According to Lana Kipling, President of the Ken-Tenn Humane Society, the cats that have been roaming around UTM have been removed and given better homes.

If you are interested in helping the feral and stray cat problem, you can speak to Lana Kipling.

Along with the help of Dr. Heidi Huse, Ms. Kipling has been capturing cats around the area, including UTM, for several years at no cost to anyone except herself.

Ms. Kipling believes the best possible solution is a program called trap-neuter-release (TNR). This program involves catching the cats, having them spayed or neutered, and then releasing them somewhere else, such as a feral colony.

Many of the cats Ms. Kipling has captured are going to such a colony in Carroll County. If you would like to make contact with her, feel free to call her at 587-7855 (office) or 587-5173 (home).

One of the best things to do when you come upon a stray animal, according to the Heart of America Humane Society, is to stay clear of it and try to contact your nearest animal shelter. One such shelter can be reached in Union City at 885-3690.

Suppose you walk outside to take out the garbage one night and see several cats around the dumpster. Noticing you have some old food on top of the bag, you take it out and give some to the cats, being the good-hearted person that you are.

Not only have you helped the stray and feral cats survive, your actions will possibly bring more cats to your residence, thus increasing your chance of getting rabies.

According to the National Center for Infectious Diseases, rabies occurs twice as often in cats as compared with cows or dogs.

One method that has been used for years to try and help the stray and feral cat problem is simply to catch and kill the cats a few days later. Even though the catch and kill method may not be the most effective for controlling cats, other animals, such as birds and small mammals, may be spared. Since cats are born predators, this means that they will hunt and kill other animals even when not hungry.

Ms. Kipling strongly expressed her concern when she said, "If only they would give cats as much concern as an old tree," referring to the tree located in the quad in front of the administration building.