What To Do About Feral Felines?

DAYTON -- Feral cats prowled their way into the Dayton City Council meeting May 29 during the public hearing regarding the growing feline nuisance and the impact they have on residents.

Mayor Craig George opened the public hearing segment of the meeting by reminding attendees that the decision required the input of the community and it could not be a decision made by the council alone.

"We want the city involved in the decision," George said.

Dr. Kennie Reeves of the Dayton Veterinarian Clinic took the floor to give hearing attendees some information about the feral felines.

Reeves said there has been effort to trap, neuter and spay some of the feral cats, but once the cats are fixed and vaccinated, they tend to live longer. Healthier cats are unlikely to fight off new cats who may be looking to make their home at the same residence. This cycle makes trapping and fixing cats not the ideal solution, Reeves said.

"I don't know if there is a specific solution," Reeves said. "Everybody has a heart for these cats until they're in your backyard."

Adding to the issue are some local residents who are feeding the cats, Reeves said. The cats being fed are healthier and therefore will live longer and reproduce more effectively.

Cats that are not fed or vaccinated tend to die out in waves every four or five years, Reeves added.

Dayton resident Dain Nysoe said when he moved into his house in September, there was already a colony of cats living there. The now-displaced cats still try to get into the house and cause general commotion outside of his home.

"The cats seem to congregate around one particular house," Nysoe said.

He said the cats have become a problem and are a nuisance for he and his wife.

Scott Marinella, who lives near Nysoe, said their problem centers around one house. Marinella added the cats may be considered a health issue. Marinella said he feels bad for the animal and referred to the current colonies of cats as an epidemic.

Merle Jackson said some of the cats have been using the bark in his yard as "the world's biggest cat box." Despite this, he said he appreciates a few of the local cats.

"Some of them are earning their keep catching the mice and gophers," Jackson said.

Despite his preferences, when he tries to feed the few helpful cats, other cats in the area find and consume the food he puts out. Understanding he was perpetuating the problem, Jackson said he stopped feeding the cats. Once he stopped putting food out, the cats he liked became hungry.

"It's an irritant that you can't take care of your own property and feed the animals you want," Jackson said.

Dayton City Clerk Trina Cole said a major issue from the city's standpoint is the cost of having the cats spayed or neutered. The quoted cost to have one cat spayed or neutered is $100 and with about 170 feral cats roaming the city, the endeavor would become too costly.

Cole also said for the time being, if residents are interested in helping trap the cats to have them spayed or neutered, they should contact city hall to pick up traps.

After hearing from other members of the community, George said the first step will be to educate residents on animal care and how to interact with feral cats.

George said the issue will be discussed further at the next city council meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 11, at City Hall.

Any community members with ideas as to how the issue of local feral cats may be resolved can e-mail Trina Cole at cityclerk@daytonwa.com.