Phoenix volunteer group works to trap, fix and release dozens of cats in neighborhood

PHOENIX - A feral cat colony is becoming a big problem for a Phoenix neighborhood and it's even impacting a local school.

A group of volunteers said on Oct. 5 that it's trying to solve the problem on its own, but could use extra help.

The colony, made up of dozens of felines, is near 19th and Northern avenues. They're most active at night, and the volunteers say the cats take over the neighborhood once the sun goes down.

So far, during five nights, the group of neighbors volunteering their time has trapped 12 cats.

"There’s a lot more to go, so it’s encouraging. But we’ve maybe made a dent," says Linda Nofer, a volunteer. "You come out here at night – where there’s one, there’s 40."

Many of the cats stay along the north end of the Phoenix Day School for the Deaf and Blind.

The school said the problem has been going on for months but stressed there has been no major environmental concerns or risk to student safety.

Linda, and fellow neighbors Felicity and Milena, began using traps to catch, spay and neuter, and then rerelease the cats.

"You can’t know about a problem like this and turn your back on it. It’s so bad and so unhealthy for these cats and the problem didn’t get here on its own and it’s not going away on its own either," Nofer said.

Volunteers say one issue is that people keep feeding the cats which makes it tougher to trap them. The school said they’ve contacted nearby associations to get the word out to stop feeding the felines.

"They think these cats are starving and doing what they think is right by coming out in the middle of the night and feeding them. However at this point it’s doing a real disservice because cats need to be hungry to go in cat traps," Nofer explained.

They say when they trap a cat, they also vaccinate and treat them for any diseases to make sure the population remains healthy.

"It’s a real effort by the people who live and hang around this school," Nofer said.