Fewer vouchers available for fixing cats in Windsor this year

It will be more difficult than ever to get your hands on vouchers to cover the cost of spaying or neutering a cat this year.

The City of Windsor is spending $30,000on the program, down from $50,000 last year.

It means only 400 of the $75coupons will be available compared to the1,000 vouchers that were up for grabs whenthe program was launched in 2012.

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Some of the money earmarked for the cat sterilization program in the past was redirected to enhance the city's rat mitigation program for 2017, according to Gary Cian, the city's deputy licensing commissioner.

The goal is to reduce the number of feral cats in the community, and cut down on the number of strays that areeuthanized.

To claim a voucher, cat owners must call 311, starting at 11 a.m. Wednesday.

"I would recommend they call right at 11," Cian said."They go very quickly. From past experience, I know they usually sell out within a day. So if they're interested, I'd probably call first thing."

Unlike last year, all the vouchers will be distributed in one batch. Cian says another change is that the city will take down names of people who want a voucher, but are too late.

I'd probably call first thing.- Gary Cian, City of Windsor

"We usually get more requests than we actually have vouchers, so we're going to take a waiting list and what doesn't get used up, perhaps we'll be calling them if they're still interested and try and get all the vouchers used."

In the past, Cian says about 20 per cent of the vouchers have gone unused.

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Vouchers for owned cats are reserved for low-income families. A declaration of income will be required. A maximum of twovouchers per household will be issued where the cats are owned.

For feral cat caregivers, a maximum of twovouchers per household will be issued, with no income restrictions.

Vouchers are non-transferrable and expire on June 20. They may be redeemed at any participating veterinary clinic.