A spokeswoman for the Cheyenne Animal Shelter says the city has too many feral cats for a city this size.

Katie Emmons says the problem is caused because not enough cat owners are getting their animals spayed or neutered, resulting in litter after litter of felines being born, often without a home. Animal Shelter Director Bob Fecht recently told a meeting of the Cheyenne City Council Finance Committee that the Cheyenne Animal Shelter often ends up taking in as many animals as shelters in cities the size of Kansas City or Phoenix.

Emmons says that while part of the reason is that the Cheyenne facility serves surrounding communities, the other issue is way too many cats being born who end up going feral (or wild) because they don't have a home. She is urging all cat owners to get their animals spayed or neutered if they haven't already.

She says the shelter has programs to help cover the cost of the surgery, and is also holding several promotions this year to encourage the adoption of shelter cats. They are also looking at the possibility of local spay/neuter laws to address the problem

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