homeless cats

To reduce the numbers of cats in the metro area, a coalition is offering a week of free spay and neuter operations for low-income owners of felines. Feral cats will be altered as well.

(The Associated Press)

Portland area shelters will spay or neuter 500 cats in the area for free during the last week of February.

The surgeries are in honor of World Spay Day on Feb. 25. But instead of just marking the day, members of the

will offer a week of free operations in the interest of keeping the cat population down.

The timing comes at the start of kitten season, said Joyce Briggs, president of the Alliance for Contraception in Cats and Dogs.

“In wintertime cats go into season, and many are pregnant by March," Briggs said. "Preventing those kittens is the reason for this event. With nearly 22,000 cats entering our area shelters annually, we need to focus on finding good homes for them.”

The operation will take place Feb. 24 to 28.

To qualify owners must live in Clackamas, Multnomah, Washington or Clark counties and be receiving government assistance, such as Medicaid, food stamps, Supplemental Security Income, Section 8/Public housing, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Women, Infants and Children, Oregon Health Plan and Subsidized Lunch Program funding.

The surgeries will be performed by licensed veterinarians at the facilities below. Transportation assistance may be available for those who cannot make it to:

, 14175 S.W. Galbreath Dr., Sherwood; 503-925-8903

, 1067 N.E. Columbia Blvd., Portland, 503-285-7722

, 1700 W. Historic Columbia River Highway, Troutdale;

, 1100 N.E. 192nd Ave, Vancouver;

360-693-4746

in Portland

To participate, call 800-345-SPAY for a cat you own or 503-797-2606 for feral cats.

-- Lynne Terry