A population explosion among feral cats in Yorktown has waitresses at the Yorktown Pub taking action to help the cats near the restaurant and curb the population growth.
Cheryl Brown, a waitress who personally takes care of the cats on the Pub's property, says there are several feral cat populations in Yorktown.
"Here we have 12. I know the courthouse, they might have about 5 or 6 and then down at the Riverwalk maybe about 6, too," Brown explained.
Within the next three weeks, Brown hopes to have all the cats at the Pub spayed or neutered.
The Peninsula SPCA supports a program for controlling feral cat populations called T-N-R.
That stands for Trap, Neuter, Return where cats are spayed or neutered and then brought back to keep the colonies from growing.
Vicki Rowland, Director of Marketing and Programs at the Peninsula SPCA, says feral cat colonies can grow quickly thanks to fast reproductive rates in cats.
She also says young kittens can reproduce as early as 5-months-old, which compounds the rate at which a colony can grow.
"It takes money, it takes effort and a commitment to control the population," Rowland said.
At the Yorktown Pub, the money part of the equation can be tricky for the waitresses like Brown who are trying to help the cats.
"We're getting them fixed, we're taking care of them. It's just a process. It's not cheap and with serving, we're working on tips!" Brown exclaimed.
