YORKTON -- A Yorkton animal organization is going to be implementing a new spay and neuter program to control the cat population in rural Saskatchewan.

Chantel Bierwagon has received many phone calls from residents asking for assistance with cats on their property.

After working for a rescue, Bierwagon felt she could do more to help. This started SOS Prairie Rescue and launched their Trap-Neuter-Release-Maintain (TNRM) program.

The TNRM program helps cats on acreages get neutered and spayed, and possibly adopted. Adoption is dependent on the cats behaviour, to ensure that adopters and fosters are not harmed.

“We set traps and sit and wait. Once they are caught, we take them spay or neuter them and then we bring them back.” Bierwagon said.

Bierwagon has helped a dozen acreages by using traps filled with a can of wet food to entice cats.

SOS Prairie Rescue’s TNRM program will continue to help spay and neuter cats, but Bierwagon said that they cannot do this alone.

“Right now is the time to focus on this because come May, we are going to be getting calls, and we are going to have 40 to 50 kittens at a time.” Bierwagon said.

Gloria Sowtis, an acreage owner in Fosston said that a few years ago there was not a single cat their property. Since then, they have had up to 50 cats running around their property and living within the walls of their shed.

“They just started having kittens like out in the shed and then they don’t come out till they’re grown.” Sowtis said.

The SPCA says that a way to prevent this, starts by spaying and neutering, and not dumping or hoarding.

“As a responsible pet owner, you know there’s no such thing as a free pet. That includes keeping up with their vaccines, spaying and neutering, feeding, and taking all things in consideration.”