When the Heaven Can Wait Sanctuary became aware of the terrible plight of the feral cats in Las Vegas, our Board of Directors decided right away that our organization would not idly stand by. We began researching the extent of the problem and scoured the Internet for groups that were successfully addressing this issue. In October 2001, HCWS officially declared W.A.R. (War Against Reproduction) and launched a community wide program to control the overpopulation of feral cats and eliminate their suffering. We are pleased to report that since this project has been underway, 7,459 feral cats have been spayed or neutered.

Feral cats are the "wild offspring" of domestic housecats that have been abandoned or lost. HCWS learned that these felines live a brief and pitiful existence in small colonies all over the Las Vegas valley. Most of the cats cannot find enough food for their colonies. They are exposed to disease, predatory animals and humans who do not understand the situation. And worst of all, they continue to breed at uncontrollable rates.

After researching the problem, HCWS developed the W.A.R. Project - a simple and effective program!  This is how it works: Once a month, on a Sunday morning HCWS conducts a spay/neuter clinic for the feral cats. Several rescue groups in the community trap the cats and bring them to the clinic. A permanent veterinary hospital has been donated to HCWS for the project.

Once at the clinic, volunteer veterinarians and vet techs examine each cat to determine if they are healthy enough for surgery. These professionals also care for any wounds that the feral cats may have and administer any medications that may be needed. Then the surgery is performed. A generous grant from PetsMart enabled HCWS to buy the medical equipment and supplies necessary for the program.

At the end of the day, the rescue groups return to pick-up the cats. These volunteers release the feral cats back into their colonies- most of them are too wild to be adopted.  The volunteers continue to interact and watch over the cat colonies. They see that there is adequate food and generally act as the "human guardian" for the feral cats.

In the early stages of researching the problem, HCWS learned that many well-meaning cat owners contribute to this terrible crisis. Here are some commonly held misconceptions about cats:

1. Myth: If you have to move away it is O.K. to set your cat free because cats revert back to their natural wild state.  Fact: Domestic cats do not fend well for themselves. Most of them starve to death; become prey to larger animals or fall victim to disease.
2. Myth: Cats need time to wonder outside by themselves.  Fact: Cats who are allowed to run around on their own can become lost or get into fights with more aggressive felines or get run over by vehicles. A cat can learn how to walk on a leash.
3. Myth: Cats who always stay indoors do not have to be spayed/neutered.  Fact: Cats are quick and will take advantage of an opportunity to dash outside if a door is left open. One pair of felines and their offspring can produce hundreds of kittens in a very short period of time.

These myths set the stage for the plight of thousands of feral cats who live in our community.

HCWS is very proud of the W.A.R. project and the many volunteers who make it a reality every month. At our first clinic in October, 2001 we successfully "fixed" 50 feral cats. Another 50 cats were spayed/neutered in November and 76 ferals were "fixed" in December. In January 64 felines we spayed and neutered and another 60 were "fixed" in February. This makes a grand total of 297 feral cats who will not reproduce more unwanted, homeless kittens!

The W.A.R. project will help Las Vegas in two ways. First, our efforts will greatly reduce the number of feral cats born each year. Second, less feral cats will be captured by City and County Animal Control and placed into overcrowded animal shelters. The shelters will have more space for homeless domestic cats who are ready for adoption.

HCWS would like to thank PetsMart and the many volunteers who make the W.A.R. project a reality every month. Our special thanks go to the following veterinarians who lend us their time and expertise: