I was glad to see that we were going to have an animal control officer because we have a big stray cat problem in our neighborhood.
About three years a go a lady moved into a rental house with seven cats. None was tagged, neutered or spayed. Rabbits have nothing on cats when it comes to reproducing. I have nothing against cats, but enough is enough, so we talked to the police.
They warned the lady, and when she did nothing they sent her a citation. She just moved, taking a few cats with her but leaving the rest.
The population continues to grow. They like to use our garden and the soft dirt around our house for a bathroom. Cat poop does not smell like roses. We can’t open our windows because of the smell even though we clean it up.
We finally had all we could take and called the animal control officer. He is a very nice young man and listened as we explained our problem. We showed him where the strays hang out. He said he would talk to the neighbors.
We told him they were not the problem and he said he had to treat everyone alike. I’m sure he was doing just as he was trained to do. He went across the street and told the only people in the neighborhood that has their cat tagged and takes good care of it that if he catches the cat outside it will be a $300 fine.
The real problem of the stray cats was never addressed. As I am writing this I can see three stray cats roaming my yard and not one thing is being done about it. This gives new meaning to the word stupid!
Perhaps we should follow Humboldt’s solution to the problem. It seems with the current rules the animal control position is a waste of time and money.
Maude Burns,
Iola, Kan.
(Editor’s note: Humboldt officials recently hired Carson & Son Nuisance Animal Control of Toronto to trap and remove feral cats.)
