From the poorest part of town to the million-dollar homes on the lake, feral cats are everywhere, according to Diane Stephens, member of Feral Feline Friends of East Tennessee.

FFFET is a non-profit organization dedicated to the care and control of the feral cat population in Knoxville. Solely funded by private donations and fundraisers, the organization works on a volunteer basis. 

FFFET does not take in unwanted pets but is willing to help direct people to different agencies and volunteers, according to Stephens. She said most people want to help but they do not know what to do.

"If you call animal control, the cats are dead," said Stephens.  "We want to get the word out that there are other options. One volunteer drives six miles a day to feed a colony."

"I have had four litters in the last six months.  That's 18 cats in my backyard," said Ina Swanson of West Knoxville. "I knew the feral cats needed to be fixed.  I just didn't know how to go about catching them, and I didn't know about the programs that were available to fix them at no charge."

Feral cats are not strays. - Teresa Jennings, CAIT Coordinator.

It all started because Swanson began caring for what she thought were a few stray cats. She said she spayed or neutered the kittens, but not the adults because they were so hard to capture.  Swanson thanked FFFET for helping her to trap the adults and for giving her the support and instructions she needed.

What is a feral cat?

A feral cat is one that has had little or no contact with humans and is wild, according to FFFET. They are usually the offspring of un-neutered cats abandoned by their owners, and are often found in commercial areas, subsisting on the scraps they find in dumpsters or on the ground, as stated on FFFET's Web site.

Feral cats are not stray cats, according to Teresa Jennings, Companion Animal Initiative of Tennessee coordinator. She said feral cats live in colonies that can range in size between two cats to 200 or more. 

Trap-Neuter-Return

Jennings heads up Feral Fixin's several times throughout the year. Volunteers trap cat colonies from many different locations, bring them in to be neutered/spayed, vaccinated and treated, then returned to the colony's origin. This is called Trap-Neuter-Return.

TNR is a humane and effective alternative that controls feral cat colonies and improves their health and well-being. While the cats are under anesthesia, veterinarians clip the tip of their left ear in order for volunteers to recognize a managed colony. 

"We typically have 100 cats and 70 volunteers for every Feral Fixin's," said Jennings.

Angela Burch, a volunteer from Claiborne County, brought six cats to the October Feral Fixin's. She said she really believes in the program and is thankful that it exists.

"Taking care of colonies has become a second job," said Mona Arnold, another volunteer.  

Feral Fixin's October 2009:

Ways to Help:

• FFFET meets the second Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. at Mr. Gatti's Pizza on Kingston Pike.  Anyone interested in the cause is welcome to attend.
• Feral Fixin's volunteers are mostly students, staff and faculty of the UT College of Veterinary Medicine, but everyone is welcome.  
• Another source is Young-Williams Animal Center's Spay Shuttle.  They offer free spay and neuter to any Knoxville and Knox County resident.
• FFFET has an adoption center at PETsMART in the Turkey Creek Shopping Center. There is an adoption fair most every Saturday and Sunday from 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.