The Town of Minto will work with a feral cat rescue organization, rather than attempt to regulate felines, in response to concerns about stray cats in the downtown area here.
At the June 7 council meeting, CAO Bill White reported on a petition signed by about 60 Palmerston residents requesting the creation of a bylaw to regulate cats.
“We have counted between 10 and 20 cats that are left outside all summer and winter long (cruelty to animals), roaming around freely on everyone’s property,” the petition states.
“Their feces are piling up in our gardens and lawns and in the parking lot behind the old Palmer hotel. The cats screech and fight at all hours of the night, which is disrupting our sleep.
“They are obviously not neutered. They spray everywhere. The smell is everywhere,” states the petition, which also cities potential concerns about the spread of disease and unfettered breeding exacerbating the problem.
In his report, White notes the town limits the number of dogs in any one household to three, but there is no such bylaw for cats.
The town’s animal control officer does not pick up cats and the local shelter is not equipped to handle them.
“Regulating cats is a huge challenge,” said White, who told council he has some experience with the issue from other municipalities.
The report states, cat licensing is unlikely to help the situation in Palmerston “especially since these are likely feral cats. Staff believes they may be drawn to this area by people who feed them.”
White noted owners of in-door cats are likely to resist licensing because their cats never go outside.
“Even if an owner of an “indoor-outdoor” cat agrees to a license, they believe letting their cat roam the neighbourhood is humane treatment,” he stated in the report.
“Some cat owners will resist limits on the number of ‘indoor’ cats so long as proper care is being offered.”
Staff suggested the cost of a regulatory bylaw system and shelter could be high relative to the potential benefit, and in fact may not address the issue of feral cats in Palmerston.
“I think you would find a cat registry system cumbersome, expensive and it’s not going to accomplish what you would expect it to accomplish,” White told council.
“As an alternative the town may wish to support cats being transferred through the Feral Cat Rescue program,” the report recommends.
Feral Cat Rescue is a non-profit organization based in Orangeville, Shelburne and Owen Sound.
Volunteers assist with trapping, neutering and adopting out feral cats. The volunteer organization operates on donations.
White notes after the feral cats have been neutered they are returned to the area they came from, although the organization does offer assistance with adoption efforts.
“It may seem stupid to return them,” White pointed out. However, he added neutering solves the breeding problem and “people will actually take feral cats in, when they have been properly medically taken care of.”
White notes the cat rescue volunteers have indicated, “they are prepared to come over and work with the community leaders, many of whom have signed this petition.”
Councillor Ron Elliott said, “My concern is what about the person that has the cat that’s out for an hour? Will they pick that cat up – a pet cat that’s been pretty good?”
White indicated such issues could be worked out between cat rescue volunteers and community representatives.
“I think there would be a way of telling the difference,” suggested Mayor George Bridge.
“The other problem is we need to educate people not to feed them, because feral cats won’t necessarily congregate in an area where they’re not getting fed constantly.”
Elliott pointed out residents may not be intentionally feeding the cats, but some have been throwing garbage bags in bins used for construction waste behind the hotel, which is under renovation, “making food for the cats.”
Several council members indicated their preference for alternatives to regulating cats.
“I just think we’re going to spend a whole lot of time spinning our wheels and not really solve this problem” said Bridge.
Deputy mayor Ron Faulkner said, “I think we’re over-regulated in this country as it is and I think that’s a great alterative, this (feral cat rescue) program … as long as we keep the costs down on it.”
Councillor Judy Dirksen said, “I’m not a fan of licensing cats for sure. I just don’t know whether or not that bringing these cats back is going to be that popular a solution.
“But maybe some people have to take it into their own hands and the cats will have to disappear in another way then.”
Councillor Jean Anderson said, “I think, to make it a bylaw … we can’t manage the dogs, never mind the cats.
“Who’s going to chase the cats … and how are your going to keep the tags on kitty cat and so on?”
A motion to support the Feral Cat Rescue organization in efforts to address the problem in Palmerston passed unopposed.
