Kenosha---Feral cats would get a break, and their numbers would purportedly dwindle over time, under a proposal that won approval Monday night from a city council committee.
Public Safety and Welfare voted 4-1 to eliminate what amounts to a death sentence for feral cats that are trapped and taken in. Safe Harbor President Bill Bohlman explained to the committee that the animal shelter winds up having to euthanize most of them. "So what happens is the person who traps cats then says well I'm not going to trap them any more because I don't want to see them get euthanized."
And that means more feral cats running around.
Under a proposal from Ald. Kevin Mathewson, Safe Harbor would be allowed to release the cats, but only after sterilizing and vaccinating them. Those cats would also be marked as safe by having the tip of their left ears cut while they’re out cold for the other procedures.
The committee recommendation now goes to the full council.
Ald. Jan Michalski cast the only ‘no’ vote, saying he still believes that the best way to reduce the feral cat population is to euthanize them. But Bohlman held firm, saying research has shown that the trap and release method is the most efficient way to take care of the problem.
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