Kitty Limits: Town's proposal to eliminate feral cats scratches nerves of some animal proponents in Rancho Viejo

When it comes to Rancho Viejo's cat infestation problem, emotions run high. In the last two months, the town created a cat control committee, brought in feral cat experts and consulted with veterinarians and animal rights advocates.

But residents' complaints about screeching cats and diseased strays are still pouring in, said Mayor Craig Flood, and the time has come for action.

On Tuesday night, the board of aldermen will vote on an ordinance that would crack down on unwanted felines. The ordinance requires that all of the town's pets be registered, and arranges for the removal - and possible termination - of undomesticated animals.

Some of the cats' staunch defenders, including resident Alma Leal, are incensed by the proposition.

"There are proven programs to deal with cats in a humane way," Leal said. "Why do we have to kill a living thing because you hate it?"

At a town meeting in January, Leal presented a trap, neuter and release program that she implemented at the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College campus beginning in 2004. She said the UTB-TSC program has been a great success, facilitating the safe return or adoption of more than 60 cats.

But Flood is skeptical of such a plan, calling it expensive and most likely ineffective. It would cost about $60 per cat.

"Trap, neuter and release programs have not worked in other communities," he said. "And with infected cats, we have a terrible liability on our hands."

The town's ordinance includes eight provisions, requiring the tagging and vaccination of household pets and offering a $500 breeding license to pet owners whose cats are not spayed or neutered.

If a dog or cat is found outside of its owner's property, it would be subject to removal. The animal's owner could be fined $150 for violating the provision. The ordinance would also make it illegal to feed stray cats.

According to the Cat Fanciers' Association, between 7 and 22 percent of all households in America are feeding stray animals. The organization reports that there are between 6 million and 12 million homeless cats in the United States.

If the Rancho Viejo ordinance passes, homeless dogs and cats would likely be picked up by Brownsville PAWS, a community organization that helps find owners for stray animals. But when it comes to feral cats, there's not much PAWS representatives can do.

"We'll have to hand those over to the county, where they will be terminated," said PAWS director Edgar Treviño. "Instead, we should be neutering them and returning them to Rancho Viejo."

But the town's cat problem is complicated by a suspected "cat dumping" problem. Flood says that people are releasing groups of stray cats in Rancho Viejo in the middle of the night, increasing the size of the stray population.

"This is the most emotional issue I've dealt with as mayor," Flood said. "I still haven't found any permanent solutions."

 ksieff@brownsvilleherald.com