"It is with great sadness that I must announce that Planned Feralhood will no longer be able to offer the service of our TNR - Trap/Neuter/Return/Feed & Monitor program for feral cats. Nor will we be able to provide a foster and adoption program for kittens.

Planned Feralhood has provided these services to the West Marin community, primarily around Point Reyes Station, free of charge and on a voluntary basis for the last sixteen years. We succeeded in bringing an explosion of feral cat colonies in 2002 to a zero population in 2017. This was achieved through the constant monitoring of cat movement in our community, and the immediate response of trapping any new cats and kittens who appeared, having them neutered, and getting them adopted or safely placed. Every year I have tended to several new cat and kitten appearances, and kept the feral cat population at zero.

Sadly"¦ last October a business owner in Point Reyes Station started a new colony of un-neutered cats when the female they brought onto their property as an outside cat had kittens. This person refused the free services of Planned Feralhood to spay, neuter, and vaccinate the group, and ignored the information that we gave them on how these cats would proliferate, move out into town, and lead into a new feral cat population explosion in a matter of months. Now those kittens are having kittens, and the reports are coming in that they are appearing and spreading throughout the town.

At the same time, Planned Feralhood and I have been sued for taking back an adopted cat who had suffered abuse and neglect. This suit has been very taxing.

I have been on my own doing this work for the last ten years. Over the course of the sixteen years Planned Feralhood has been in operation, I built a sanctuary for the cats I encountered along the way with no other options for a place to go. These cats are special needs, elderly, and behaviorally compromised. I am unable to take any more cats into the sanctuary. My mission now is to ensure that these cats are cared for and are able to live out their lives in safety and peace. This takes all my strength and attention, and any funds that we are able to raise need to go toward food, sanctuary, and veterinary care. Due to health issues and finances, I simply am not able to start all over again with the TNR and kitten program.

If there is anyone in the West Marin community who would like to do any portion of this work, I can provide some training, resources, and equipment. Otherwise you may find help through Marin Friends of Ferals, Marin Humane, and Jake's Place Cat Rescue. All have web pages and Facebook pages.

The Point Reyes Animal Hospital has participated in a feral cat voucher program provided by Marin Humane, where trapped feral cats may be brought in for spay/neuter surgery and vaccinations free of cost. You should talk to Dr. Whitney ahead of time and make a plan for trapping and bringing the cats in. Contact Keri Fennell at Marin Humane for vouchers.

For more information on Trap/Neuter/Return and humane feral cat management, please Google Alley Cat Allies.

I want to thank each and every person who has supported Planned Feralhood over all these sixteen years. We could never have accomplished saving thousands of cat lives without it, whether it be donations, service, or just spiritual support. Dr. Mary Whitney at the Point Reyes Animal Hospital deserves recognition for her invaluable contribution to the neutering and care of all the cats that went through our program. Thank you to Keri Fennell and Marin Humane for supporting the feral cat program and for their vouchers which made it possible to use our own local clinic. Thank you Marin Friends of Ferals for all you do. Thank you to Dr. Lilliam Alfaro at The Loving Kindness Veterinary Clinic in Stinson Beach for her help.

We are still a 501(c)(3) non profit public charity who is supporting forty cats in sanctuary with us, so we will continue to ask for donations for that aspect of our work as we continue forward. My hope is that others in West Marin will carry on this most satisfying work of the humanitarian care of feral cat colonies. Please"¦. when you see a cat in need, seek help and guidance from the resources I have listed above. If each neighborhood will take care of its own homeless cats, then there will be no more feral cats."

Thank you,
Kathy Runnion
Founder & President
Planned Feralhood
Point Reyes Station, CA