Pinellas County Commission embraces recommendations to curb feral cat problem kindly

CLEARWATER — What to do about the cats?

There are tens of thousands running through Pinellas and Hillsborough counties. They are feral, meaning they are homeless and might act wild. But down to it, they have the same DNA as dear Mr. Whiskerson, who curls up on the couch for a snuggle during the news.

So do you eradicate them all? Bad form, most say, and cats are protected by law. Do you find them all happy homes? Good luck with that.

In October 2008, the Pinellas County Commission asked a group of citizens to study the problem and think of ways to help. Tuesday, the group presented a year's worth of work. The commission accepted the suggestions, lending credibility to the group's ambitions of educating the public about spaying, neutering and not abandoning cats.

The private humane groups say they're ready to step up and work harder to solve the problem, but they need the public's help in not adding to it.

The groups will work together to expand spay and neuter programs for low-income citizens. The county may share one of its Animobile surgical vehicles with groups that can use it more often. The nonprofits will also open a dialogue with rogue groups that trap, fix and release cats.

The citizens group, led by Humane Society of Pinellas executive director Barbara Snow, was made up of people affected by feral cats. They work for county Animal Services, nonprofit shelters, environmental groups, the Health Department and cat advocacy groups. One consultant is an attorney in land use and environmental law. One is a veterinarian with the University of Florida who founded two successful feral cat spay and neuter programs.

No county policy will change, and no new county money will be used in the campaign. Instead, the humane groups will apply for grants to pay for marketing and education. The county will help by posting feral cat information online and on bills in the mail.

People need to know things, the group said. Feeding strays leads to more strays, which leads to cat colonies. Cat colonies lead to the inevitable: cat babies. And cat babies don't stay babies long.

"Many people don't realize that cats can get pregnant at about 5 months old," said Dewayne Taylor, assistant director of Pinellas County Animal Services.

Some people still believe cats should live outside, but outdoor cats can run away, Taylor said. It's why the county's "leash law" applies to cats. Animal Services doesn't actively try to nab cats sunning in yards, but you could technically get a violation for allowing it.

The leash law moniker is bad when it comes to cats, said Commissioner Susan Latvala.

"It's really stupid to say people keep their cats on a leash," she said. "It's also not practical. … Are we sending a confusing message? What we need to do is educate people."

Taylor doesn't honestly expect to see a cat on a leash. It's about the bigger picture.

"Our goal is to keep the house cats from becoming strays," he said. "I realize what you're saying. We've all had cats that got outside. That's the nature of cats."

In Hillsborough, the rules are similar — citations happen only when neighbors report cats as a nuisance. Animal workers there are studying Jacksonville, which has a successful spay program called Feral Freedom. But there is no magic formula.

"This is a growing and evolving profession, animal welfare and control," said Hillsborough Animal Services director Bill Armstrong. "It's not an art, but it's not a science. It's a long way from being a science."

It's emotional, everyone says. Especially when there's a hungry cat at the door.

Stephanie Hayes can be reached at shayes@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8857.