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SNS local mobileCouncil ponders feral cat law
Comment: Do you agree with the proposed ordinance?
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
TREMONT CITY — Feeding stray cats in Tremont City may seem like a kindness to the animals, but it may also eventually lead to a fine.
A feral cat problem in the village is causing council members to work with the Clark County Humane Society to trap stray cats. And village council members are considering an ordinance that if passed, would make it illegal to leave out food for strays.
Extras
"Feral cats is a big, big problem in Tremont City," said council member Tony Flood.
Ed Sisler, executive director of the Humane Society, said his office is willing to work with the village in a plan that would trap feral cats and would spay and neuter them. It would be up to the village what to do with the trapped cats.
While residents who feed strays usually have good intentions, Sisler said, it can also cause serious problems.
Along with attracting other wild animals, leaving out food can help spread disease among the cats, he said.
Many feral cats carry feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus, also known as feline AIDS. The disease is similar to the human virus.
Although it cannot be passed from cats to humans, feline AIDS is easily spread among cats through saliva, Sisler said. The disease can be transmitted between several cats during a feeding because of the saliva, affecting not only feral cats but pets that have been left outside, Sisler said.
Flood said the point of the ordinance would not be to punish residents who choose to feed the cats, but to educate them about the problem.
Flood said the cats have been a nuisance to residents in the village.
Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0355 or msanctis@coxohio.com.
Comments
By Marilyn B.
August 14, 2008 2:05 PM | Link to this
I don’t live in Tremont City either, but there are SO many thoughtless people out there who don’t spay and neuter their animals. Why not ask ALL the vets in Clark County to give 4 hours of their time once or twice a YEAR to spay and neuter animals for let’s say $20.00. They could be coordinated to do this one or two days a month? They used to do this sort of thing in Illinois and it was working well when I lived there.
By Jayne Athey
March 26, 2008 10:29 AM | Link to this
We definitely have some TNR proponents, and are working on a multi-faceted resolution to the issue since drop-offs and abandonments are also a large part of the problem. I would love to see some benefactors help us along with some low cost spay/neuter options to effect a positive and humane change in the community.
By Lisa
March 25, 2008 8:17 PM | Link to this
Trap and kill doesn’t work - if it did, there would be no more feral cats because animal control has been doing it for years. TNVR works - trap, neuter, vaccinate, return. Let the people who are already taking care of the cats continue to do so. Once cats are fixed fighting and mating practically cease and so does the spread of disease. The incidence of FIV being spread through saliva in shared food is minimal, almost nonexistent, and not a good excuse for killing otherwise healthy animals.
By What?
March 25, 2008 7:08 PM | Link to this
I agree, lets start spaying and neutering humans so they don’t keep reproducing either, think we could get Family Services to do this. Then I could quit paying for all those losers to sit on there asses and feed the feral cats of the community. Come on, get a life, don’t feed the cats if you don’t want them around, others with Hearts will. Cold hearted people have nothing better than to pick on those that cant defend themselves.
By Joe
March 25, 2008 6:05 PM | Link to this
Feeding cats shouldnt be against the law. They have to eat too.To me cats and other animals are more civilized than most humans. You dont see cats killing eachother over drugs or molesting thier young. Worry about more important issues instead of crying over petty things like feeding animals.
By Jason
March 25, 2008 5:46 PM | Link to this
Enable a law that prohibits homeowners/caretakers from providing food, water, and/or shelter to feral cats. Hold those individuals accountable for their thoughtless actions! Feral cats have no place in our neighborhoods!
By Linda
March 25, 2008 4:20 PM | Link to this
I don’t live in Tremont City, but live in a rural area nearby and have my own feral cat population to contend with. They are generally the offspring of neighborhood pets and (dumping too). They are almost always young, wild, starving, and often ill. I help the ones I can by neutering and providing food and vet care. A problem everywhere, my hope is that education about spaying and neutering pets will eventually make an impact. Thank you to others who care.
By HUH
March 25, 2008 4:04 PM | Link to this
AS TO HIS (FLOODS) COMMENTS:
He states above:
“AS FOR THE CHICKEN I DID NOT PLACE IT THER AND IT WAS THERE FOR PIC UP BY A RAW FEEDING DOG GROUP”
huh? What?
Did you or did you not leave out the chicken? Sounds like you did..
And who feeds their dogs raw chicken left out on a porch? What group is that? I didn’t know Michael Vick & family lived in Tremont City.
