The Gulf Coast is plagued with sever pet overpopulation… and one of the biggest challenges is our population of feral and stray cats, who are naturally drawn to restaurants and food service dumpsters…but our Dumpster Kitties need help too…and it could be FREE!

Please read the following letter from HSSM’s Chief Veterinarian, Dr. Jennifer Morris:

To Whom It May Concern:

The Humane Society of South Mississippi (HSSM) would like to invite our community’s restaurants to participate in our Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program for the feral and stray cats of our area…and inside Harrison County, this program is available at NO COST to you.

Many food service businesses deal with feral cats living near and around dumpsters and waste disposal areas. If left unchecked, these colonies of cats have the ability to reproduce at an alarming rate, especially near a reliable food source. Trap and euthanize programs have proven to be unsuccessful, particularly near restaurants where food is plentiful; when one colony of cats is removed, another will quickly take its place and begin reproducing. Relocation of ferals is also problematic because cats’ natural territorial behavior causes them to try to return to their home base, often leading to their deaths while traveling long distances.

HSSM’s TNR program is the humane solution to the problem of feral cat overpopulation. Our transport coordinator captures cats in humane live traps, transports them to HSSM for spay/neuter surgery, and returns them to their homes the day after surgery. While at HSSM, the cats receive a rabies vaccination and the tip of the left ear is removed, signifying that they have been altered and vaccinated. Altered feral cats continue to protect their home territory from other cats for the remainder of their lives, usually about 3 to 5 years, and no new litters are produced during this time. This allows the population in a single location to stabilize; the cats are healthier and unwanted behaviors such as spraying and vocalizing are eliminated.

Please contact us if your business would like more information about TNR or to set up an appointment with our transport coordinator.

Sincerely,

Jenny Morris, DVM
Chief Veterinarian
Humane Society of South Mississippi
228.863.3354 ext. 129 or 130
jmorris@hssm.org