In November of 1999, Maddie's Fund entered into an agreement with the California Veterinary Medical Association to establish a grant of $3.2 million to fund the spaying and neutering of 60,000 feral cats over a three year period, through the CVMA's Feral Cat Altering Program (FCAP). The spay/neutering would be performed by member veterinarians, in cooperation with feral rescue groups, who would trap and deliver the cats for the surgery, then return them to their colonies afterward. Maddies' Fund would reimburse the participating veterinarians in the average of $50 per surgery performed. A real win-win situation for all, particularly for the kitties.

Today, in a press release, it was announced that the FCAP program has already altered a whopping 40,000 cats! This exciting news means that the program can expand to 120,00 cats, twice more than the original goal. Members of the CVMA are ecstatic about this progress, and cat rescuers around the world can share the excitement in the knowledge of the potential of this kind of program. The sun is shining in my little corner of the world, even though it's pouring rain outside.