Some facts about cats

Dear Editor: RE “Ulster County woman’s effort to euthanize feral cats stirs fierce debate with advocates of trapping, neutering,” July 15, 2019: Adam Saunders, of the Ulster County SPCA should fact check before speaking when he says, referring to the town of Ulster, “She (meaning me) killed her way through that village and the cats simply returned.”

This is false. It was the Woodstock Feral Cat Project that trapped, neutered and released cats there in 2014.

Despite Project Cat being called in by the town of Ulster in 2015 after neighbors complained about cats to the Ulster County Department of Health, we were unable to do anything because of a few uncooperative neighbors. Complaints continued, the problem worsened, and new litters of kittens exacerbated the problem. The Ulster County SPCA offered trap, neuter and release again in 2017. Same problem, same nonsolution, and none of it involved Project Cat. This can be verified with town officials.

Dr. Julie Levy, a neuter-andrelease advocate, concluded in her Florida study that cats are not territorial, stating: “Freeroaming cats do not appear to have sufficient territorial activity to prevent new arrivals from permanently joining colonies.” Feeding outdoor cats attracts new cats. Trap, neuter and release works to perpetuate outdoor cat colonies by keeping them out of shelters. Claims of low euthanasia rates mean the neediest of cats are turned away at the “no-kill” shelter’s door and die elsewhere.

Cats that are trapped, neutered and released only receive one rabies vaccination, requiring a booster to provide full immunity. Two rabies-positive cats were documented by the Ulster County Department of Health in May 2017.

Reduce cat homelessness by reducing abandoned cats through owner responsibility via enactment of ordinances that treat companion cats like dogs — license, identification and containment or control by the owner. Our cat companions deserve nothing less. Gail Mihocko, Director

Project Cat, Accord