flathead Spay & Neuter Task Force. We dedicate a great deal of time educating and helping people deal with stray cats in their areas. Most who we deal with want to keep the cats but want them to stop reproducing, which is where we come in.

Following guidelines of two national feral cat groups, Alley Cat Allies and the Feral Cat Coalition, we assist people in trapping, altering and vaccinating the cats. It has been well documented that the only way to curb the pet overpopulation problem is through spaying and neutering.

Nature does not exist in a vacuum and when cats are removed from an area, more cats will move in to take their place. However, when cats are altered and returned, the numbers will stay the same and will eventually decrease naturally.

Cat caregivers are not the problem — cat owners who refuse to alter their animals are the problem. Coupled with people abandoning cats that are left to fend for themselves, those are the problems.

Gee Weaver evidently has not taken the time to research the two aforementioned feral groups or she would know that her information is incorrect. The absolutely only way to reduce the number of cats or dogs is to have them altered, preferably before they ever come of age to reproduce. We have become such a "throw away" society, that we view animals as property to be disposed of as we see fit.

As to Gee Weaver's comment on a quote of mine that we have kept literally thousands of cats from going to the shelter and "where do you think these cats are going," fortunately those with caring caregivers take them back, and because of our feral cat program, thousands have never been born to have to go to the shelter (those are the thousands that I was referring to).

A little research and knowledge goes a long way in understanding and correcting problems.

Mimi Beadles, president

Flathead Spay & Neuter

Task Force