Export council, cat groups agree on stray, feral cat feeding ordinance

When all was said and done on Tuesday night, both Export council and the cat lovers at its meeting were satisfied with an ordinance passed to address stray and feral cat feeding.

Council voted 6-0 to ban feeding such cats if it causes a nuisance to neighbors or is deemed a danger to local residents' health, safety and welfare.

“In other words, we don't care if someone is feeding strays or ferals if it's not causing a nuisance,” solicitor Wes Long said. “And if we receive a complaint, our code enforcement officer can determine whether it's a legitimate nuisance or just a neighborhood squabble.”

If a complaint is determined to be valid, the person feeding the cats must get them spayed, neutered and immunized or could be fined between $100 and $500, according to the ordinance. Once spayed and neutered, the cats would no longer be considered a nuisance and could be returned to the property, Long said.

Export resident John Sever, who feeds a group of about 18 cats, told council that complaints from his neighbor, who brought the issue to council originally, arose out of a parking dispute and had nothing to do with cats.

Becky Morrow, a Duquesne University professor who works with Frankie's Friends Cat Rescue, was at the meeting joined by several members of the Homeless Cat Management Team, whose volunteers helped Sever trap, neuter and spay the cats, nine of which were adopted.

Long asked Morrow to “help me draft an ordinance that works” at the meeting.

Council initially considered an ordinance that would fine people like Sever for feeding stray and feral cats. Morrow said the focus should be on the management of cat colonies, rather than an outright feeding ban.

“There's not going to be a perfect answer,” Morrow said. “But once a group of cats is trapped, neutered and returned, they become a commodity rather than a nuisance.”

Morrow said spayed and neutered cats do not exhibit the caterwauling, spraying and fighting that could make them a problem in neighborhoods. They also help control the population of mice and other rodents, she said.

Morrow said she was surprised by the relatively low number of cats Sever feeds after six years of doing so.

“We did a colony of 90 in Ford City,” she said about her group's spaying/neutering program. “They've been stable for two years now. They continue to defend their territory, so no new animals will come in.”

The original draft of the Export ordinance required that nuisance strays and ferals be moved from the property after a complaint. Morrow said the adopted ordinance, which allows them to be returned after being spayed or neutered, is the best option.

“The bottom line is that there are 70 million ‘community cats' in the U.S., and they're not going away,” she said.

Councilman John Nagoda thanked Morrow and members of other groups who brought ideas to solve the borough's cat problems.

“I really want to commend you for what you guys have done,” Nagoda said.

Councilman Joe Ferri proposed the idea of the ordinance.

“Our job is to respond timely to resident complaints, and I appreciate the feedback we've received,” he said.

Patrick Varine is a Tribune-Review staff writer. He can be reached at 724- 850-2862 or pvarine@tribweb.com.