The fur flew a bit when we asked readers what they think about unmanaged cats — feral felines, to be sure, but also those allowed to follow their natural wanderlust and go in and out at will.
Respondents to an informal survey for Block Talk, Patch's exclusive neighborhood etiquette column, generally agreed that unmanaged cats are a problem but sharply disagreed on a solution.
Randy, a Pasadena (Maryland) Patch AM reader, said cats are "currently a huge problem" where he lives. Feral cats aren't at the center of this dustup. The issue is pet owners who allow their cats to roam.
"It's causing many neighbor fights," Randy said. "They crap in our yards, attack our pets and kill wild birds in our yards. They're terrible for the environment. We have no baby birds, no rabbits, and squirrels are attacked.
"Trap the cats and call the county for pickup," Randy continued. "If they want to keep them, they can keep them inside."
"There are at least five that wander through my property daily," said Pennsylvania Patch reader Gail, who doesn't know if they're feral or someone's free-roaming pet. "They sit on my car, try to catch the fish in my pond, make my dogs insane, and have sex in my yard."
Herndon (Virginia) Patch reader Omi tried sprinkling pepper flakes, cayenne pepper and other homemade cat deterrents remedies to stop neighborhood cats from using her flower garden as a litter box. Omi recently purchased a motion-activated solar-powered device that flashes a bright LED light and emits a high-frequency sound when motion is detected.
"So far so good, hoping it lasts," Omi said. "The morning after the first night I set it out, I saw evidence that it likely startled cat — a garden ornament was knocked over, landing a couple feet away."
Pets belong indoors, said Nina, who lives on Long Island and reads Great Neck Patch, Manhasset Hills Patch AM and Port Washington Patch.
"Outdoor community cats have colonies (hopefully managed), and indoor/outdoor cats upset the social order of those colonies," she said. "Plus, those in/out cats are being exposed to all sorts of potential dangers (coyotes, poison, automobiles, parasites). If you want a pet cat, keep it indoors."
"In my bustling Arlington neighborhood, allowing cats to roam is definitely not a good idea. I'd call it irresponsible. It only takes one car to end that cat's life," said Arlington (Virginia) Patch reader Dana. " But I have seen the responses of cat owners when this opinion is given, and it does no good. Usually some innocent cat has to die before the owner sees the light."
Joe, a Stratford (Connecticut) Patch reader, doesn't see the problem.
"As cats bury their feces and don't dig holes or cause other lawn damage, why are they considered to be a problem?" Joe wondered, noting that he feeds feral cats and his own housecat "is very interested in them when they enter his domain!"
He keeps his pets inside, though.
"My cat is allowed to roam the neighborhood, and our neighbors adore him and give him treats," said Crystal Lake-Cary (Illinois) Patch reader Jen. "He is very well fed, so he hunts very little. He will sneak out if he isn't let out, so I manage to keep him in at night."
Jen expects her neighbors to tell her if the cat becomes a problem.
"I think neighbors should talk to each other and express their concerns with respect," she said. "We have a good relationship with most of our neighbors, and we all discuss issues before they become bigger problems."
By far, the most common proposed solution was TNR — trap, neuter (or spay), vaccinate and return — programs.
We also received email messages from readers, including North Fork (New York) Patch reader Virginia Scudder. She's the president of the North Fork Country Kids Animal Rescue and the Rescue Vixens.
Feral and community cats "cannot simply be wished away," she wrote. "Removing them without addressing reproduction only creates space for new, unaltered cats to move in."
TNR programs work best when neighbors, rescuers, municipalities and veterinary professionals work together, she said.
For the program to work once the sterilized cats are returned, volunteers need to provide them with food, water, shelter and medical care, such as flea or tick treatments, and keep their feeding area clean.
"These cats did not create this problem. Human abandonment and failure to spay and neuter did," Scudder said. "We can protect wildlife, respect our neighbors, and treat community cats humanely at the same time."
Moorestown (New Jersey) Patch reader Alysia said people who live in areas without TNR programs should petition their local government to establish one that's free.
"The only way to get ahead of the exploding numbers is to aggressively TNR, and that will not happen if people are expected to pay out of pocket to solve a problem they did not create or contribute to," Alysia said.
Barbara is disgusted that "with all of its glory and budget and income," the affluent town of North Hempstead, New York, "still refuses to face the problem of not having shelter for the poor cats."
The state of New York doesn't require municipalities to shelter stray or feral cats. North Hempstead does partner with a TNR program offered by the nonprofit Helping PAW.
For Barbara, who reads Manhasset Patch AM, Five Towns Patch and Queens Patch, that's a political issue.
"I always feed and will continue to feed and make sure they get socialized and believe in TNR," she said. "Change their officials who have shown no kindness, understanding, or compassion!"
