GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — A Gaston County man received recognition for his efforts to help control the feral cat population and save lives.

 

What You Need to Know

Ray Jordan volunteers for Friends of Feral Felines

He received recognition for helping trap 2,100 cats over the span of 5 years

The effort is part of the Trap-Neuter-Return Program, a method to control the feral cat population

 

Ray Jordan, a retiree, volunteers at Friends of Feral Felines, a nonprofit organization committed to the humane management of feral and community cats.

“There are fewer feral cats out here. You know a female can have three litters a year,” Jordan said.

His efforts are especially important during the summer months when cats breed.

Jordan uses traps to catch at least 10 feral cats per week to get them fixed. He usually takes them to the Humane Society of Charlotte or to the Gaston County Low Cost Spay & Neuter Clinic.

It’s part of Trap-Neuter-Return, a program the Humane Society of Charlotte describes as a humane and nonlethal method to manage the number of community cats in neighborhoods.

The Humane Society of Charlotte started the program in 2017, estimating Mecklenburg County has 150,000 feral cats.

“There's nowhere for all of those cats to be relocated to, and if they were to end up at a shelter they would face potential euthanasia because a lot of them wouldn't really make very good pets,” Humane Society of Charlotte Community Cat Program Manager Leah Massey said.

As of July 14, 2021, the Humane Society of Charlotte had fixed at least 1,200 community cats as part of the Trap-Neuter-Return Program.

The Friends of Feral Felines gave Jordan an award recently for trapping more than 2,100 cats in Mecklenburg and Gaston counties and surrounding areas in a 5 year period. The organization praised his generous, compassionate and dedicated humane care of the animals.

Massey said Jordan’s efforts don’t go unnoticed.

“We don't see that from a lot of people,” Massey said.

Jordan doesn’t do it for the praise but for the animals.

“I feel good because I know they’ll live a longer life,” Jordan said.

If you notice a feral cat is missing an ear tip, this is a sign the animal has been fixed and doesn’t need to go to the clinic for surgery. This doesn’t mean all cats with intact ears outdoors are in need of spay or neutering because some of them may be owned.

You can contact the Humane Society of Charlotte to help you trap cats or borrow traps from them. If you would like to learn more about the TNR program, click here.

Mecklenburg County residents don’t have to pay anything to get a community cat spayed or neutered at the Humane Society of Charlotte, but there is a $20 fee for non-Mecklenburg County residents.

Low cost spay and neuter clinics offer discounted rates for servicing feral cats.

If you would like to learn more about Friends of Feral Felines, click here.