Orange County NC Website
13 <br /> e � <br /> f^ <br /> a <br /> ay # few <br /> rU. <br /> Sarah dolt, owner of Teer Farm in Grange County, reeds a large group of barn oats on Friday, Nov. 16, 2018. Holt <br /> and a family member worked with Orange County Animal Services to get rabies shots and sterilization for 60 cats. <br /> Julia Wail jwall c@newsobsetver.com <br /> Feral cats <br /> Most offspring of barn cats get little exposure to humans. The lack of interaction can make <br /> kittens fearful or aggressive toward people. <br /> "Feral cats are a big problem everywhere," said Tenille Fox, Orange County Animal Services' <br /> spokeswoman, especially since they are difficult to domesticate after a certain age. <br /> In 2017, the Orange County Animal Shelter took in 1,459 cats. While most were adopted, 273 <br /> cats were euthanized, nearly half of them for feral-related reasons. <br /> In an attempt to humanely decrease the number of unwanted cats in the community,Animal <br /> Services has launched the Working Barn Cats Program, offering free sterilization for Orange <br /> County barn cats. <br /> According to program coordinator Cooper Hatch, the department has spayed or neutered 147 <br /> cats (over 60 of which came from Teer Farm) since October 2017. <br />