About three dozen feral cat enthusiasts now know more about dealing with stray and wild cats after attending a seminar yesterday evening at the Richmond SPCA. The event was organized in response to the killing of three feral cats last month in Henrico County.

The gathering featured speakers Dr. Angela Ivey, director of veterinary services for the SPCA, and Jody Jones, manager of the city's Animal Care and Control program. SPCA veterinary technician Karrie Pawlak and seasoned cat trapper Deanna Denny also spoke.

Event organizers instructed the audience on the finer points of the Trap-Neuter-Return method of dealing with feral cats.

Feral cats are classified as undomesticated cats that have been born in the wild and have spent their entire lives without human ownership. The SPCA encourages volunteers to maintain and monitor feral cat colonies by using humane traps to capture the animals, neuter them and then return them to the site.

"A shelter is no place for feral cats. . . . This way we can maintain their natural environment," Jones said.

Law-enforcement officials say feral cats can pose a risk to humans if the cats are diseased or rabid.

"Just like any type of mammal, there is any chance of contracting rabies," said Sgt. R.A. Glascock of the Henrico police Animal Protection Unit.

On July 2, Keith Copi, who operates Critter Control in Richmond, was charged with three counts of animal cruelty after he killed three feral cats behind television station WRLH in the 1900 block of Westmoreland Street in Henrico.

Owners of the property had hired bulldozers to clear a small wooded area that once served as a home to a feral cat colony.

State law prevents the killing of any companion animal unless performed by a licensed veterinarian. A question as to the definition of a companion animal has arisen in this case because the feral cats behind the television station were wild.

"A companion animal could include a feral cat," said Henrico Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Heidi S. Barshinger.

Barshinger said she has received about 25 letters of protest against Copi on behalf of the SPCA. Copi is scheduled to appear in Henrico General District Court in August.

If convicted, Copi could receive up to three years in jail and $7,500 in fines.

"He is just a hard-working guy who is just trying to do his job," said John Rockecharlie, Copi's lawyer. "The publicity is having a really adverse effect on him and his health."

Contact Danny Yates at dyates@timesdispatch.com.