Feral felines pose problem

In the past 18 months, the feral cat population in her Bovard neighborhood has grown, she said. Badgely estimates there are 18 to 20 feral cats living along Second and Third streets.

"We are overrun with cats. They don't belong to anybody. People are going to start getting angry and put out antifreeze," Badgley said.

Frustrated by the lack of help from the township and humane officers, she took in three kittens.

"I couldn't just leave them out there," Badgley said.

She kept two and took them to the veterinarian, paying a $130 bill for their care.

Badgley said she would like to see Hempfield Township assist residents with the problem, perhaps setting aside some tax money to establish a relief fund.

She intends to take her appeal for help to township supervisors this month.

"We're not a rural area anymore. They have to do something with all the homes that are going up around here," she said.

Hempfield Township Manager Rob Ritson said he does not get many calls about feral cats. "It's not a real issue. People have adapted to seeing cats around as a way of life."

In Mt. Pleasant, Mayor Jerry Lucia said feral cats gave been making themselves at home within the borough for two decades.

"The problem comes and goes. We don't do any trapping, but if a resident does, we will take the cat out to a farm several miles outside the borough. A farmer has been very generous to allow us to bring them there, so the people will know they aren't being destroyed and are being fed and cared for," he said.

Lucia acknowledged the borough has been approached by several well-meaning animal lovers who have tried to organize a rescue operation, but they soon discover it's cost-prohibitive.

"People just don't want to spend money on a cat they found walking across their porch one day," he said.

According to the Humane Society of the United States, there are about 60 million feral cats in America, born almost exclusively to domestic cats who were not spayed or neutered by their owners.

In addition, about 4 million to 6 million feral or homeless cats are euthanized annually in the United States.

Overwhelming task

"I can't even think of a solution. The kind of money needed to fix this problem is not there," said Westmoreland County humane officer Elaine Gower. 'There are more than 50,000 owned cats in the county and at least that many feral cats. My guess (is that) there would be more than 100,000. Since there is no licensing, it's hard to tell."

Gower said she gets daily calls for help, but the task is overwhelming.

"Many people think tax dollars should pay for this service. But most municipalities don't have a cat contract," she said.

In Pennsylvania, the Department of Agriculture governs dog licensing, but has no current plans to address the feral cat issue by turning to cat licensing to control breeding or to encourage owner responsibility. "We don't have regulatory authority over them. They don't have to be vaccinated in any way, so there is no way of enforcing anything," said spokesman Chris Ryder.

"As far as looking to do that, we're not. We're currently looking at feral animals like raccoons from a rabies perspective and have also focused our energy on feral hogs, who are much more destructive," Ryder said.

Gower said cats traditionally have been viewed by farmers as working farm animals needed to control pests such as rats and mice, which may explain the lack of regulatory legislation.

"It's a widespread problem that likely came out of increased animal protection," Gower added. "The feral population was thinned out naturally years ago by predators or people not taking the time to feed wild ones they feel sorry for. People's attitudes about animals have softened, and this is part of the problem."

One way the cat population can be controlled is through the "trap, neuter and return" method, Gower said.

One control method

Jessica Frohman, of Alley Cat Allies, a 16-year-old cat resource agency based out of Bethesda, Md., said trap, neuter, return, or TNR, is the best solution to controlling feral felines.

"We are chiefly the information resource. We do lectures and offer hands-on help to start TNR programs. We want to reduce the number of cats out there. Feral cats are the number one animal killed in shelters," she said.

"We are about changing the system that is ingrained in stone. The laws are based on agricultural laws that don't relate to domestic animals," she said.

Locally, Dawn Mehall, of Scottdale, established Friends of Homeless Felines, a 4-year-old, nonprofit agency that provides trap, neuter and release service at a minimal cost.

"Trap, neuter, release isn't new. It's already done in different parts of the world. This is the only way to manage cat colonies," Mehall said.

Mehall said many cat fanciers advocate keeping cats indoors their entire lives to control the population.

"That's not reality. There's no way you can completely prevent a cat from getting out if it wants to go out. Some have no interest in going out, but some do. I have five cats ... they all have different personalities," she said.

Depending on shelters isn't the solution either, she said.

"All the shelters are full. There are just too many people that don't spay and neuter and just drop them off at a farm or somewhere remote and they become wild. Our hopes are so high for this organization to educate people about TNR. We need grant writers to help our nonprofit agency survive and defray the cost of TNR. And we always need more people who are willing pick up trapped cats and help us get them to the veterinary hospital for treatment," she said.

Negative impact

But the Pennsylvania Game Commission does not condone TNR, said Barry Zaffuto, southwest regional habitat management supervisor.

"Our position is feral cats have a negative impact on wildlife, so we would not be in favor of trap, neuter and release. They are not true wildlife, so from a wildlife perspective, they are not a natural part of the ecosystem. They have a negative influence on wildlife, especially the wild bird population," he said.

According to a 2003 annual report from the commission's research division of the Bureau of Wildlife Management, a feral cat was responsible for killing a female Indiana bat, which is on the federal endangered species list.

"It's a big issue. It's an issue that's beyond the Game Commission's control," Zaffuto said.

In a report released in May by The American Bird Conservancy, based in Washington, D.C., the nonprofit agency said scientists estimate free-roaming cats annually kill hundreds of millions of birds, reptiles and amphibians, including many endangered species. Many of the kills are simply for sport, not sustenance, the report said.

Mehall disagrees. "There are a lot of environmental factors. The natural habitat of some of the birds and other wildlife is being depleted by human development," she said.

For more information about Friends of Homeless Felines in Scottdale, call 724-887-0472.

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