Running a business has not exactly been the cat's meow for Cheryl Barber.
The Auburn resident opened an inn at 10 Fitch Ave. in September. Barber said when she first opened, there was one stray cat frequenting her backyard. Now there are four, and one of them just had a litter of kittens, she said.
The cats, which Barber said live wild in the neighborhood but are fed by a neighbor, will congregate on her deck and get in the trees around the house.
In the winter, they go under the deck. At times, they leave a “terrible” smell, she said.
“We're very frustrated,” Barber said Friday. “I understand that it is not just a problem with this property. Something has to be done.”
Like many communities, Auburn has its share of feral cats. While a handful of organizations are working to help humanely control the population, there is not yet any official policy in the community in regard to the cats.
However, some local officials are saying that the city could offer some funding to help in the efforts.
According to City Clerk Debra McCormick, the city receives a steady flow of complaints about feral cats during the spring and summer - approximately one a week, though that number can vary.
Auburn City Manager Mark Palesh said citizens are usually referred to the local organization Feral Cat Friends because the city does not have an ordinance or program to handle the situation. Earlier this year, city council approved changes to an ordinance regulating dogs in the city. Palesh said councilors did not wish to tackle the issue of cats at the time.
But the topic has come up at recent meetings, and both city councilors and staff members are looking at possible options. One way, Palesh said, would be to fund a local group such as Feral Cat Friends to help reduce the local feral cat population.
“If we can put a partnership together, the city wouldn't mind funding something like that,” he said. “We've got to be responsive to the citizens' concerns.”
Started in 1999, Feral Cat Friends is a volunteer organization that administers clinics at which 60 stray cats are spayed or neutered, given a rabies vaccination, and re-released. A person must first catch and bring in a cat before receiving services.
The group is currently funded by donations, and it holds about one clinic a month, said Alicia McKeen, a member of the organization.
The city donated $3,000 to the group in 2005 for its clinics, but McKeen said each cat can cost up to $200.
Feral Cat Friends will hold a clinic this weekend, though all the reservations have been filled. Slots are reserved by calling the organization's phone number and leaving a message, and a representative will call back to set up a spot at the next event, McKeen said.
Trapping, spaying or neutering, and vaccinating the animals reduces the health risks associated with feral cats while preventing further procreation, McKeen said. It is also more effective than euthanizing cats, as they are replaced new animals and an established, healthy colony will keep away other feral cats, she said.
“This is an extreme issue,” McKeen said. “There are cats everywhere.”
Rita Sarnicola, owner of the Auburn-based Animal Resource Center, said the community needs some sort of comprehensive program that includes cooperation from the city and county.
Sarnicola said one of the best ways to face the issue of feral cats is to educate citizens in responsible pet ownership. That means taking the initiative and spaying and neutering your own animals so they don't make the problem worse, she said.
“Otherwise it is like putting your finger on a dike,” said Sarnicola, who recently organized her own drive to have a number of local feral cats caught, spayed or neutered, and released.
Tompkins County has a community program run through the local SPCA. The organization holds spay and neuter clinics on Tuesdays, and one Sunday, a month for residents who have trapped stray cats. The SPCA will even loan out a trap, according to director Abigail Smith.
Smith said the program is a popular one, and participants take care of about 30 cats a week, though many of those are also pets of low-income families. Such a program is not cheap, she said, and the county helps pay for it.
“We needed a very aggressive and consistent approach to the problem, and this is a great place to start,” Smith said.
Barber said she does not like the idea of catching feral cats herself, especially without knowing whether they carry diseases. However, she also said she is willing to participate in any sort of program if it can help remove the unwanted cats from her property.
“I'm just one person, and this is a widespread problem,” Barber said. “But I am willing to do whatever it takes.”
Staff writer Christopher Caskey can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or christopher.caskey@lee.net.
The cats, which Barber said live wild in the neighborhood but are fed by a neighbor, will congregate on her deck and get in the trees around the house.
In the winter, they go under the deck. At times, they leave a “terrible” smell, she said.
“We're very frustrated,” Barber said Friday. “I understand that it is not just a problem with this property. Something has to be done.”
Like many communities, Auburn has its share of feral cats. While a handful of organizations are working to help humanely control the population, there is not yet any official policy in the community in regard to the cats.
However, some local officials are saying that the city could offer some funding to help in the efforts.
According to City Clerk Debra McCormick, the city receives a steady flow of complaints about feral cats during the spring and summer - approximately one a week, though that number can vary.
Auburn City Manager Mark Palesh said citizens are usually referred to the local organization Feral Cat Friends because the city does not have an ordinance or program to handle the situation. Earlier this year, city council approved changes to an ordinance regulating dogs in the city. Palesh said councilors did not wish to tackle the issue of cats at the time.
But the topic has come up at recent meetings, and both city councilors and staff members are looking at possible options. One way, Palesh said, would be to fund a local group such as Feral Cat Friends to help reduce the local feral cat population.
“If we can put a partnership together, the city wouldn't mind funding something like that,” he said. “We've got to be responsive to the citizens' concerns.”
Started in 1999, Feral Cat Friends is a volunteer organization that administers clinics at which 60 stray cats are spayed or neutered, given a rabies vaccination, and re-released. A person must first catch and bring in a cat before receiving services.
The group is currently funded by donations, and it holds about one clinic a month, said Alicia McKeen, a member of the organization.
The city donated $3,000 to the group in 2005 for its clinics, but McKeen said each cat can cost up to $200.
Feral Cat Friends will hold a clinic this weekend, though all the reservations have been filled. Slots are reserved by calling the organization's phone number and leaving a message, and a representative will call back to set up a spot at the next event, McKeen said.
Trapping, spaying or neutering, and vaccinating the animals reduces the health risks associated with feral cats while preventing further procreation, McKeen said. It is also more effective than euthanizing cats, as they are replaced new animals and an established, healthy colony will keep away other feral cats, she said.
“This is an extreme issue,” McKeen said. “There are cats everywhere.”
Rita Sarnicola, owner of the Auburn-based Animal Resource Center, said the community needs some sort of comprehensive program that includes cooperation from the city and county.
Sarnicola said one of the best ways to face the issue of feral cats is to educate citizens in responsible pet ownership. That means taking the initiative and spaying and neutering your own animals so they don't make the problem worse, she said.
“Otherwise it is like putting your finger on a dike,” said Sarnicola, who recently organized her own drive to have a number of local feral cats caught, spayed or neutered, and released.
Tompkins County has a community program run through the local SPCA. The organization holds spay and neuter clinics on Tuesdays, and one Sunday, a month for residents who have trapped stray cats. The SPCA will even loan out a trap, according to director Abigail Smith.
Smith said the program is a popular one, and participants take care of about 30 cats a week, though many of those are also pets of low-income families. Such a program is not cheap, she said, and the county helps pay for it.
“We needed a very aggressive and consistent approach to the problem, and this is a great place to start,” Smith said.
Barber said she does not like the idea of catching feral cats herself, especially without knowing whether they carry diseases. However, she also said she is willing to participate in any sort of program if it can help remove the unwanted cats from her property.
“I'm just one person, and this is a widespread problem,” Barber said. “But I am willing to do whatever it takes.”
Staff writer Christopher Caskey can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or christopher.caskey@lee.net.
