FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — For years, the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels has been providing help to non-profits. In 2019 year alone, they'll handout $2.1 million in grants. One of the recipients is the Franklin County Humane Society, which will be using the grant to help keep the county's feral cat population from growing.
The Franklin County Humane Society cares for homeless animals, tries to rehome as many as possible, and improves the lives of animals throughout the county. Now, they'll be able to do even more, thanks to $2,300 grant from the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels. The money will be used to buy cat traps and provide veterinary services.
"So stray, unowned, feral cats in our community, we'll use those traps to trap them. They get surgery to be spayed or neutered. They'll get all their vaccinations, they'll be treated for fleas and then they'll be returned to their homes," Kerry Loary said.
Loary, along with Gae Broadwater, put the traps in areas around the county where cats roam, which is normally in areas where they can easily access food.
Loary says this method has been the only proven way to stop the cat population from growing. "A female cat has three litters of four kittens, so that's twelve, maybe half of those are female, now you've got six more cats. The next year, now you have 7 cats producing kittens."
The humane society says this program is one way to reduce the number of cats they get each year.
"We take in about 1,000 cats a year. Many of them, come in as kittens, small kittens, that have been born to mom cats out there in the community and don't have an owner," Loary said.
The grant will pay for the veterinary service and medicines for 20 cats.
