Desex the Feral Cat Colony

There is a feral cat colony of ~10 cats living near me who need to be de-sexed. I have tried to get the cats de-sexed via the trap neuter return (TNR) program but there is a long wait-list and while I have been on it Mitsy had given birth to two litters of 5 kittens each and Storm had a litter of two kittens.

If this continues we will not be able to de-sex the kittens as fast as they are being born, especially considering that Storm's older three kittens are old enough to have their own kittens (1/3 desexed). When left unchecked the feral cat population will grow exponentially leading to greater effects on the environment (e.g. predating on native birds) and more competition for resources such as food.

Ideally I would like to get them spayed before they can have any more litters which means going to a vet clinic. An appointment with a clinic is faster but initially more expensive. It will end up saving us money in the long run as every few months we wait, the amount of cats that need de-sexed will increase. Another reason I'd like to prevent any new litters is because of the negative impacts of inbreeding. There is an increased likelihood of inbreeding because the majority of the mates in the area are their siblings and parents.

There are some excellent resources online about the benefits of desexing cats. I do not think it is best to put them down because the feral cats are here because it is a good location to forage for food. Putting down the current colony will just provide the conditions for another colony to move in, while also allowing the mouse and rat population to rise.

Meet the cats:

Ones That Need Desexed:

* 2/3 ~6 month old kittens ( 1 x black, 1 grey, genders unknown) most likely parents are Mr BZ and Storm based on colouring and behaviour

* Five ~3 month old kittens named Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Tiny, and Mo (4 x tabby, 1 x black, genders unknown) mother is definitely Mitsy and father probably Mr Bonezone

* Billie Jean and Jelly Bean (2 x grey with striped pattern, 5 weeks, both girls)

Ones That Do Not Need Desexed by Us:

* Mitsy/Mitski was <1 year old black and white girl with a lovely personality

* Five ~3 week old kittens (3 x black and white, 2 x black, genders unknown) parents are almost certainly Mitsy and Mr Bonezone

* Snacc, one of Storm's older black kittens

* Mr Bonezone (~2+ yr old black male/tom) aptly named, howls through the night looking for a mate.

* Storm (~2 yr old grey female/queen)