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Partly cloudy skies. Low 69F. Winds light and variable..

Partly cloudy skies. Low 69F. Winds light and variable.

The Animal Control Advisory Committee is considering a cat community program to help with the feral cat problem that some say is making their lives difficult.

Byron Schirmbeck shared his concerns about feral cats with the committee. In an email, Schirmbeck referred to the city’s current cat program as a “complete failure.”

“What will the city do to protect citizens and animals?” Schirmbeck stated in his post, where he also said he was told by the city’s animal control that he could trap the cats and relocate them but that animal control would not take them.  

“Which, of course, just shifts the problem to another community,” Schirmbeck wrote.

Referring to a study by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Schirmbeck wrote that the department’s position was that “feral (non-owned) and free-roaming cats pose a direct threat to the health of our natural resources.” It further said feral cats negatively impact “songbirds, small mammals, amphibians and other native wildlife populations.” And it recommended against feeding them because doing so draws other wild animals into the area, which can lead to the spread of diseases and pose a threat to other wildlife.

The study also stated that trap, neuter and spay programs are ineffective at “alleviating the threats of feral and free-roaming cat colonies on feline health, human health or native 

wildlife populations.” The same goes for sterilization programs.

Speaking to the committee, Schirmbeck said he is an animal lover.

“I do care about the animals, and I know you have a tough job, but there needs to be some sort of a balance between caring for the animals and caring for the citizens,” he said. “Right now, I am not sure that is in a place that actually works for people or the animals. I am concerned, for the last year, that I have not been able to enjoy my property.”

Schirmbeck said he cannot plant in his vegetable garden because feral cats use it as a litter box and that his yard smells of urine.

After trying some suggested methods to eliminate the feral cats in his neighborhood, Schirmbeck said they were ineffective. He added that people might resort to poisoning the cats or running them over if something is not done.

“Primarily, the issue is negligent owners,” he said. “Whatever we are doing right now, it is not working.”

The committee has been discussing a community cat program for a while, Chairwoman Ellen Holloway said  

“The Texas Parks and Wildlife study was from 2014, but Amarillo and a few other places have also done some research on this, and they pretty much support that,” she said.

Holloway asked committee members if they wanted to move forward with at least getting funding for their program, even if they had to change it somewhat.

“We are going to need funding regardless,” committee member Lou Sisk said. “We have to do something.”

Committee member James Garcia said they should move ahead with the program.

“Irresponsible pet ownership is where it all begins,” Garcia said. “With that, trying to correct that … we can only do that with ordinance revisions. That is something we can discuss as we go further along with other communities in what they are doing.”

Garcia mentioned that pet owners are not allowed to have cats outside in Pasadena. According to the Pasadena pet ordinance, put into effect in 2019, “All animals must be restrained by a fence or leash at all times.”

“Something like that would be a drastic turnaround for us,” Garcia said. “A lot of these cats do not even have a home and they are out there and reproducing. Getting things under control would be the key.”

Baytown Health Director Tony Gray said the health department plans to attend a council work session June 9 to present the community cat program.

“What we are trying to determine as we go forward is to continue that process of going to the work session,” Gray said. “There will have to be requirements put into place no matter what type of program we have for some responsibility toward the people that feed them and potentially the citizens and  pet owners that have cats.”

Veterinarian Francisco Alvarez, a member of the committee, said people would have their cats in their homes and take care of them in an ideal world.

“But that is not where we are at,” Alvarez said. “We can do something like the [trap, neuter and release] program and get something done. It is not ideal, but it is what it is. It is trying to take those animals and get them not to reproduce anymore to try and control the population.

“But it is not the be-all, end-all,” he said. “There are going to be issues and things that come up unless we want hundreds of thousands of stray cats in our neighborhoods. It is the best we can do.”

The committee will present its ideas to council on June 9.

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For years, I have walked the hiking trail behind the animal shelter. There have been instances of people who have driven their cars or trucks up the trail into the woods to drop off cats. They were told to do so by the people at the animal shelter. If it hasn't already done so, the shelter could be a part of the reporting system for the trap, neuter, release program

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