Feral cats are being saved from euthanasia by NYC residents who adopt them as working cats. This is a good thing to do, as the cats reduce the rodent population on the adopter’s property and in return, they’re allowed to live in what they would consider a comfortable environment.

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The NYC Feral Cat Initiative is responsible, along with organizations and individuals devoted to community cats, in processing approximately 1,000 feral cats each month, according to the Good News Network.

Jesse Oldham, community cat expert for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) explained in a media interview

“Even though there’s absolutely no guarantee they will get any rodents, it often works out that way. The cat gets a home, and the business or owner gets reduced or no rodents. We’ve also seen a lot of people who just like cats. It’s nice having them around, even if they’re not particularly social.”

The cats in the program are humanely captured and spayed, neutered and vaccinated. If it’s determined they can’t go back to their original colony the cats are paired up without someone who appreciates a good mouser.

This isn’t a program that just hands the cats over to anyone. The cats are treated as a real adoption, Kathleen O’Malley of the NYC Feral Cat Initiative told the New York Times.

Whether it’s a barn home, a factory or a greenhouse, feral cats play a role in controlling the rodent population. All they ask for in return is a bit of food and water and a comfortable sleeping spot for when they’re ‘off duty.’

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