Letters to the editor

Please don't trap my cat.

I have three cats in my family and I also volunteer at the Flathead County Animal Shelter and have noticed this time of year a lot of people are trapping and turning in cats to the shelter as "ferals' or stray cats.

This is the time of year when cats are going outdoors and getting back into mousing. We all know it is nearly impossible to keep a cat in your own yard.

Spring is the "feisty" time of year for most all animals and cats included are hunting and roaming. A cat will be passing through your yard, but don't trap or catch it and turn it in to the shelters.

Most all cats will want to return to their home after a stroll. If you have a problem with neighborhood cats in your yard, it will help to spray your flower gardens with repellents and not leave any cat food outdoors to entice them to stay in your yard.

Only if a cat stays for several days or longer should you determine it to be a stray.

But, first do the neighborly thing and check around to see if it does have a home nearby. Most of the recent cats turned into the shelter as "feral" or stray have been very sweet and already spayed or neutered, which tells me they probably have a home and a family.

If you are missing your cat, please check your local shelters or rescues to find your cat and bring it back home. Always spay and neuter your animals which helps reduce wandering and the number of unwanted pets.

Carmen O'Brien

Lakeside

Flathead Shelter Friends'