Stray cats are overwhelming Fond du Lac streets. Here's what rescues are doing and how you can help.

FOND DU LAC — If you've noticed a lot more loose cats on the streets recently, it's not just you — local stray and feral cats have come to crisis levels.

Stray animals have been abundant in Fond du Lac in the past several months and beyond, but especially cats and kittens, reaching a point where local shelters are "beyond full," according to Gaby Petersen, owner of Lucky Dog Small Breed Rescue.

While Lucky Dog is a dog-only rescue, Petersen and volunteers have teamed up with Sandi Paws Rescue and Critter Junction Pet Rescue to help field animal calls and messages, and to pick up and transfer stray animals — the cats in particular, Petersen said.

The rescues don't receive a stipend for animal care or resources, and often respond to calls that come in after hours, on weekends, on holidays and when the humane society is closed.

"The three rescues in town do the very best we can with the little resources we have," she said. "I feel we will receive many more calls and messages as the weather turns. I’m just not sure where all these cats will go."

As temperatures grow colder, many loose cats will actually be feral cats seeking shelter. According to the Fond du Lac Humane Society, the difference between a stray cat and a feral cat is its demeanor: if it seems friendly, approachable and missing its home, it's likely a stray.

However, if a cat does not seem to want human contact, cannot be handled safely or seems shy, skittish or even aggressive, it's likely feral and could cause injury if someone tries to catch or trap it.

One long-term solution to feral cats in other communities is a trap-neuter-return (TNR) program, which traps feral or outdoor cats, vaccinates and spays or neuters them and returns them back to the area in which they were trapped.

In addition to reducing overpopulation over time, TNR can also help with other neighborhood complaints about local cat colonies, mitigating spraying, roaming, spreading disease and noisy fighting, according to the Humane Society of the United States.

Neither the city nor county of Fond du Lac has a TNR program in place, but the Fond du Lac Humane Society is working with the city and rescues on the feasibility of starting one.

Shelters in surrounding communities like Oshkosh, Sheboygan and the Fox Valley have TNR programs, which depend on the community for reporting or even funding each cat.

The Fond du Lac Humane Society warns against trying to force a cat into your care or to trap it if it doesn't want to be handled, but if it's a stray or easily handled, community members can take it to the shelter or call the police.

Petersen also urges community members to spay or neuter their cats and keep them indoors. In addition, all three rescues and the shelter have microchip readers to help identify lost pets.

The community can also help by donating to the local rescues or even fostering an animal to help provide the rescues more space, she added. The rescues are willing to provide food, supplies and medical care for animals brought in and fostered.

"Foster homes are hard to come by this time of year but they can help us save lives," Petersen said.

Here are some other things the rescues are doing for local strays, and how the community can help them individually.

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Sandi Paws Rescue

Sandi Paws is 100% volunteer-run and rescues abandoned or abused cats and dogs to foster, nurture and socialize before adopting them out to responsible caregivers. With no physical facility, the rescue depends on foster homes to house the pets.

The next Transport/Intake/Adoption event will be 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 19 at the Recreation Center at the Fond du Lac County Fairgrounds, 601 Martin Ave. The rescue recommends submitting an adoption application ahead of time, even if you just plan on looking, as it can streamline the adoption process. Pre-approval could also make the process easier for adoptions outside of the event.

Available cats and dogs are listed on the Sandi Paws website, sandipaws.org.

The website also has information about volunteering, fostering or donating. Monetary donations are accepted on either a one-time or regular basis, and a wish list of pet food, litter, toys, beds and cleaning supplies is available on the website and on amazon.com.

The rescue also hosts microchip clinics listed on its Facebook page, and offers transport by appointment to the low-cost spay and neuter clinic Wisconsin Community Veterinary Center in Madison.

Critter Junction Pet Rescue

Critter Junction Pet Rescue cares for pets of all shapes and sizes in its facility at 154 Satterlee St., which includes cats, dogs, birds, lizards, rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs and more. The rescue is also a Petsmart Cat Adoption Center partner for the Fond du Lac Petsmart at 443 N. Rolling Meadows Drive.

The rescue offers pre-scheduled transport to the low-cost spay and neuter clinic, and hosts BINGO nights to raise money for animal care.

A unique program at the rescue is the Maternity Cat Program, which takes in pregnant cats and mother cats with litters by appointment. The mother cat is allowed to nurse her kittens until they are 10 weeks old, and then she is fully vetted, spayed, vaccinated and returned to her owner at no cost. The kittens are also vetted, vaccinated and spayed or neutered before being adopted out by the shelter.

The rescue is open to the public from noon to 8 p.m. Mondays and noon to 5 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays, though it closes the second Monday of every month for spay and neuter transport. A list of adoptable animals, both at the rescue location and at Petsmart, is available on the Critter Junction website.

The biggest needs at the rescue include cat litter and food, bleach, hand sanitizer, paper towels, small pet bedding and rabbit and guinea pig pellet food. A full wish list is available on critterjunctionpetrescue.org/donate, and the rescue accepts open packages.

Foster homes are needed for the Maternity Cat Program and other special cases, and volunteers are needed for the main location, BINGO nights and the Petsmart cats. More information about how to help or donate is available on the Critter Junction website.

Lucky Dog Small Breed Rescue

Lucky Dog Small Breed Rescue is another foster home-based rescue, and information about adopting, volunteering or fostering is available at luckydoggyrescue.org.

Since many rescued dogs are in immediate need of medical attention, monetary donations through the rescue's website can help cover vaccinations, heartworm treatments, spaying and neutering and more. Its Amazon wishlist also includes dog food, beds, collars, cleaning supplies and furniture protectors.

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Fond du Lac Humane Society

While the humane society's biggest need is forever homes for its animals, some other needs include cat food and both clumping and non-clumping litter, small plastic litter boxes and kitten milk replacement, as well as dog food, beds, leashes and durable toys.

The full wish list, and a link to its Chewy website wish list, is available at fdlhumane.org/make-a-donation.

The website also has ways to donate money, whether to the general fund, the Sweetie Fund for emergency veterinary care or the spay/neuter fund.

Details about adoptable animals are available on the humane society website. Dog viewing and adoptions are available by appointment, but cat and small mammals are available during the shelter's public hours, noon to 5 p.m. Mondays through Wednesdays and Fridays to Saturdays.

Daphne Lemke is the Streetwise reporter for the Fond du Lac Reporter. Contact her at dlemke@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Fond du Lac Reporter: Fond du Lac stray cats: What can be done and how to help