Maplewood Health Department Policy and Plan Responsible Cat Ownership August 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this proposed policy and plan is to promote responsible ownership of pet cats and to reduce the numbers of stray cats in the Township. By doing this we will help protect the public health, protect the health of cats, reduce nuisances associated with stray cats, and reduce overcrowding situations in the local animal shelter. This will reduce what is a cruel way for cats to live as a stray or part of a feral cat colony that is exposed to extremes of weather, diseases, and being hit by cars.

Background: The nuisances and potential health hazards associated with feeding of stray cats has been an ongoing issue for decades. Rabid stray cats have been found in the Township since the raccoon rabies epizootic started about 20 years ago. Going back almost twenty years in Maplewood, stray cats that were captured were brought to local veterinarians and held for seven days in order to allow the owner, if any, to claim their pet. Efforts would be made to find an adoptive home, but failing that, the cats were routinely euthanized. No one was pleased with this plan, but it was recognized that stray cats needed to be removed and that there was no place to hold this never ending stream of stray cats.

In Maplewood and South Orange, the Jersey Animal Coalition, JAC, was founded in 1989. This group worked very hard at adopting out stray dogs and cats and had much success. In 1998, the JAC Shelter was opened as a joint project of the JAC, Maplewood and South Orange. A lease was signed by all parties stipulating responsibilities.

Since the JAC shelter has a "no kill" policy for stray dogs and cats, the shelter quickly became full and overcrowded.

One part of the Lease agreement, section 4.2, is that the JAC is obliged to accept without cost, "all stray House Pets brought to the facility by animal control officers of the Townships." Fulfillment of this lease section often causes disagreement and friction between the Township personnel and the JAC shelter staff and management since the shelter is overcrowded.

There have been several meetings between Township staff, Attorneys, and JAC management and their Attorneys over the meaning of "House Pets" and "stray." Since the JAC Shelter is habitually overcrowded, they want to limit the number of House Pets and strays that the Township Animal Control Officers bring them. The JAC Lease also adds that in the event that there is insufficient space at the Facility, JAC shall find alternative boarding for such pets at JAC's sole cost and expense.

As a result of these meetings, the Township staff has agreed to not bring to the JAC Shelter any feral cats that are simply too wild to handle and thus are potentially dangerous to JAC shelter staff. This past spring and summer has yielded a "bumper crop" of stray kittens that are born in all parts of the Township. The JAC has accepted dozens of these kittens as they are generally easier to adopt, but as of August 13, 2012, the JAC has emphatically announced that they will no longer accept even these stray kittens, since the shelter is overcrowded and they fear disease outbreaks. However, the JAC continues to bring in dogs from other states for adoption.

Foundations of Problem: This cycle of overcrowded shelters and never ending supply of stray cats has at its source the irresponsible actions of too many people who will feed stray cats, but who do not want to take upon themselves the full responsibilities of pet ownership. Cats are domestic animals and must be treated as such. Cats are not feral animals. So called feral cats are still dependant upon humans to feed them. Feral cat colonies are not a natural situation, but are an artificial situation created by often well meaning but misdirected people.

Cats as pets must be able to be brought into your home, cared for and groomed, fed inside of the house, have routine veterinary care, be vaccinated against diseases and as per Township ordinance be vaccinated against rabies and licensed. Spaying and neutering pets is a responsible method to control pet overpopulation. Anything less than this is simply irresponsible pet ownership. The decision to have a pet cat carries responsibilities which people must accept.

Policy: It is the policy of the Maplewood Health Department that pet cat ownership must be done in a fully responsible manner.

Stray cats are not to be fed and this prohibition is an Ordinance of the Township. Pet cats must be licensed and have current active vaccination against rabies. Existing colonies of feral cats are to be reduced and removed.

Plan: It is recognized that reducing the numbers of stray cats has at its roots the challenge of changing the attitudes of people. Most cat owners are now responsible pet owners. But there continues to be too many people who do not accept this responsibility. Given these facts, the following is the plan of the Health Dept. to increase the numbers of responsible pet cat owners and reduce the numbers of irresponsible cat owners.

1. Work in cooperation with animal welfare organizations such as the JAC and the Humane Society and local veterinarians, to develop and continue regularly scheduled ongoing low cost public spay/neuter clinics.

2. Continue to enforce Township Ordinance that prohibits feeding of stray cats. Continue to enforce Township Ordinance that requires licensing and rabies vaccination of cats.

Note that people who bring cats to the public spay/neuter clinics will not be penalized or targeted for this Code enforcement. Enforcement actions will only be taken independently of this clinic and we will not use information from the clinic to initiate enforcement actions. It is recognized that we do not want to in any way discourage any person from having a cat spayed/neutered. Rather we want to encourage this effort as spay/neuter will become part of a gradual reduction in stray and feral cat populations.

3. Use Public Health Education methods to continually reinforce the concept of "Responsible Cat Ownership." Public health education efforts are effective in reducing many other public health problems, and there is no reason to expect that such efforts will not be effective in regards to this problem.

The creation of a Public Health Animal Education Team on this education project will produce better and faster results. The Health Department will plan to form such an education team with partners who share our goals.

Public Health Education will educate and put emphasis on Responsible Cat Ownership and issues of health concern such as stray feral cats. This includes:

A. Feral cats are not part of our natural environment. B. Living as a stray or part of a feral cat colony is a cruel way for people to treat cats. C. Feral cats kill birds. A feral cat colony causes an imbalance of our natural ecosystem. D. Feral cats are often not spayed/neutered leading to further stray cats. E. Feral cats are often not vaccinated against rabies and this poses a hazard to the cats and people. People who are scratched or bitten by a stray cat will almost certainly need to undergo the rabies vaccination series. F. Feral cats cause a nuisance to neighbors, defecate and spray in people's yards. People who run a feral cat colony are unfairly imposing on their neighbors. G. Feral and stray cats are often hit by cars or die too young due to disease and extremes of weather. Each year the Health Dept. picks up dozens of dead cats that have died from these causes. H. Responsible cat ownership practices will be promoted.

References:

1. Audubon Society: (Various publications on cats killing birds and those cats should be kept indoors.)

2. Humane Society: (various articles on reducing stray feral cats.) Page 16 of Humane Society "An Overview of Caring for Free Roaming Cats, states that, ""Pet cats should be kept indoors.."

3. Humane Society, Jan 3, 2011, "Peaceable Backyard Kingdom: Protecting Pets and Wildlife." states, "Keep cats inside for their own safety- and to protect your wild neighbors."

4. LEASE between the Township of Maplewood, The Township of South Orange Village and Jersey Animal Coalition. 1998. 5. NJ State Dept. of Health and Senior Services, web site Office of Animal Welfare, "Free Roaming and Feral Cats." states. " If left unchecked, free roaming cats will breed and their populations increase at locations where they find suitable shelter and food, resulting in environmental/property damage and public nuisance. Free roaming cats will hunt and kill birds,.."

6. NJ State Dept. of Health and Senior Services, "Components of Municipal Animal Control in New Jersey." 2011.