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Officials seek feral cat feeder
By THOMAS MICHALSKI
| Article published on Thursday, Jan. 7, 2010 |
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PINELLAS PARK – Residents in Pinellas Park’s Woodbury area are up in arms over an unidentified woman who is feeding feral cats that are creating a nuisance in the neighborhood.
Dan Katsiyiannis, city budget director and a resident of the area near 118th Avenue, said the cat lover repeatedly sneaks into the neighborhood from out of town and leaves behind piles of wet and dry food.
“Not only is it a health hazard, but now the neighborhood is inundated with feral cats,” Katsiyiannis said.
Katsiyiannis said the wild cats are scratching cars with their claws, digging up flower pots and gardens, and otherwise making pests of themselves.
One area resident, Jennifer Duffy, said the so-called “Cat Lady” drives a late model silver Pontiac. The woman drops off food between 4 and 6 p.m. each day and around noon on holidays and weekends. She said 15 cats have already been picked up by Pinellas County Animal Control.
“Our house is rapidly becoming flea-infested,” Duffy said in an e-mail. “I’ve already spent $140 at the vet for our pets on flea and worm treatment. It would have been much more had it not been for pet insurance.”
Residents complain of the stench from urine and feces, screeching fights at night, burrows under fences and other problems.
Not only are the cages capturing the feral cats, but a few possums and raccoons have been trapped as well. Cats and raccoons for some reason readily co-exist.
Susan Walker, city neighborhood services administrator, said in an e-mail that once the woman is caught leaving food she will be warned not to do it again.
The woman also can be ticketed and fined. Tim Caddell, city government affairs administrator, said feeding wild animals falls under public nuisance ordinances. Offenders can be fined $250 per day for each time they are caught.
“What people do not realize is that they are doing more harm than good by feeding wild animals,” Caddell said.
The problem of wild cats in Pinellas County is ongoing. County commissioners last month accepted a report on the issue that was prepared by a citizens’ study group. The unit included representatives from county animal services, nonprofit animal shelters, animal welfare groups, environmental nonprofit groups, county department of environmental management, county health department, as well as feral cat advocacy groups.
It is estimated that more than 100,000 feral cats reside in Pinellas County. That is in addition to so-called “free roaming” cats that populate the county.
The citizens group has recommended feral and free-roaming cat initiatives, educational programs, spay and neutering programs, and continued support of current animal control codes that require owners to vaccinate, license and not allow cats to roam free.
The proposals include discouraging the practice of leaving food or garbage outside homes. Any program would include efforts to involve people who are now illegally feeding cats because they become so emotionally involved with the animals.
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Article published on Thursday, Jan. 7, 2010
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