Wednesday, March 7, 2007

Grim reality for feral cats: Shelters euthanize thousands

At the same time, people think they are doing a good deed by feeding stray cats -- but they're really just helping these colonies grow. Angela Guzman knows this all too well. One of her neighbors in West Paterson fed some strays -- and an entire family of feral cats took up residence under her porch. "They used my garden as a litter box," she says. "I was afraid to let my children play in my yard until we got rid of them."
Both animal-control experts and animal advocates agree the owners need to be more responsible.
"Cats should be household pets, the same as dogs," says Comery, the Paramus official. "Pet owners should keep their pets indoors or at least confined to their property. We are constantly getting calls from people whose neighbors' cats are in their yard defecating or attacking the birds at the feeder."
Paterson's John DeCando has another bit of advice: "The bottom line," he says "is that people should spay and neuter their pets."
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