The rescue team at the North Country Initiative Adirondack Cat Adoption Center (NCI) in Warren County, NY, does not shy away from a challenge. When they were informed of a large population of cats living in a salvage yard who needed their help, the team leapt into action. The environment, however, presented some unique challenges.
NCI employs a program of Trap, Neuter/Spay, Vaccinate and Return (TNVR) to humanely control the population of stray and feral cats and make sure they live healthy lives. Using TNVR, community cats living outside are trapped, neutered or spayed, left ear-tipped (the universal symbol of a sterilized cat), vaccinated, and returned to their outdoor home. Sometimes a cat’s friendly behavior shows they were most likely once living in a home and either abandoned or lost. These cats can be placed into adopted families.
To begin assisting the junkyard cats, the NCI team needed to figure how many cats were there, if any were spayed/neutered or needed special medical help, and if there were any friendlies. NCI Director Deborah Oligny recalled, “All sites have differing variables. For this one, there is just so much junk everywhere, it gives the cats many…