By Clark County Resident
March 25, 2008 3:54 PM | Link to this
When we had a feral cat problem and the HUMANE SOCIETY wouldn’t help us. We were told to bring them in, pay for it, and they would DESTROY the animal. NO WAY!! I chose to feed the feral cats and have spayed ALL the females-thanks to a great vet in Sprinfield (THANKS DR. ALLEN), ALOT of vets won’t take feral cats. It is expensive and hard to trap them but we won’t turn out a pet in need. THEY HAVE NO VOICE. Neglient PEOPLE are the real problem. Good luck, I know these are hard choices:{
By TONY FLOOD
March 25, 2008 2:42 PM | Link to this
THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING IS APRIL 14 AT 7:30 PM ANYONE WITH A GOOD OR BETTER SOLUTION TO THE CAT ISSUE PLEASE ATTEND THANK YOU
By Denise
March 25, 2008 2:09 PM | Link to this
This town used to be a nice place to live, now all it is people complaining about stupid stuff, worry about the stuff of importance. We dont live in a communist country, but this town is becoming one. People who live in glass houses shouldnt throw stones!!!
By TONY FLOOD
March 25, 2008 2:03 PM | Link to this
AS FOR THE CHICKEN I DID NOT PLACE IT THER AND IT WAS THERE FOR PIC UP BY A RAW FEEDING DOG GROUP I LOVE CATS BUT MANY RESIDENTS HAVE COMPLAINED AND WANT SOMETHING DONE SO THE COUNCIL IS TRYING SEVERAL MEANS IN WHICH TO SOLVE THE ISSUE IF YOU HAVE ANY BETTER WAYS PLEASE WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR THEM
By TONY FLOOD
March 25, 2008 1:58 PM | Link to this
As for the chicken I did not place it there and it was there for a pic up by a raw feeding group as for myself I dont have a problem with the cats but many village residents do they have been to meetings and requested something to be done so we on council are trying to resolve the problem If anyone has a better solution please we would love to hear about it
By Denise
March 25, 2008 1:50 PM | Link to this
When I started feeding these kittens they were wild and afraid, now all but 2 will come to you and let you love on them, and they return the love back, Why isnt people who have moved and left them been charged with cruelity to animals, or abandonment, why have a pet if your gonna treat them this way. I’m not gonna let them starve or tear out the trash. As for tony flood who leaves chicken parts on his porch, stop whinning your also contributing to the problem
By Denise
March 25, 2008 1:40 PM | Link to this
I feed the cats who are strays, Right now I have 9 im feeding, due to the fact that a family moved and left 8 of them, the other one belongs to a council member. At least they arent tearing into trash and leaving it scattered everywhere, I agree, it also keeps the mice down, as for Ed Sisler from the humane society saying they will help trap them, when I contacted the humane society about these cats, I was told I had to pay to have them into their facilities. They dont belong to me
By friendly neighbor
March 25, 2008 1:30 PM | Link to this
I love how this town likes to set rules, and ordiences, but yet the Council members like to be hypocrites, and do the same thing, Thank You Pam, your visuial observence of the chicken parts on Council Member Tony Floods front porch. My advise is sweep your own, before you worry about swwping someone else
By Rick
March 25, 2008 11:58 AM | Link to this
To much of anything is bad.A hungry cat will be more apt to chase and eat the mouse.Thining of the numbers would benefit the neiborhood greatly.It allmost sounds as if maybe the folks are letting the scavangers in the hood be their garbage disposals.Ps:A healthy cat in the wild wont go hungry and they are not naturally fat.Kinda like to many entitlements lead to obesity.Hopefully it be a word to the wise is sufficant if not then we have enforcement leading to exspence’s rising!
By pam wallace
March 25, 2008 9:28 AM | Link to this
I do live in Tremont City and one evening I stopped by the home of council member Tony Flood and there were two boxes of raw chicken parts sitting open on his porch steps and porch. No wonder he’d see a cat problem! To me, fewer cats mean more mice. It seems the council is always looking for a problem or creating it and yet solutions to real ones have not been that successful.
By Monica May
March 25, 2008 8:07 AM | Link to this
I don’t live in Tremont City, but I do live where people drop cats off and move without taking them…..am I going to watch these cats go hungry…NO I NOT! How about fining people who allow their cats to run lose and breed like crazy, or move and leave them. Punish the people who dump the cats or get animals of any kind and not care for them…