The City of Urbana is facing an issue that is not new to many towns around Ohio; how to handle their feral cat population.
The Urbana City Council recently heard a proposed ordinance that would make it a misdemeanor to feed wild animals, such as deer or feral cats.
The proposal came after the council received complaints from residents, according to Marty Hess, Urbana City Council president.
“They’re just destroying property and people are upset about it,” Hess said.
While many agree that the feral cat population needs to be controlled, some say preventing residents from feeding the cats would not be effective.
“Cats are scavengers,” said Rebecca Hoffman, a feral cat advocate. “They will still find garbage, scraps, mice, and they will survive. They’ll just be less healthy, they’ll be roaming further and they’ll be in people’s garbage more than ever.”
Hoffman and other feral cat advocates receive grants to practice the Trap, Neuter and Return method (TNR) from organizations such as the Black and Orange Cat Foundation.
The method involves using food to trap the cats, taking them to local clinics for free or low-cost neuter and spay services, and then returning them back where they were found.
“There are always going to be feral cats,” Hoffman said. “I believe that we have made a dramatic impact on the number of feral cats in our community through TNR.”
Hoffman and other feral cat advocates would like to see the city collaborate with clinics to solve the problem, she said.
Hess told 10TV that he has received both positive and negative feedback about the proposed ordinance, but that ultimately, nothing is set in stone yet.
“I don’t know if there is a best way,” he said. “All we can do is try and see what works.”
The second of three meetings will be Tuesday, Jan. 2. It is open to the public and feedback is encouraged, Hess said.