Many respondents said feeding community cats is less about encouraging them to stay and more about compassion for animals they believe were failed by people in the first place. They described the cats as abandoned, hungry or simply trying to survive, and said providing food, water and shelter is the humane thing to do — ideally alongside spaying, neutering and vaccination so the population doesn't keep growing.
"I was one of those people who fed outdoor cats. It didn't matter if they were stray, abandoned or feral," said West Hartford (Connecticut) Patch reader Donna. "Somewhere along the line, they were owned. There are people who move away and leave their pet cat or cats behind, instead of finding another home, or surrendering them to a shelter.
"The focus should not be on your neighbor feeding them; it should be on enforcing laws to hold people responsible for leaving them behind to fend for themselves," Donna said.
"Feral cats chose a place to live and will stay whether they are fed or not. I do believe community cats deserve to have caretakers," said Across America Patch reader Angie. "Community cats are a result of irresponsible humans that do not spay/neuter their pets. They don't ask for the life they have.
"TNR initiatives are the best solution to reduce the overpopulation and suffering of these animals. If more people got involved, instead of complaining, we could make a bigger difference!"
"I've asked the old woman to stop multiple times; she just lies and says she doesn't feed them — while she carries a bag of kibble around" said Healdsburg (California) Patch reader Annoyed Cat Lover. "Then we need to spend money replacing things they destroy, fence off gardens and treat homes for flea infestations."
Healdsburg city officials should do more to control the feral cat population, Annoyed Cat Lover said, adding, "There are still tons of cats and years of damage and spread of [parasites] like gondii in the soil."
Fredericksburg (Virginia) Patch reader Melissa pointed out that under Virginia law, people who regularly care for or harbor feral cats may in some circumstances be considered their legal owners or custodians. That can carry responsibilities that include rabies vaccinations and quarantine requirements.
"If you feed them, you need to be responsible and fix them. If you can't afford it — even fixing one a month will add up! — how are you going to afford feeding them if their numbers quadruple or more within a few months?" she asked.
Spotsylvania County, where Melissa lives, offers a low-cost spay and neuter clinic and also supports a TNR program at the county animal shelter. She also suggested starting a GoFundMe or other crowdfunding campaign to build support and raise the money for a TNR program.
"Humans created the problem; humans can solve it humanely," Melissa said.
TNR may stop reproduction, but several readers said it doesn't eliminate the problems roaming cats create.
"Every day, I have to pick up cat poop from my front lawn and flower bed because we have an epidemic of feral cats in my neighborhood," said Yoli, a Pennsauken (New Jersey) Patch AM reader. "I found out (from animal control) that two neighbors on the street are feeding them. I will not approach the neighbors because I don't want any problems with them. These feral cats have cost me about $700 in materials and products to keep them off my yard deck and front lawns, and nothing has worked!"
Harold has a thorn in his paw about it, too.
"Most people feeding feral cats are knowingly feeding other animals, for example raccoons, skunks, opossums and many other animals also," the Montgomeryville-Lansdale (Pennsylvania) Patch reader said. "This potentially spreads diseases among these wild animals and habituates them to become dependent on the food.
"Since the animals are routinely feeding in an area, this also invites animals that feed on these animals, namely predators like coyotes and foxes," Harold continued. "This can become a safety problem for the people living in the area. Townships should have regulations regarding feeding feral cats."
Free-roaming pet and feral cats kill billions of birds annually in the U.S., making them a leading source of human-caused bird mortality, Harold pointed out. Although bird populations face long-term declines and cat predation contributes to bird deaths, evidence does not prove cats are the primary cause of North America's overall bird population decline.
"The problem is cats killing wildlife that I think has a right to exist free-roaming over domestic cats," he said.
"People don't like the fact that cats kill birds, but that's what cats do," said Plymouth-Canton (Michigan) Patch reader Jen. "It's called the circle of life."
The birds will eventually return, said Mia, a Lake Forest-Lake Bluff (Illinois) Patch reader.
"Our neighborhood had free-roaming domestic cats killing songbirds until the coyotes moved in. One by one, the cats became 'missing pets.' Then we started finding grisly remains — orange tails and skulls," Mia said. "Now, the birds are back at my birdbath."
Pembroke (New Hampshire) Patch AM reader SLM flipped the script even more.
"Stop feeding birds, and I wouldn't have to have my working cats out to hunt all the mice neighbors lure to the area with their bird feeding," SLM said. "There should be a law against feeding animals that aren't yours."
And Canyon Lake (California) Patch AM reader Fritz said this about neighbors who let their house cats roam:
"Then they complain when the cats are eaten by predators, and they want the predators removed."
Block Talk is an exclusive Patch series on neighborhood etiquette — and readers provide the answers. If you have a topic you'd like us to consider, email beth.dalbey@patch.com with "Block Talk" as the subject line.
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