According to state health officials, cat overpopulation is one of the biggest animal crises in Delaware.
On Wednesday, PetSmart Charities awarded a $200,000 grant to Forgotten Cats, a non-profit that traps, neuters, vaccinates and then releases cats back out into the wild. The organization will work on controlling the feral cat population in Newark, New Castle and Bear.
The grant was secured because of a collaboration with Delaware’s Division of Public Health. Rita Landgraf, the Secretary of Health and Social Services, said the program’s emphasis on both sterilizing and vaccinating these animals will improve public health as well.
"We also know that many times, disease, and the disease of rabies can spread very rapidly; and then bring harm to other animals, other wildlife and then to humans," she said,
She added that the trap and release program is a better alternative to old methods of cat control.
"This is the humane way to work with these cats, rather than catch and kill. And we do know that a percentage of these cats can also be adopted and fostered and supported."
For those cats who can’t be adopted, the program is a way to ensure that they can live out their days in their colonies free of diseases.
Landgraf says her department estimates that there are around 60,000 free-roaming cats, or over twice the human population of the city of Newark.
The grant is meant to sterilize and vaccinate 4,000 of these cats over the next two years.