On August 10, 2025, Dr. Christine Monroe and Rhonda Shaffer hosted a public meeting at their office in the Grandview Business Center to talk about the Whatcom County feral cat problem and promote their FERAL25 Program. The primary goal is to provide everyone with the same, correct information to pass on to others. People affiliated with local animal rescue agencies attended, as well as concerned members of the public.
There’s a Feral Cat Problem in Whatcom County?
Yes, there is, and it’s Whatcom County-wide. There are even feral colonies in urban Bellingham. It’s most common in the rural areas, with “hot spots” in Ferndale, Lynden, Maple Falls, and other farming communities.
The local shelter and cat rescue agencies are overrun with kittens. Property owners or good Samaritans bring in litters of kittens, hoping they will receive medical care, be socialized, and eventually be adopted into homes. It’s good, but not enough. We need to address the problem at the source and stop the litters.
“We used to talk about kitten season,” Monroe says. “Kittens are coming in year-round now, there’s no lull, and the shelter and rescues can’t handle this many.” What’s more, many of the kittens coming in from feral colonies are sick, malnourished, or dying.
What are We Doing about it?
We have a central resource in Whatcom County, Spay Neuter Northwest (SSNW). Headed by Dr. Christine Monroe and helped by a small, dedicated staff, SNNW has spayed and neutered over 4,700 feral cats in the last four years. They also provide professional, quality, compassionate spay/neuter services to the public.
For pet owners in need of financial assistance, SNNW works with the local non-profit organizations, Whatcom Humane Society, Alternative Humane Society, Snip Snip Hooray, and Misunderstood Mutts (for dogs), which provide spay/neuter assistance in the form of vouchers. Their FERAL25 Program is funded by the SNNW Feral Fund, which consists of donations to SNNW from local non-profit organizations, public contributions, and direct funding from Spay Neuter Northwest.
Whatcom County has a history of various organizations addressing the problem, but people are unsure who to turn to for help now. In 2008, WeSnip (Whatcom Spay Neuter Impact Program) provided spay and neuter services to Whatcom County residents of all income levels, and they had a profound impact on euthanasia statistics. The organization disbanded in 2021, leaving a gap in services that Dr. Monroe decided to fill. Now SNNW is the go-to place for spay/neuter services and assistance with feral cat colonies.
Why Do We Have Feral Cats?
This is a question Dr. Monroe likes to raise. “Feral is a behavior, not a species,” she says. “Feral cats are the same as your domestic cats at home; they’ve just adapted to living outdoors with no socialization to people. While they are socialized with their feline family members and bonded with each other, they do not have that same relationship with people.
Why do we accept that there are feral cats when we wouldn’t accept this with any other animal?” When the question was posed to the August 10 attendees, people suggested that cats are stealthier and can stay under the radar better than other animals. One attendee thought they were considered vermin, like rats. “These are amazing cats,” Monroe insists. “They don’t have to live that way; they don’t have to live with hunger, fighting, disease, and death.” Feral colonies are hormone-driven, stressed by overpopulation, and prone to poor nutrition, disease, and parasites.
How Do We Address Feral Colonies?
Feral colonies are managed through TNR (Trap, Neuter, and Return). SNNW rents out humane traps and provides education and professional instruction so colony caretakers can address their feral colonies and bring them in to be spayed and neutered. Through the SNNW FERAL25 Program, feral cats receive spay/neuter, ear tipping (removal of the tip of the left ear, which is a nationally accepted universal sign to indicate that the cat is spayed or neutered), rabies vaccination, flea treatment, deworming, and any needed medical care.
“When a new cat comes to the colony, it’s easy to tell who’s been cared for and who needs to be,” Monroe says. Just look at the ears. All cats return to their home (place of trapping) better equipped to live a happier, healthier life. Occasionally, if the colony caretakers don’t want the cats returned, SNNW collaborates with the Whatcom Humane Society Working Cat Program.
The SSNW feral cat program costs the caretaker $25 per cat, with the SNNW Feral Fund covering the remaining costs. If the colony caretaker requires financial assistance, SNNW has available options. “As long as I have money, I’m spaying and neutering feral cats,” Monroe says.
From Stressed and Overpopulated to Healthier and Happier
The transformation when a feral colony is spayed, neutered, vaccinated, and provided with parasite medication is nothing short of amazing. Males stop fighting, females stop giving birth, and disease lessens or subsides. The colony stabilizes and “caretakers actually begin to enjoy their colonies,” Monroe says with a smile. “We have fewer litters, healthier cats, and happier neighborhoods. It’s empowering.”
What Should People Do Who Have Feral Cat Colonies?
They should contact Spay Neuter Northwest! “We are Whatcom County’s resource,” says Monroe. “It all starts here. Whatcom County is a super animal-friendly community. We are in a better position to address this problem than many other places.”
How Can I Get Involved?
Feral colonies are typically cared for by someone who feeds them, known as a caretaker. Sometimes the caretakers can’t handle the situation on their own. This is where neighbors or community members can help. SNNW has outreach materials to help. Door hangers and flyers are especially helpful, directing people to SNNW’s resources.
You can donate to the SNNW Feral Fund to help keep the feral cat program going. Learn the current correct information about spay/neuter resources and direct people to SNNW. You can stop by their office in the Grandview Business Center at 7040 Portal Way, Suite 110, in Ferndale, to pick up flyers, door hangers, or any other materials you need to reach out to property owners when you spot feral cats.
You can also volunteer to help your neighbors with TNR and transport. Round up your friends to help. After the colony is “closed” (meaning all cats in the colony are spayed/neutered), you can also help care for the cats. You may even find ways to help your neighbors and build community in other meaningful ways. Sometimes it takes a village. Saving lives requires community involvement.
“We are evolving as we go,” Monroe says. “We would like to inspire compassion and be a role model for other communities. It is amazing what people can do when they are willing.”
Spay Neuter Northwest
7040 Portal Way, Suite 110, Ferndale
360.812.5439
spayneuternw@gmail.com
