Cat calling

Larry and Sandy Potts have a good thing going in Cairo, Ill.

In a town known more for its problems than its solutions, the Pottses have found a fix for the feline population.

Four years ago, the Pottses found a litter of kittens in a trash bin behind a building on Ohio Street. They didn't have room for the animals at home, but they decided to help take care of them. Now they're involved in a program, called Project Kitty City, where feral cats are trapped, then neutered or spayed and returned to the streets. The cats are fed at a handful of locations downtown, including the old, abandoned city hall.

So far, the program has spayed 52 cats, neutered 35 and adopted out 87 of the cats that roam the downtown area's empty buildings. Even if you don't like cats, you have to like the idea that someone is trying to chop a few branches off the cat family tree. If you do like cats, you probably like the idea of having them neutered instead of killed.

A recent benefit for the cause raised $1,500, which will help for "a number of weeks," Sandy Potts said.

Let the record show there are some good people making an effort at solving problems in downtown Cairo.