THOMASVILLE — More than 60 cats were spayed or neutered Saturday morning during the first Community Cat Coalition — and the effort to curtail litters of unwanted kittens is not over.

The Southwest Georgia Technical College (SGTC) veterinary technology department was alive with felines Saturday morning as more than 60 free-roaming cats trapped on the Southwestern State Hospital Campus underwent surgery rendering them incapable of reproducing.

Cats in covered metal cages awaited surgery, while others were in surgical recovery. Still others were undergoing surgery.

At any given time, four surgeries were under way simultaneously. Many volunteers assisted where needed.

Sharon Poitevint, a registered veterinarian technician and SGTC vet tech program instructor, said felines were captured Thursday and Friday nights.

Once captured, the felines were kept in cages in the vet tech department.

After surgeries, the felines will be kept at the school to ensure they have recovered, then released today back onto Southwestern campus. Cats needing more post-surgery care will be housed at the Thomasville-Thomas County Humane Society animal shelter until they can be released.

“We don’t anticipate that happening,” said Dr. Jennie Mason, a Thomasville Animal Hospital veterinarian.

The cats were fed and cared for by Southwestern employees until the hospital closed Dec. 31. Only a few employees remain to care for the cats.

The felines were anesthetized for 20 to 30 minutes. “We have to work fast,” Mason explained, as she spayed a cat.

The Cat Coalition is a pilot project of the Humane Society and Miss Kitty Feline Sanctuary.

Said Mason, “It takes a lot of people coming together in a timely manner to make it happen.”

Ed Williams, Humane Society animal shelter executive director, and others captured cats for three nights. “They don’t come out until nighttime,” Williams explained.

One would not know the cats existed until dark. “They start coming out about 5 or 6 o’clock. They start feeding,” Williams said.

Food was withheld from the felines for 24 hours before trapping began. Withholding food was necessary to coax the cats into becoming active.

“Stinky” cat food was used to lure the cats. “At 2 or 3 this morning, I was using anchovies,” Williams said.

Jennifer Mathews, SGTC veterinary technology program director, said the college donated the vet tech facility for use in the project.

The Cat Coalition provides good experience for vet tech students and teaches them about community service, Mathews said.

Three SGTC vet tech graduates and three current students participated in the project.

The overall operation was coordinated by Poitevint, Williams and Dr. Jodi D’Amico, a Thomasville Animal Hospital veterinarian.

Dr. Ward Mills, a Thomasville Animal Hospital veterinarian, said the surgery and vaccinations administered Saturday will not only help reduce births of unwanted kittens, but help control disease among the stray felines.

“There’s more rabies in cats than in dogs,” interjected Dr. Danny Culbreth, a Thomasville Animal Hospital veterinarian and owner.

Culbreth said three of the first cats he spayed Saturday have had litters.

A couple of the cats Culbreth and Mason spayed were in the early stages of pregnancy. The felines appeared to be very young.

“It’s unhealthy to reproduce at such a young age,” Mason explained.

By 10 a.m. Saturday, about 20 cats had been neutered or spayed as others were being prepared for surgery.

Although the felines are considered strays, none appeared emaciated. A female seal-point Siamese was among the cats captured on hospital grounds. A male cat undergoing neutering and another cat awaiting surgery obviously were her offspring.

It had been hoped 100 felines could be captured and spayed or neutered. It is estimated as many as 200 strays consider the Southwestern campus home.

A second round of captures and surgeries will be addressed.

Senior reporter Patti Dozier can be reached at (229) 226-2400, ext. 1820.