Woman creates initiative to help fix overpopulation of cats

By James Tully

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    TAMPA, Florida (WFTS) — Cat Trap Fever is one woman’s initiative to fix the overpopulation of cats in neighborhoods across the Tampa Bay area.

Jessica Kelly loves cats but wants to see less of them in bad situations, especially since many are not spayed or neutered. ABC Action News followed Kelly through a Tampa Heights neighborhood, where she immediately spotted several feral cats and people who were feeding them with possibly no intention of trapping and getting them fixed.

Kelly drops her business card when she can’t speak to people directly, letting them know her organization can help. She will trap the cats, take them to the vet, and, after an appropriate amount of time, return them to the same location.

But that’s not all she does.

“We want to align people with the resources that make sense to them to get the animals fixed sooner rather than later. We will not shy away from a cat with illnesses or an angry cat that needed more medical attention,” said Kelly.

One of Kelly’s goals is to cut down on euthanizations while also tending to overpopulation. She said there are more cats right now than people who can afford to house and feed them. So far this year, Cat Trap Fever has taken over 800 cats to get fixed and helped put more than 330 into good homes.

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