For the past year, Larry Richardson has tended to this feral cat colony, joining other volunteers who trap the wild cats so they can be vaccinated, spayed and neutered. They also outfit shelter igloos with feeding and sleeping stations. (Nino Zhito/Argus-Courier)
By Corey Young
PETALUMA ARGUS-COURIER STAFF
A program designed to let feral cats live out their lives in managed colonies will go forward, despite concerns from animal advocates that the new law is too restrictive.
The City Council on Monday granted its second approval for a “trap-neuter-return” policy for feral cat colonies, declining to lift a restriction on feeding stations near the Petaluma River wetlands or drop an insurance requirement for nonprofit groups that participate.
Those provisions proved to be two of the most contentious features of the program the council approved on Oct. 5. In a flurry of e-mails sent to city officials since that meeting, advocates said the city had ignored their recommendations on how to make the program work.
However, city officials defended the new program, saying it balanced the interests of many different groups and came together after three years of input and review.
“From my point of view, we’ve done a tremendous amount of process on this,” Police Lt. Mike Cook said at Monday’s meeting. The council was scheduled to conduct a routine “second reading” of the Oct. 5 ordinance, but the dissatisfaction of some feral cat advocates prompted a new debate about the law’s merits.
Some speakers said the requirement that feral cat colonies be managed under an umbrella nonprofit group left independent caretakers open to being in violation of the ordinance, noting that the law calls feral cats a “nuisance” unless cared for under its regulations.
For the ordinance to work effectively, “all the caretakers would have to come forward,” said Angela Zumsteg, a feral cat caretaker. Requiring individual caretakers to register their colonies is a burden “that’s going to make them go underground again,” she said.
City officials pointed out, however, that the existing animal code allows up to six cats per home, effectively authorizing small feral cat colonies for backyard caretakers.
“You can still take care of six stray cats in your home,” Councilmember David Rabbitt said. “I think that’s pretty liberal.”
Under the ordinance, larger colonies would be managed by volunteers associated with a nonprofit group and would be registered with the city. Caretakers would be required to bring new feral cats in to be neutered and newborn kittens in for possible adoption.
The “trap-neuter-return” approach allows sterile feral cats to live out their lives, causing a colony’s numbers to slowly drop as the cats die off, advocates said.
A similar approach on the books since 2004 never took off, advocates said, because of mistrust between the animal shelter and caretakers.
But in a series of meetings with feral cat advocates and other parties over the past three years, the city crafted the new law that allows managed colonies while restricting their presence near Shollenberger Park and other “sensitive” wetlands areas in the southeast part of town.
The ordinance says no feeding stations will be allowed between Lakeville Highway and the Petaluma River, from the marina to the holding ponds near the Ellis Creek sewer plant. Wetlands docents said feral cats pose a danger to native birds and other small wildlife and should not be allowed to roam near Shollenberger Park.
Some advocates said that restriction includes too much private property, preventing residents and businesses there from establishing or continuing cat colonies.
One existing colony in that area is being managed well and “accomplishing what we want to accomplish,” Cook said. “The goal is certainly cooperation with any colonies that are within those boundaries now.”
Cook said the city is not going to “aggressively track down” existing colonies that aren’t posing a problem.
Council members encouraged cat advocates who don’t support the ordinance to put their energy into making it work, saying that it depends on trust between caretakers and the city. They said the ordinance will be reviewed in a year.
“I really want to ask the public to look at this next year as a trust exercise,” Councilmember Tiffany Renée said.
Councilmember David Glass, who voted against the ordinance two weeks ago because he disagreed with provisions allowing potbellied pigs and beekeeping within the city, said he would vote for it this time because it offers an improved feral cat program.
“If people focus their attention on trying to make this work instead of picking it apart, it will be an improvement,” Glass said.
The new policy takes effect 30 days from Monday’s meeting. So far, no nonprofit groups have said they will take on the role of managing Petaluma’s feral cat colonies.
(Contact Corey Young at corey.young@arguscourier.com)
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We need cat laws/cat owner accountability laws, Cats need to be supervised, this will diminish the feral cat population plus the free roaming domesticated cats who become nuisance to peoples property, we must hold cat owners responsibile for thier cats to end this cycle,it is in the best interst of cat and wildlife and humans health and safety, need cat laws in michigan. Large colonys of feral cats to continue to kill wildlife and destroy,this makes no sense. You are enableing the feral cat population to continue to grow when there are no cat laws to hold people accountable.
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I thought adjustable beds were used as hospitals beds and by retired people? That has certainly been true in the past, but in the last 10-15 years or so there has been a huge change in the way adjustable beds are used. They are very much a lifestyle purchase these days for the average home. People read books, newspapers in bed, watch TV, work on their computers…did you know nearly half of all LCD TV’s end up in the bedroom. Also over 80% of us experience a bad back at some time in our life, and the zero gravity position is just perfect for sleeping or sitting in bed.
Cats are nice pets. Though it should remain as pets taken care of by the owners. There is a problem when cats just multiply everywhere and roam everywhere and eat anything you put on a garden table or even inside your house. Feces scatter all over the lawn, the backyard, on top of cabinets, stock rooms and everywhere else. It is a mess and a health hazard. It will also be a threat to people with respiratory allergic reaction to cats feathers. I hope cats will just be kept well as pets.
It seems as though the law is obviously biased when it comes to stray or abandoned dogs vs. stray/abandoned or feral cat’s.
As a responsible dog owner of two dogs, I, like many other responsible dog owners go unheard.
Feral, abandoned or stray cats are just as much a nuisance as stray dogs. Obviously they are not as aggressive or willing to attack (then again not every loose or stray dog is either), however, they are putting as much stress on the local natural habitat. More importantly, they carry diseases and fleas that effect the lawns and safety of the local lawns, Parks and private “safe” locations of responsible households who have and take care of their domestic pets, essentially family members.
I just moved to a new neighborhood and am disgusted that this area, which is within the city limits has a ridiculous amount of stray/feral cats. My yard and the neighbors is constantly having issues with an excess amount of stench of their urine. If that wasn’t bad enough, I had to have the lawn sprayed to kill the fleas these animals carry because shortly after moving in, my dogs got fleas, neither of which had fleas before.
Who pays for the cost, me of course as well as every responsible pet owner.
If the city, feral advocates, the county or groups like PETA want to fight to save these strays, then great! I, nor any other responsible pet owner will NOT complain, so long as those groups set aside millions of dollars worth of funds to pay for the flea infested preventative lawn care and vet bills for the responsible pet owners.
If you can’t, then don’t cry because your “I want to save the feral/abandoned/stray cat’s” is absolute nonsense when I have to dish out hundreds of dollars to keep my boys safe.