A FERAL cat colony is being tackled after Walney's streets were described as "Serengeti-like" with prowling big tom cats.

Feline fans on Walney have teamed up with an animal charity worker to capture the cats and take them to the vets to be neutered and spayed to stop further breeding. They are also starting to home suitable moggies. 

Sisters Maureen Slater and Karen Wood, of Orion Terrace, sought help from Kirsty Jepson, of Animal Refuge, and they have been able to get vouchers from the Cats Protection towards neutering. Animal Refuge has also helped with some of the vets fees. 

The siblings have fed cats all winter. They say residents in the neighbourhood have sometimes had nine or more cats in their gardens at a time.

Ms Slater and Ms Wood bought a humane cat trap online and they have been taking cats to the vets. 

The cats have the chance to be homed, while some residents have agreed to look after 'semi-feral' ones.

Ms Slater said: "The breeding with these cats has got out of control and something needed doing.

"They are stunning big long-haired cats. They are timid."

One of the cats she cared for, Oscar, is now in a foster home, as Ms Slater has a dog.

She said it had been interesting setting the traps and capturing the wild cats. Ms Slater joked: "It's like capturing big game. 

"It's crazy as night when they are all out. It's like the Serengeti. The tom cats are big." 

She and her sister thanked Miss Jepson, Cats Protection and others who have helped.  

Mog has the chance to be homed by Ms Wood if he can get along with her cats, but if not she'll look after him as on 'out door cat'. 

She said: "There are so many toms and we needed to resolve it. They need to be neutered and the females spayed.

I finally caught Mog and we took him to be neutered. I'd love to keep him."