Medina Meow Fix trapped, neutered and released over 100 cats in city of Medina

MEDINA — Since its inception in September, the Medina Meow Fix Trap, Neuter and Release program has treated 134 cats in the city. "At this point in the city, we do have a 43 percent adoption rate with our TNR program," said Keri Huff, president of Medina Meow Fix. "We're not just throwing them back on the street." Over the past seven months, Medina Meow Fix has continued to work closely with the Medina SPCA as it accepts some of the cats that Medina Meow Fix brings in. In addition to its partnership with the SPCA and working with Mission Possible Animal Hospital to have the cats neutered, Medina Meow Fix has begun working with Save Ohio Strays and is helping launch Alleycats and Aristocats, a new cat rescue in Medina County. "Everything's been a learning curve but we have come across some cats that have been leukemia positive," said Michelle Mayer, a board member of Medina Meow Fix. "So we have partnered with a rescue group that specifically adopts out those cats so that they can have a good life." This rescue group is Felv Kitten Crew, which is a part of Our Farm Sanctuary in Tipp City, that looks for fosters and adopters of the cats who have feline leukemia. Huff said the goal is to take any cats that may be positive with feline leukemia to Felv Kitten Crew so they have a chance at being adopted rather than euthanized. Huff said that in addition to these organizations, Medina Meow Fix has begun to work with trappers to bring in the cats. She said this is starting up a network of people to help. "It's been a total group effort between the SPCA and the other rescue groups we work with and Mission Possible because without them we wouldn't be able to advocate for cats," Mayer said. Mayer said with the $10,000 donated from the Willard Stephenson Foundation in September, 357 cats have been neutered. Mayer shared numerous bigger projects in Medina of trapping and neutering the cats, including 20 cats at Aldi, with similar numbers done at a trailer park on Lafayette Road. In addition, there have been 22 cats trapped and neutered on Sturbridge Drive, where there is a large colony of cats. "These are all works in progress," Mayer said. As Medina Meow Fix works with residents, Huff said that it has given her a new perspective on what they are seeing. She talked about residents who may be in need but are donating their food and money to the cats that are outside their homes. Huff said that in the future, she plans on doing more for the community through Medina Meow Fix, whether that be putting coupons for neutering and chipping cats at apartment buildings to ensure a cat's safety or providing food for residents that are in need as they help the cats. "There's been numerous citizens that have called and are so grateful for the opportunity that because they just didn't know what to do to alleviate their feral cat problem," Mayer said. Contact reporter Sara Crawford at (330) 721-4063 or scrawford@medina-gazette.com.