A Cat Problem In Hinsdale? Yes, Officials Say

HINSDALE, IL – The discussion at Tuesday's Hinsdale Village Board meeting was supposed to center on loose dogs and where police should take them.

But cats kept coming up.

The focus was on the rocky negotiations between Hinsdale and the Hinsdale Humane Society, which is starting to charge for housing dogs.

During the debate, Village President Tom Cauley reminded people that the subject was dogs, not cats. That was because dogs can present a public safety problem, while cats do not, he said.

At the meeting, JoAnn McGuinness, president of the society's board, noted cats are an issue in town as well.

"You're thinking about dogs, but not the cat problem," she told the Village Board. "I urge you to drive around Whole Foods. At any point in time, there are 20 to 30 stray cats, and they multiply at slightly less than the rate of rabbits."

The society's veterinarian, she said, has a program for cats in which she spays and neuters and then releases them. Those with notched ears are the ones that have been fixed.

Village officials, including Cauley, acknowledged the feral cat issue. McGuinness said other towns face the same situation.

A Humane Society volunteer told village officials the group told a resident recently to take a feral cat to the police. She wondered what happened to the animal.

Cauley said he did not know. He advised the volunteer to call the police.