To the editor:

Is there a stray cat problem on the island? I guess that would depend upon where you live. If you were to talk to the people at Pine Citrus, Tropical Isles, KOA campsites, D.J. Hardware or any of the stores in the Winn-Dixie plaza you would hear of the problems.

So far, I have trapped 28 cats, 17 of those were females. Can you imagine how many kittens they would have produced this year alone?

Then there are the sad stories that go along with this, like the beautiful, white, odd-eyed cat (one blue eye, one green) who had feline leukemia and had to be put down. Sadly, she also had a litter of kittens recently and that means they also have the leukemia. They are out there somewhere and we must find them before they infect others, including your domestic indoor/outdoor cat. Or the pregnant black cat that was carrying a dead kitten because she was unable to birth it due to a physical deformity. She was full of infection and decaying from the inside out. A slow and painful death awaited her.

Then there is the 95-year old man who has five female cats on his property that he feeds. He receives Meals on Wheels three times a week and gives his food to the cats and then goes hungry. We have solved that problem by going to the Pine Island Pet Pantry and getting him donated food for his cats. Now he eats his own food. Thank you Pine Island Pet Pantry for your help! By the way, two of his five cats are fixed and I will try to adopt a few of them out to families. They are very nice cats.

The stories are endless, but on a brighter side, a lot has been accomplished by vaccinating these cats against rabies and having them tested for leukemia, several have been adopted into forever homes. Those are the lucky ones.

Unfortunately, we have run out of funds and until the donations build up, a reserve trapping will be suspended.

I want to thank Dan at Winn-Dixie for allowing me to set up out front of the store so I can adopt these cats out to forever homes. Thanks Dan. Donation containers are at the following locations:

Winn-Dixie

Beacon of HOPE

Dr. Watsons’ Liquor Store

P.I. Family Hair salon

Consignment/Laundromat

P.I. Feed and Garden Center

Jackie’s Restaurant

Raymary Grill

VFW

You can also mail donations to: P.A.W.S. – Lee County, 13410 N. Cleveland Ave., North Fort Myers, Fla. 33903. Make checks payable to P.A.W.S. – Lee County and include a note to apply the check to C.A.T.S. acct. #9286.

Thanks to all who have donated. You’ve done a good service to the community as well as the homeless cats.

Edith Schulte

Bokeelia