Working To Fix Felines In Area
When residents of a Middle Village block saw their street become overrun with cats, they banded together to confront the issue head-on.
According to area homeowner Donna DiCesare, after one feline was found with four kittens in a shed behind her 79th Place home, she reached out to friends and neighbors to find a way to help control the population.
Eventually, they learned that one of their neighbors was feeding and caring for a large number of cats. After several conversations with DiCesare and other residents, the woman agreed to have the cats spayed and neutered.
A total of 15 cats were fixed in the effort, 10 of them female. In addition, several of the kittens have been adopted.
The result, DiCesare told the Times Newsweekly, is a win-win for both the cat’s owner and the surrounding area.
“The cats are quieter and better behaved,” DiCesare noted, while the local neighborhood sees a reduction in roaming felines.
Over 20 neighbors contributed financially to the trapping, spaying and neutering of the cats as well as to veterinary care from the ASPCA. To help recoup some of the costs, the neighbors threw a fund-raising party at Danny Boy’s, a pub on Dry Harbor Road, last Friday, Aug. 24.
“I did it as a concerned neighbor,” said DiCesare, adding that “at least I know that my block is a little safer.”
Several kittens remain up for adoption. To adopt a kitten or to donate toward the effort, call 1-917-502-3658.
