Town of Islip Considering Program to Reduce Feral Cat Population

The Town of Islip is planning on implementing a new program to help with the stray cat problem in the area.

Last month, the Town's Environmental Control Commissioner Jame Heil worked on a draft for a Trap, Neuter and Return program, which he then presented to the Town Board.

After proposing the draft, he received nine comments from local residents on ideas for the program which he incorporated in the draft.

The program, which would be implemented throughout the entire Town of Islip, would humanely trap local free-roaming cats to sterilize and treat them before returning them to the area where they were trapped.

Heil says he also plans on cooperating with local animal rescue groups as well as the Town of Islip Animal Shelter in addition to local veterinarians. The plays would possibly include a voucher system to pay for part of the spay and neutering and possibliy vaccinate them before returning them to the wild.

According to Heil, he has received a lot of calls regarding feral cats within the Town.

"It's difficult to estimate how many cats are out there," he says. "But feral cats will reproduce at least three times a year."

He hopes to get the plan running as soon as possible. He will be sending a draft of the plan to the Town's attorney before going back to the Town board to be adopted as a law.

The plan would control the population of the cats over time and control the size of the colonies. However Heil says that some have shown concern that the plan would not be an immediate solution to the problem.

"There's always going to be an input of cats," he says. "My sense is that it's an island-wide issue."

Heil also said he is looking for further donations and grants to help get the program started.

He encourages anyone with any additional comments or feedback on the program to contact his office at 631-224-5645.

Photo: Patch File Photo