Maybe that feral cat living under your porch hasn't been a bother so far. Maybe it's kind of cute, in a nappy way. But let's face it, you don't want to deal with the litters it might have on the way.

Maybe that feral cat living under your porch hasn't been a bother so far.

Maybe it's kind of cute, in a nappy way.

But let's face it, you don't want to deal with the litters it might have on the way.

"The thing that really worries us this year is that because of the mild winter, we started seeing cats in mid January that were already pregnant or in heat," said Phil Morgan, executive director of the Kootenai Humane Society. "Usually kitten season up here doesn't start until May or June."

Luckily, there's a way to put a damper on the feral boom.

Four veterinary clinics have organized the county's second free spay-and-neuter day this weekend, when doctors and staff will volunteer a day off to administer free neuters, spays and rabies vaccine to feral cats.

"It's something we hope is making a difference in the community, as far as keeping the number of cats who don't have owners under control," said Aprill Sherman, veterinarian with Prairie Animal Hospital that spearheaded the event. "It's important for disease control and (preventing) fighting cats, which happens when you have a large feral cat population."

Four clinics will open this Sunday to provide free procedures for feral cats that folks bring in cages.

Participating clinics include Hayden Pet Medical Center, Prairie Animal Hospital in Coeur d'Alene, Rathdrum Animal Clinic and River City Animal Hospital in Post Falls.

Doctors and staff will volunteer their time to conduct neuter and spay procedures, as well as treat the animals for fleas and worms and administer a rabies vaccine.

Animals' ears will be tipped to identify that they have had the treatment.

"I'm glad to have veterinarians in the community willing to donate their time to do this," Sherman said, adding the event is possible because companies like Webster Veterinary, MWI Veterinary Supply and Pfizer Animal Health donated medical items.

Clinics request folks drop cats off in cages between 8 and 10 a.m. on Sunday morning. The staff will call when the felines are finished, and folks can release them again.

Harnessing the feral cat population will reduce the chance of spreading diseases like rabies and worms, said Kendall Bodkin, veterinarian with Hayden Pet Medical Center.

"If you're going to have a rabies episode, it's probably going to include a feral cat," Bodkin said.

It will also quell the number of feral cats - those raised in the wild - that have to struggle to survive, he said.

County residents can rent cat traps from local rental facilities, he said. Baiting the cage should lure cats easily enough.

"You don't want to grab ahold of one of them. You may not get a finger back," he warned.

Cats shouldn't be fed within 12 hours of surgery.

Last year's spay day treated about 400 cats, Sherman estimated.

Morgan said it made a huge difference for the humane society, which is constantly overcrowded with cats that have been abandoned on door steps and in fields.

"We saw a difference in the number of pregnant cats and kittens coming in," he said. "It wasn't ballistic or crazy like in 2008."

He estimated that two cats could produce at least 50 kittens in a lifetime - likely more - and neutering even a few hundred cats can make a substantial difference.

"Look at the thousands of kittens we're not going to be dealing with," he said. "We really applaud the free spay day. They (the veterinarians) have no idea how much work they save us throughout the rest of the year."