At 30,000 and counting, the fix is in for stray cats

To tamp the population of stray cats, as many as 30,000 of the animals in Beijing have been spayed and neutered since 2006, thanks to a collaboration by the municipality, non-governmental organizations and veterinary hospitals.

From July 2006 through the end of last year, about 6 million yuan was spent on the trap-neuter-return (TNR) program, to counter a rapid increase in the number of stray cats in the capital and reduce diseases transmitted by feral animals.

The TNR program is partially funded by the local government with surgical help from the veterinary hospitals and the support of animal-welfare volunteers.