Letter to the Editor

  Dear Editor, The Skidaway Cat Alliance Team (SCAT) is a group of dedicated volunteers whose mission is to provide for the humane treatment, health, welfare, and population control (spay/neuter) of the free-roaming cats on and in the vicinity of Skidaway Island. Recently, you may have heard the tragic news on Nextdoor about a cat found in a steel leg trap in the bushes on Benedictine Retreat. The cat (with the trap attached) was taken by one of our dedicated team members to a local emergency vet, but did not survive. No matter what your opinion is about cats on the loose, no animal deserves to be inhumanely trapped. All reports from the SCAT members involved in helping this cat indicate it was a relatively friendly cat that might have been rehomed/relocated. The SCAT volunteers (all Landings residents) are available to help. In the past year, we trapped, spayed/neutered, and/or vaccinated 23 cats. Of those, 19 found forever homes! We additionally have helped neighbors trap escaped housecats.

• If you have a cat that needs to be captured, we offer the following suggestions:
• Post a picture of the cat and to our community social media pages to see if someone is missing a family pet.
• Reach out to experienced organizations (preferably SCAT first) that can provide guidance on how best to capture and deal with this cat.
• Use a Havahart® Live Animal Trap, as they allow you to remove/relocate the animal without harm.

Here’s how to reach us…Skidaway Cat Alliance Team (skidawayscats@gmail.com or 914-215-2087) You also can visit us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/skidawaycatallianceteam). We have equipment you can borrow and the expertise to help. We also have relationships with local cat rescue organizations and Humane Society of Greater Savannah to help find cats new homes. Tara Packer