Two Zip Codes Down, Many More To Go

Since 2018, Community Outreach Manager Cathy Houde, has canvassed 22 square miles of east Orlando’s Azalea Park neighborhoods searching for feral cats. “It’s rare when we go door to door and occupants are not aware of the stray cats wandering their neighborhood,” says Cathy. “Most residents are in tune with who’s in their yard, or even the cats wandering two streets over. It goes to show how pervasive overpopulation of stray cats is in Central Florida.”

In just seven years, one unaltered female cat and her offspring can produce over 420,000 cats — many of which will live their lives entirely outdoors. The Pet Alliance Community Cat Initiative’s primary mission is to help reduce the feral cat population to control the staggering number of kittens brought into shelters each year through a targeted Trap, Neuter, and Return program (TNR). 

After dedicating two years to TNRing cats in the 32807 and 32822 zip codes, Pet Alliance has successfully vaccinated and altered 3,469 cats at our Alafaya Spay and Neuter Clinic! “The process is not fast, but by being out in the community and talking with residents we have built relationships and helped many cats and people through the program,” says Cathy. With over 30 more zip codes on the horizon, there’s more work to be done for our community’s cats.