Our Mission
The Ontario Feral Cat Project is a non-profit organization operated by donations and volunteers. The program is designed to reduce our community’s feral and stray cat overpopulation by using a technique of trap, neuter and return (TNR) to existing monitored colonies. Although not part of our core mission, we also try to find good, loving homes for adoptable cats and kittens. We serve Ontario, Oregon.
Our Story
The Ontario Feral Cat Project began in 2009 at the request of the Ontario Police Department. After several months of fund-raising and some great support from the City of Ontario, we did our first trapping on November 5, 2009. Since then we have TNR'd over 3,400 cats!
Although not part of our original mission, homing adoptable cats and kittens has become a large part of what we do. In 2015 we purchased a building at the corner of NW 2nd Street and NW 1st Avenue. This purchase was made possible through a generous gift from the estate of Miss Constance McCullough. We named the building after her, the Constance McCullough House. You can find more about Constance McCullough by clicking the building name. Since the project started we have found permanent homes for more than 900 cats and kittens!
The Constance McCullough House has been a blessing for our organization. It has given us a place to temporarily house feral cats after they have been fixed. It also houses our many adoptables. Although we have the McCullough House we have found we cannot accommodate all the adoptable cats and kittens that need our help in Ontario. We have to find foster homes when we run out of space. Our foster families are dedicated individuals who donate their time to care for and socialize cats so that we can find permanent homes for them. If you would like to foster, please see our Volunteer page.
We partner with PetSense in Ontario, PetSmart in Meridian and Nampa, and Petco in Nampa to find homes for cats and kittens that are socialized and adoptable. We also provide adoptions at the Constance McCullough House one Saturday a month and by appointment.
We have several projects each year to raise the funds necessary to continue the Project:
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The Fat Cat Yard Sale has been held in the spring annually since 2010.
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The Nab 'N Neuter Auction takes place in the fall, around October. This has been a big success in past years.
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In 2016 we had our first Cat Walk. We are hoping make this an annual event.
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One of our volunteers makes beautiful, one-of-a-kind crocheted cats that are for sale at The House That Art Built.
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In that past a volunteer has made wonderful quilts which we have raffled. These quilts are displayed around town.
New ideas and new volunteers are always welcome!
OFCP is possible because our community cares about what happens to animals. We work for donations 365 days per year to keep this going. All of the veterinary clinics in Ontario participate in the Project, with the veterinarians all donating time. Local businesses have been very generous in donating supplies and services as well as cash. Our volunteers are fantastic! We have no paid employees; all the TNR, cat care and fundraising is done by volunteers.