Wylie City Council focused on three words pertaining to feral cats: trap, neuter and release.

A trap-neuter-release ordinance for feral cats throughout the city was presented during the Tuesday, Sept. 27, regular meeting.

Police Chief Anthony Henderson presented the ordinance that would provide needed information to caregivers and the city’s animal services department, adding that it lays out specific practices for how to feed the animals roaming around.

Two residents spoke about issues — including noise and excrement — they have had with feral cats on their properties in the city.

One of the residents, Sandra Stone, said she has been in contact with animal services for several months and 14 cats have been picked up on her property.

“Everybody else has to have their animals registered with the city; these people [who are caring for the feral cats] do  not,” Stone said. “The ordinance speaks to managing the colony. It seems like really vague words.”

She continued, saying that the cats run wild and the caregivers that she has witnessed have been feeding the animals.

Stone said she would like the city to not release the cats back in her neighborhood.

Animal Shelter Director Sheila Patton said the trap-neuter-release program is the most effective and humane way to deal with the cats because removal and euthanization do not address the issue. The city’s sterilization program for the animals keeps them from reproducing, which controls the population, she added.

“Introducing a cat to another colony is a very complicated issue,” Patton said. “If we’re just taking a cat away from a colony and adding it to another, we’re adding to that [other] colony as well. We’re trying very hard to understand what Ms. Stone is going through.”

For the full story, see the Oct. 5 issue of The Wylie News.