Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor John Venditto said the area he serves could have a feral cat population increase of  420,000 in the next seven years if nothing is done about it. 

"We're doing the right thing by our community, our human population…[and] our pets as well, " Venditto said Saturday, announcing the opening of a new trap-neuter-return (TNR) surgical unit at the Town of Oyster Bay Animal Shelter in Syosset. TNR is a program in which feral cats are caught, neutered and then returned to the area in which they were captured. It's seen as a humane way to keep the population of feral cats in check, and the Town is the first municipality in Nassau County to implement such a program. 

Venditto was joined by other Town officials and veterinarian Surinder Wadyal, the owner of the Oyster Bay Animal Hospital, at Saturday's announcement. Town officials say the structure, known as the Animal Shelter Medical Care Clinic, will provide medical care to animals housed in the shelter, besides being used to neuter cats.

Wadyal says the schedule is still being finalized, but he and his staff will be working at the new facility a few days a week.

"I'm teaming up with the shelter to help, because I have been doing on my own for a long time, 28-29 years, with different organizations," Wadyal said. He added that many veterinarians get involved in TNR programs, and he thinks having a centralized location is great. The goal is to perform 2,000 surgical procedures in the first year.

"Feral cats have become a problem in various communities in the Town," said Venditto, adding that keeping their population from blooming "is for their welfare, for their protection."