You can feed feral cats — but there's a big catch
By ALEXIS GRANT
Cat lovers in Houston now can freely feed wild cats without worrying
about breaking the law, as long as they get them sterilized.
The Trap-Neuter-Release program, which is intended to reduce the feral
cat population by preventing reproduction, was approved Wednesday by
the City Council and goes into effect immediately.
"There will be less suffering for the cats, we won't have to euthanize
them and there will be fewer problems for citizens," said Kent
Robertson, bureau chief for the the city's Bureau of Animal Regulation
and Care.
Feral cats, which live in colonies in alleys, behind apartment
complexes and on colleges campuses, long have been a problem in
Houston. Unlike stray cats, which were abandoned or lost and get along
with people, feral cats are untamed and wary of people. Some used to be
pets, while others were born in the wild and never domesticized.
Until now, city ordinance made it illegal to feed three or more stray
cats or to return them to the street after trapping them. Under the new
ordinance, residents can take the animals to several local pet clinics,
get them spayed or neutered for a discounted fee, return the cats to
where they got them, and continue to feed them.
About 250,000 feral cats live in the city, according to BARC. They
multiply rapidly because females produce an average of three litters a
year, and kittens can start having litters at just 5 months old.
They also die quickly; the lifespan of most feral cats is about two
years. Trapping and euthanizing can be costly — the bureau trapped and
killed 1,800 feral cats last year at $60 each — and does little to
solve the problem. That policy is not embraced by animal lovers, some
of whom are reluctant to bring cats to a shelter where they likely will
be killed.
The new program allows residents to pay about $30 to vaccinate and
sterilize each cat through various local groups, including Citizens for
Animal Protection, which received a grant from PetSmart. No city money
will be used.
Each neutered cat will receive an ear notch to tell which have been
sterilized.
That does not comfort bird lovers, who say the feral cat is an invasive
species that hurts the bird population.
"When you know how rapidly the bird population is dropping, it's very
hard to see people supporting things that are making them drop even
faster," said Winnie Burkett, sanctuary manager for the Houston Audubon
Society.
A violation of the city law against feeding three or more stray cats
carried a $170 fine, Robertson said. The city cited fewer than 100
residents for the violation last year, he said.
Groups like Citizens for Animal Protection, which now is working with
the city, have run trap-neuter-return programs for years. "This program
has existed pretty much under the radar for 10 years," said Cynthia
Shaw, co-coordinator of the Feral Cat Assistance Program.
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