Ocracats Getting the Job Done

Ocracats, Inc., has just finished our second, free feral cat Trap/Neuter/Release clinic of the year with the help of veterinarians Howard Johnson, from Boone N.C. and Scott Schroeder, from Winston Salem, NC. They successfully neutered 26 males and 26 female feral cats, and administered rabies vaccinations, and flea and de-worming treatments. 

 Over the course of the last four years, Ocracats applied for and received two cash grants to assist us in our effort to control the feral cat population. With the help of the Outer Banks Community Foundation and PetSmart Charities, Inc., we have been able to purchase our own Havahart traps, pet carriers and supplies to equip the clinics for the vets who travel to Ocracoke for these events. Our total number of surgeries to date during this time period is over 550 cats. We have been able to give rabies vaccines to all the cats that were neutered. With the success of our program--demonstrated by the increasing difficulty to locate and trap cats still not neutered--Ocracats will cut back to just one fall clinic in 2014. Residents are welcome to borrow our traps and take feral cats to Coastal Animal Hospital for spaying and neutering. To qualify for the Ocracats subsidy for this, residents will need a signed voucher from Ocracats.

Our veterinarians have traveled to us from the NC School of Veterinary Medicine in Raleigh, Elizabeth City, Kitty Hawk, Morehead City, and most recently from Boone, North Carolina. The local team of volunteers has worked very hard with this effort. In addition to trapping, caring for and releasing the ferals, we have provided housing for the medical team, food on clinic days, and general help in all phases of the clinic work. Some of our local Ocracoke students have had the opportunity to assist the vets and learn more about veterinary medicine and cat physiology. The Ocracoke Volunteer Firemen have allowed us to use the fire hall for all of our free clinics, for which we will be eternally grateful. Ocracoke/Hyde County EMT’s provided the oxygen for the vets to use during surgeries. The Ocracats program has been a community effort with many of the vet meals or housing donated by local residents. A BIG thanks to all. You know who you are!

 The vets have observed that our feral cat colonies are healthy and applaud our efforts to feed and care for them. Many visitors love the cats and are quick to donate money in our collection jars and buy the calendars, note cards and tee shirts sold by our local merchants, Mermaids Folly and Natural Selections.

Our grant money is running low, so please donate either with our collection jars, by purchasing one of our products or by sending a tax free donation to Ocracats, PO Box 993, Ocracoke, NC 27960. Thank you!

Ocracats is missing a number of Havahart traps.  They are numbered on the top:

No. 8, 21, 27, 29, 31, 34, 41, 45, 46, 51, 54 & 57.

If you have any of these or happen to spot them somewhere on the island, please call us or drop them on the porch at Ocracoke Lightship Realty on Lighthouse Road.

And, thank you, again, for all of your donations and support of the feral cats on the island!