Photo provided These are just a few of the feral cats that have been trapped by volunteers on Pine Island. The cats were transported to P.A.W.S. where they received vaccinations, were spayed or neutered and then returned to Pine Island.

Those shopping at Winn-Dixie my have noticed the growing number of stray cats that wonder the parking lot. The booming population has attracted one island individual who has pledged to make an effort to address this problem. Teaming up with the organization P.A.W.S. of Lee County, cat lover Edith Schulte has been trapping the feral cats which are then brought to the non-profit facility to be neutered or spayed and then returned to the island.

“About a month ago, we began to participate in the trapping program. The people who trap the cats work directly with P.A.W.S. to help control the population of these feral cats,” Schulte said. “P.A.W.S., however, is not a rescue organization and they do not take in unwanted pets, so they must be returned to where they had been trapped.”

According to Schulte, often feral cats are a result of owners who have abandoned their pets and are left to fend for themselves.

“All these animals knew before was to rely on humans for food, water and shelter. Imagine a mother cat scrounging through the garbage to find something to eat for her and her young babies,” Schulte said. “The best thing a person can do if they have unwanted cats is to call Animal Services and not dump them on someone else’s property or vacant lot to leave someone else to deal with that responsibility. I suggest to those who have pets they no longer want, to call Lee County Animal Control at 533-7387 as they will not be accepted at P.A.W.S.”

According to Schulte, she recently bore eyewitness to the abandonment of a feline family.

“This very thing happened within the past two weeks at Winn-Dixie. Someone subjected eight or nine cats and kittens to this very situation. They are hungry and crying most of the time. It’s very sad,” Schulte said. “The cats are afraid of people and one young cat, maybe 8 months old, has a red collar around her neck which if not removed will choke her or become embedded in her neck as she grows. One of the trappers tried to remove the collar and she was bitten, requiring a tetanus shot and antibiotics. The cat has not been seen since after it had run to a wooded area to hide.”

Another concern of Schulte’s is the possibility of in-breeding among the feral cats.

“What most people don’t realize is feral cats form colonus or more commonly, inbreeding. They will not accept these drop-offs into their own families which eventually leads to the wild cats killing off the newcomers. That is, if the raccoons don’t get them first,” Schulte said. “It is not the fault of these poor cats that they are homeless, it’s the fault of us humans not taking care of them properly and discarding them like trash.”

Schulte suggests that those who are currently feeding a stray cat on their own property, allow the trappers to come to trap them and then arrange for a spay or neuter, as well as rabies shots to protect both the property owner and the animal. After having medical attention, the cats would then be returned to the property from which they were trapped. The animals will also have its left ear tipped to indicate that it has been spayed or neutered.

This effort is not without its cost, however, as P.A.W.S. charges the trappers a fee of $30 for each cat that is brought in.

In order to raise money for this project, containers for donations have been placed in local businesses, including Winn-Dixie, Dr. Watson’s, Pine Island Family Hair Salon, Beacon of HOPE, the VFW and Pine Island Feed and Garden.

Schulte also said that those who are caring for a stray cat can also avail themselves of the services provided by P.A.W.S. Leave a note with a name and phone number at one of the collection sites and a trapper will call to arrange for trapping and transporting the animal to P.A.W.S for spaying or neutering and vaccinations. It will then be returned to the property where it was trapped. These animals also will have the left ear tipped to identify that it has been to P.A.W.S. To date, a total of 17 cats have been taken care of through the trapping program.

“Our purpose is to stop the breeding of feral cats on Pine Island,” said Schulte. “It can only be successful if people are willing to cooperate and take on a little responsibility to make it work. It can be done.”

In addition to taking care of strays, P.A.W.S. also provides low cost spaying and neutering, vaccinations and microchipping for household pets, including cats and dogs as well. P.A.W.S. is located at 13410 North Cleveland Ave., in North Fort Myers, and appointments can be made by calling 652-6722.