SUBMITTED PHOTO Feral cats get a ride from Steven Havens, who leads the efforts of Marshalltown Feral Support efforts to reduce the stray cat population. The cats are usually taken to a vet for fixing, neutering and medical care. A few are placed in foster homes and adopted into permanent homes. Many are released back into the location at which they were found.

Marshalltown Feral Support has certainly had its challenges, but is continuing the mission of helping resolve the stray cat issue. Steven Havens has been leading the effort since Marshalltown Strong TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return) dissolved. He has stayed consistently busy, transporting as many as 10 cats at a time.

“We just go by donations and funding,” Havens said. “Whatever we can afford. We probably can’t do 30 a week, but if we had the funds and the ability, we would do it.”

Havens takes the cats in need of medical care to the Central Iowa Veterinary Services in Melbourne. Since October 2023, 200 feral cats have gotten fixed.

“From January to now this year, we’ve spent almost $24,000 just fixing and medicating,” he said. “They’re worth it, though. If we have the money to do it, we will.”

That also includes the cost of deworming and vaccinating each cat. Havens described the feral cat life as one caught in a cycle of suffering if they are not fixed and given proper medical attention. Unfortunately, Havens has encountered cases where the cats had to be put down, such as ones with feline leukemia. He has also had to get three eyes removed from three separate felines. One cat almost had to have a leg amputated, but Havens said they were able to save the limb. He also knows of three areas in Marshalltown where people are setting poison out for the stray cats.

He would like to eventually have a facility to keep the strays at and get them the help they need.

“I’d like to give them a chance,” Havens said. “I had one cat that got bashed in the head with a steel pipe, and after that happens, it’s really hard for them to be open to human affection. We worked with it for months, the Animal Rescue League worked with it and eventually it got a home. It just had to relearn not all humans are bad.”

Biggest challenge

The aspect Marshalltown Feral Support is struggling with the most is that some trailer courts are utilizing the services but not contributing to the effort.

“They can easily suck up all of the funds, and then I can’t help anybody,” Havens said. “I feel like I have to, because people could get evicted and the cats are being neglected.”

While he said all of the Marshalltown trailer courts want to work with him, they are limited in what they can do. Unfortunately, trailer homes are environments in which numerous strays have been captured. They like to crawl underneath and get into the insulation.

In the trailer courts and other neighborhoods, residents are disagreeing on the best way to handle the feral cat population. Some are feeding them, and others are attempting to trap and release them in the country or smaller towns. There have been instances in which a person’s pet cat got outside, and someone else trapped it and released it in another location.

“That’s what we’re trying to avoid,” Havens said. “We want to fix the problem, and their way of going about it is kind of nerve-racking. More than three or four people have gotten citations for feeding the cats. They say they haven’t been, but it is part of their lease agreement.”

He receives calls every day from residents who want him to talk to their neighbors about not feeding the cats. If the neighbor owns the property, Havens said they can feed whatever outside animals they want — cats, birds or others.

“That doesn’t give the other person the right to shoot an eagle if they don’t want birds there, crapping on their car,” he said. “If your neighbor’s cat pees on your tire, it doesn’t give you the right to steal the cat and drop it off in the country. I’ve had many people admit to me they have, or drop them off behind China Buffet or the mall. I’ve had one guy trapping them in one trailer court and releasing them in another trailer court.”

Foster homes

Havens’ work has even taken him outside of Marshalltown to communities such as Haverhill, Des Moines and State Center, where a foster home has taken in 25 cats within the last year.

“At one point we had over 70 cats in foster care, and we have less than 20 foster homes,” he said. “Each home was fostering a multitude and I am grateful to have people, and the ARL working with us.”

Marshalltown Feral Support would benefit from having 30 to 50 additional foster homes, and he hopes getting word out about the need will inspire some residents.

“There’s probably a lot more people who would be willing to help,” Havens said. “The sad thing is (that) people want to know how long they’ll have to foster, and there’s no telling.”

He wanted to make sure potential foster volunteers were aware the cats need work. They are not automatic lap kitties.

“It’s a transitional time,” Havens said. “You can’t release them in the house, but the younger ones are easy to work with. For the older ones, the indoor life is a little much for them.”

He currently has 40 cats in foster homes, and recommends limiting a feline to one room until it adjusts. When a cat is introduced to the entire house, Havens said they will more likely hide.

He is unsure how many permanent homes he has found in the last 12 months, but knows it is a large enough number that he has lost count.

“If we can home one-third of them, that would make a big difference,” Havens said. “Usually it’s the younger cats we home. There’s not too many older ones we find.”

The effort has been never-ending since 2018 when Marshalltown TNR began. As long as the strays keep reproducing, that effort will continue. For example, the few cats that slip through his fingers can have three litters of kittens the following year.

“Then you’re back at square one,” Havens said. “I used to live in Le Grand, and it never used to be like this. I have a picture of over 36 cats around one trailer. I used to walk a dog from one end of town to the other and never saw two cats in one stroll. It just shows you what can happen.”

He is aware of more than 70 litters in Marshalltown. As soon as Havens finds foster homes, he will pick them up and deliver them. He stressed he greatly appreciates the volunteers who help with the effort.

“As long as we have a volunteer willing to go the distance, we will make it happen,” Havens said. “It’s about having the foster coverage and places for them to go.”

DONATIONS:

People can donate to Marshalltown Feral Support by calling Havens at 641-354-3870. Donations can also be made via Venmo and GoFundMe. He estimated a $500 donation would pay for five neuters.

“There have been some locations where we were able to dissolve the problem down to nothing by fixing, homing and working with them,” Havens said.

Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.