A student is looking to decrease the feral cat population on campus by partnering with the Wynne Animal Rescue Veterinary Clinic and starting a trap, neuter, release (TNR) program.

Emily Peters, a junior animal science major from Cape Girardeau, Missouri said she got the idea for the program a year and a half ago, when she moved to Collegiate Park. 

“When I got to Collegiate Park, there were two semi-feral female cats that were already spayed and they hung out outside of my apartment,” Peters said. “ As I started taking care of these two females, I noticed more cats around the area and I started to take an interest in it.”

Currently, the program has resulted in the capture, neutering and release of one male feral cat, whom Peters named Captain Rex. 

Trap, neuter and release programs prevent feral cats from reproducing, keeping the populations under control. Female cats can reproduce as early as six months old and males can produce thousands of offspring, which if left unchecked, can cause populations to skyrocket and for animal shelters to be overwhelmed. 

This type of program also maintains local bird populations, as cats are considered an invasive species, and prevents the spread of disease to both people and other cats. 

The program catches the cats using live traps, where the cat trips a line, causing the trap door to shut. After it is trapped, the cat is then transported to the Wynne Animal Rescue Veterinary Clinic. Peters said students can report feral cat sightings to her via email, emily.peters4@smail.astate.edu. 

Peters said she partnered with the Wynne Animal Rescue Veterinary Clinic because they provide yearly vaccinations, plus spay/neutering procedures for $35 per animal. The clinic provides low-cost procedures through the Bissell Pet Foundation, a nonprofit that supports animal welfare organizations in underserved communities.

Jessica Mays, a junior pre-vet major from Cherry Valley, Arkansas, and a vet tech at the Wynne Animal Rescue Veterinary Clinic, said even though the clinic is strained, they still try to squeeze in appointments from Peters’s program.

“We are under strain anyways because there’s a big vet shortage and with us being in low cost, we are booked up until June and July,” Mays said. “With the trap and release though, we try to fit them in where we can. You never know when you’re going to trap a feral cat.”

Any student who reports a cat to Peters will not pay for trapping or the spay/neuter procedure. To cover costs, Peters relies on donations from friends and family. She said she relies on donations for traps, food, towels and more, but is working on collaborating with other animal shelters to expand the program’s reach.

In addition to catching feral cats, Peters also transports students’ pets in need of their vaccinations or spaying/neutering. 

“A lot of students have cats in their apartment or on campus in their dorms. They either don’t have the transportation to get to the vet or they’re looking for help to pay for it,” Peters said. “Personal pets matter just as much as the feral ones do. All cats benefit from a spay and neuter procedure and we want to offer that to students that are needing that.”

Yu Nakagawa, a first-year computer science major from Tokyo, Japan, used the program to get her cat, Ash, neutered. While Nakagawa did pay for the procedure, she said Peters transported Ash to and from the vet. 

“I tried to find a humane society, but everything is expensive,” Nakagawa said. “I found the post saying it was gonna be like $35. I was surprised and it helped me a lot. I can feel safe to get my cat (neutered).”

Peters is currently running the program by herself, although she said is looking for more volunteers to help set traps and transport cats. In the future, Peters said she hopes to partner with registered student organizations such as the Pre-Veterinary Club to get more volunteers. 

To spread awareness about the program, Peters not only promotes it on the A-State app but also created an Instagram account @collegiate.cats.astate, where she posts pictures of captured cats and educates followers on trap, neuter and release programs.

“The thing with TNR is, the goal is having to do it less than less,” Peters said. “I’m expecting to have an influx of cats that need the procedure done and need their vaccinations. My hope is that by next spring, or by next year, that number is going to be significantly lower and we’ll have some success with the program.”

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