-Isms: Views on life in rural America

Our family gained six new members recently. They’re cute and cuddly, afraid of getting too close to anyone but their mom.

A momma cat - we call her Patches - invaded our deck early this spring. I told Scott she obviously is - or was - someone’s house cat. She’s kind of tame, kind of wild. Patches also brought several feral friends of the male persuasion with her, taking over our wrap-around porch and backyard, invading our neighbors’ homes, too.

Around the first of June, Patches delivered five babies beneath our deck. She moved them for a short time and, right before rodeo, drug each of them home, once again taking up residence under our deck.

Like the cat that got the cream, Patches seemingly knew all the grandkids on our side of the block would be visiting and fawn over the quintuplets with affection.

I believe three of the littles will have found new homes and hope the remainder become good barn cats at the farm.

Our block isn’t the only spot in town overrun with wild cats of all sizes. Most mornings, as I arrive at work, a jet black fat cat waddles down Second Street, occasionally resting against the front door of our office. If anyone approaches, she - or I believe it’s a she because occasionally a band of kittens traipse after her/it - arches her back, hisses and runs across the street, into the alley, taking refuge next to someone else’s building.

Our village isn’t the only spot overrun with feral cats.

A 2018 study, published in “The Times-Picayune,” notes that scientists estimate “between 60 and 160 million feral cats roam the United States.”

That was five years ago. How many roam planet Earth now?

The article’s author, Joan Meiners, includes 15 reasons to be concerned about the feral cat population, including how they harm biodiversity, increase the likelihood of mosquito-borne diseases, are the largest source of rabies infections worldwide, carry toxoplasmosis and once trapped, crowd animal shelters.

I’m not sure what the best solution is for the feral cat population, but I do know this: Feeding 50 stray cats isn’t helping the problem. It only creates more concerns. It isn’t feasible for the village to trap the invasive species and take them to a nearby animal shelter. Is it smart to live-trap, spay or neuter and then return to the wild? Is it going to take some type of local ordinance to solve the problem?

I, along with village trustees, want to hear ideas of how to control the feral cat population. Share your viewpoint with us by emailing [email protected].