More than 250 cats fixed

**Though CCHappyCats focuses on spaying and neutering cats, the service also provides space for adoptable cats and kittens.**

In August 2021, Marcia Bachmann, of Denison, announced her intention to open a center dedicated to reducing cat overpopulation and suffering in Crawford County.

Just over two years later, CCHappyCats is up and running and delivering on that idea.

Nancy Voggesser, a language arts teacher at Denison High School and a lead organizer of the service, said CCHappyCats processes an average of about 15 cats per month through their low-cost spay and neuter clinics; in the spring months, or kitten season as Voggesser calls it, the clinic will process around twice that many per month.

During the last year, CCHappyCats has spayed or neutered more than 200 cats through the clinic, and spayed/neutered another 55 cats in a trap/neuter/release (TNR) program.

“We have a physical shelter that we do have some cats and kittens in, but our focus right now is not on adoption; our focus is on the spay and neuter programs,” she said.

Voggesser worked with the Harrison County Humane Society for about 20 years when she lived in Logan.

“When Marcia found out that I was moving back to Denison, she asked me if I would be part of CCHappyCats,” she said.

Voggesser said the organization, in its first year and a half of existence, has provided a valuable service to Crawford County.

“We have done a really great job of getting cats spayed and neutered, keeping the cat population down, and helping families take care of cats and kittens that need help,” Voggesser said.

A little more time will be needed before the results are easily visible in neighborhoods around the county.

“It takes a community effort to make sure we are taking care of the cats that need to be taken care of, but in small pockets we do see an effect,” she said. “The people who do most of the trap, neuter and release have been focusing in Manilla, lately, and they are seeing a difference in those targeted areas where we’re getting the cats fixed and we’re keeping the population down.”

TNR has been used in a few small pockets of Denison.

“Some individual people might be feeding four or five cats outside, and we go in and we help them take care of those cats,” Voggesser said. “It’s too early to see, but those cats are not multiplying now, and they should see a decrease in the number of kittens coming up here in March and April.”

Donations at all times of the year are important for CCHappyCats.

“For every cat we fix, it costs us about $80, so when you’re talking about a population that might have about 10 cats, that’s $800,” she said. “If we go into a situation where we’re spending $800, $1,000, $1,500 on one location, that takes a big hit from the donations we’ve already gotten.”

CCHappyCats asks that residents provide support to the TNR programs in another way.

“What we would like from the public is when we are doing trap/neuter/release programs, if it’s in your neighborhood and you’re feeding those cats and kittens, you could help us to watch those traps and let us know when the cats are trapped so we can come get them and take them to where they need to go,” Voggesser said. “I think it’s important for people to understand that, even if you’re calling cats ‘stray cats,’ if you’re feeding them and they’re coming to your home, they’re your cats. When we come in and we help with trap/neuter/release, we will be asking if the family can make a donation. Not everybody can afford to do a donation, and we get that, but if you can afford to help us out with a little bit of that cost, that would be great.”

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**CCHappyCats needs volunteers to help with chores in the organization’s shelter and to spend time socializing cats and kittens for eventual adoption.**

Volunteers are also needed in the CCHappyCats shelter, located at 720 Broadway in Denison.

“We do have some cats and kittens in the shelter, and we have four or five volunteers who come regularly to do chores. They get a little burned out doing that every single day,” she said.

“Most of these kittens come in from outdoor environments and they’re a little skittish of people. We work to get them socialized so they can find good indoor homes.”

She said CCHappyCats had a good day on “Giving Tuesday,” which is the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving.

“We had a great amount of donations and an anonymous donor matched the first $1,000,” Voggesser said.

On Tuesday, January 16, the organization will put on a pancake supper at the Denison Senior Center for a freewill donation.

The event will include a raffle and a silent auction.

To volunteer or make a donation to CCHappycats, call 712-356-8895, email cchappycats@gmail.com, or stop by the shelter from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.

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