Seattle woman helping feral cats get spayed, neutered

SEATTLE - Feral, or abandoned cats that are not spayed or neutered, can have kittens at a dizzying rate. The Humane Society estimates they are responsible for 147 million kittens a year in the United States.

That's why one Seattle woman has made it her personal mission to humanely trap them, get them spayed or neutered, and then release them back to where she found them to live the rest of their days without reproducing.

Pam Brumell traps up to 40 or so cats a week and brings them to clinics. She says she uses anything stinky, usually tuna and oil, to lure the cats.

"A feral cat is an abandoned, unsocialized cat," Brumell said. " It's not like you're going to pick it up and it's going to go purr purr and yes you can take it home. Unfortunately a human did this to them, they allowed them to either be abandoned or get lost, stray, unaltered, which therein lies, makes feral kittens."

Nine years ago, Brumell created Feral Cat Assistance and Trapping, or FCAT for short. Several days a week, she goes to neighborhoods being overtaken by wild and abandoned cats, traps them, and takes them to free spay/neuter clinics.

Once they're caught, she takes them to her home where she feeds them and labels their carriers so she knows where each one came from. She brings dozens of cats to the clinics every week. After they're spayed and neutered, and their ears tipped to identify them as fixed, she keeps them for several days until they've recovered.

"My goal would be to just not have any more feral cats," she said. "But that's unreachable, I do believe. As long as we have humans, we will always have unaltered, feral cats. So ultimately it's just get as many as I possibly can spayed and neutered in the greater Puget Sound area."

Usually, people are relieved to see Brumell and her traps. Jean Bates was as Brumell set out traps to catch a colony of eight or ten cats in the Rainier Valley.

"Well, really, it's going to be a big help," says Bates. "A big help for us."

But in many communities, language is a barrier. As a result, Brumell is now looking for people fluent in Korean, Cambodian, Vietnamese, Filipino, and Chinese to act as translators. That way she can explain to people where the cats are going, when they'll be back, and how important it is for them to be spayed and neutered.

"I am not a 501 3-C not for profit. I'm just me. And I just trap, neuter and release feral cats" she said.

If you can help Brumell with her translating needs, you can email her at .

If you have caught feral cats on your own, or have a domestic cat you want spayed or neutered, the Feral Cat Project is open four days a week. There is a suggested donation for pet cats. You can get more information about them by visiting their Web site at feralcatproject.org.