Community Cat Companions awarded Petco grant

Nonprofit group assists, maintains Lake County’s feral cat population

Community Cat Companions and its member group Lake County Community Cats announced it has been awarded a $3,000 grant from the Petco Foundation to support its Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program for feral and homeless cats in Lake County.

Community Cat Companions is a nonprofit humane organization and serves as the parent organization of Lake County Community Cats, an umbrella group for Eastlake, Fairport Harbor, Mentor, Painesville and Willowick Community Cats, all of which serve the entire Lake County area.

Since 2015, these groups have sterilized, vaccinated, returned or assisted in the placement of more than 2,000 cats throughout Lake County through TNR services.

Its parent organization, Community Cat Companions, Inc., is a Cuyahoga County-based humane organization that provides TNR services for Euclid and surrounding areas

TNR is considered the most humane method of helping to control the overpopulation of homeless and feral felines. TNR consists of trapping, transporting and recovering animals after sterilization/vaccination.

Animals are then returned to their outdoor territories where they are looked after by qualified caregivers.

Although the majority of these animals are not suitable for adoption, about 30 percent of these animals are considered “friendlies” and have been placed with area rescues and shelters.

The Petco Foundation investment will help Lake County Community Cats to continue this lifesaving work through its voucher program, which helps offset sterilization fees for select community members who meet certain financial criterion.

The group has already negotiated extremely low cost fees for sterilization and vaccination for these animals.

“Without the support of wonderful organizations like the Petco Foundation we would not be able to help these animals or their caregivers,” said Community Cat Companions Executive Director Cindy Valerio.

For more information about Community Cat Companions and Lake County Community Cats , visit www.community-cat-companions.org, or the Petco Foundation, www. pet co foundation. org. Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or by using the hashtag #Petco Family.