HOWELL – Elected officials have received information regarding a program that offers care for stray cats and feral cats, but they have not decided whether to implement the program.
Brian Becker of the Associated Humane Societies, Tinton Falls, made a presentation about the program to help control the feral cat population during a recent meeting of the Howell Township Council. He said the program seeks to control the feral cat population.
A feral cat is a cat that lives outdoors and has little to no contact with humans. A stray cat is a cat that at one point was socialized with humans or domesticated.
Becker said his organization’s program would be free to Howell.
The purpose of a trap-neuter-release (TNR) program is to keep feral cats and stray cats from reproducing. Even though feral cats may be wild cats they are still, by state law, considered domesticated animals and domesticated animals receive certain protection of the law, Becker said.
The TNR program would require an agreement between Howell and the Associated Humane Societies.
Becker said a TNR program would use colony managers who would be required to keep a list of the cats in the colony they manage, noting how long each cat has been a part of the colony, when a cat was spayed or neutered and when a cat was vaccinated.
Studies have shown that trapping, neutering and releasing cats back to the area they came from will significantly reduce the cat population over a five- to seven-year period and eventually bring a colony down to manageable numbers, according to what a representative of the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals told officials in another municipality that was coping with the same issues as Howell.
Becker said if uncertified caregivers continue to feed feral cat colonies, that can adversely affect a TNR program.
Councilwoman Pauline Smith asked what would happen if a person who cares for outdoor cats does not want to be part of a formal program.
“This is where the requirement of an ordinance would come into play,” Becker said. “It would require anyone who is feeding cats in the township to register with the program.”
He said individuals who fail to comply could receive a summons.
Smith indicated that she is not in favor of a TNR program.
Becker said, “The realm of the program is to help. Generally, you are not going to have a resident who is going to (deny help) if (the township is) offering to spay (and) neuter the cats for free, as long as the resident knows the help is for free and the cats are not going to be euthanized.”
Becker told Smith that animal control officials will not be going around taking anyone’s pet.
“If (a cat that is found) is somebody’s cat and they want the cat back, (they will get it back) 100 percent,” he said.
If Howell officials want to proceed with TNR, the next step would be to introduce an ordinance and establish an agreement between the township and the Associated Humane Societies.
Several residents voiced support for a TNR program. Marlene Swenson and she volunteers with the Jersey Shore Animal Foundation.
“We house our adoptable pets at the Howell Pet Smart. I get between one and 10 calls a week about cats and about trapping cats,” she said.
Swenson said one unspayed cat can lead to a much bigger problem.
“If you have one unspayed cat and that cat has four kittens, in eight months those four kittens will have 16 kittens … you will have (cats) that are unwanted and walking around the streets. They are going through garbage bins, they are getting hit by cars, it happens all the time,” Swenson said.
Resident Jamie Ehlers said she has lived in Howell for 25 years and has trapped cats all that time.
“You have a problem in this town with feral cats. Last year I trapped about 66 cats and 38 of them were females. (When the cats multiply), there is a big problem here and I wish you (council members) would certainly take a look at what the (Associated Humane Societies) is offering this town,” Ehlers said.
Veronica Ehrenspeck, general manager of the Associated Humane Societies, clarified certain aspects of the program. She said if a person who is caring for a colony of cats brings a cat that appears to be tame to the shelter, that cat may be accepted by the organization and eventually be put up for adoption.
Council members did not take any action on a TNR program at the Feb. 6 meeting.