Lake City officials have cancelled plans to address a growing feral cat problem in town due to a cascade of negative comments from the public. Administrator, Eric Wood, announced at the end of September they had contacted an animal control contractor to implement a trap-and-relocate initiative. Their idea was to place traps in several areas of town to catch owner-less felines. Captured animals would be taken to a nearby shelter and placed for adoption. If the shelter was full, they would be transported to a rural area near Bronson. Wood says they did not intend to euthanize the feral cats but still faced backlash at city hall and online.
The city has abandoned that plan to curb the feral cat population. However, he says they cannot allow the problem to continue to grow. According to Wood, the city intends to purchase several new live traps and make them available for the public to use.
Wood adds it is a tough situation. A substantial number of residents do not want stray cats on their property, and many people want to make sure the animals are treated humanely. Officials hope this solution will appeal to both groups. Three traps are currently available at city hall and the new ones are expected to arrive in the coming weeks. Residents can use the traps for free, but they do need to pick them up in person and sign them out.
