The Humane Society estimates there are some 30 to 40 million stray and feral cats in the United States. Of those, only 2% are spayed or neutered.
In Mount Pleasant, many people have started to raise their concerns about the health and safety of themselves, their families and the cats.
On North Arnold Street, at least 30 feral cats have a whole yard, and house, to themselves.
Joelle Snyder, who lives next door said the house has been abandoned for more than a year, but the owner still stops by to feed the cats.
For Snyder, living next to the colony has definitely had some smelly consequences.
“I definitely think there's probably property value, you know, decreases just between the state of the house and the amount of cats," Snyder said. "When it gets warmer in the summer, there definitely is a smell and they do defecate and urinate in in our yard.”
After years of receiving complaints about the North Arnold Street cat colony as well as others in the city, the Mount Pleasant City Commission has taken action.
On July 12, commissioners voted 5 to 2 in favor of an amendment to the city code that limits the number of pets residents’ can have and that counts feral cats as yours if you feed them.
“What this ordinance would allow us to do in those situations, is to first remind people, they're limited to only having three (cats and/or dogs), and even if they're feeding them and attracting them to their yard, those count toward their three that are allowed," Mount Pleasant City Manager Nancy Ridley said.
Lori Gillis, one of the five city commissioners who voted in favor of the new ordinance, said the amendments is a small step that gives the code enforcement a tool to use.
"We're not talking two feral cats, we're not talking three feral cats, we're talking a dozen or more and I don't think anyone would want their neighbor housing a dozen feral cats next to them," Gillis said. "I think you would be much more sympathetic if you lived in my neighborhood and saw what we dealt with.”
Commissioner Olivia Cyman opposes the new rule. She would prefer the city look into other solutions, such as TNR, first.
TNR, Trap-Neuter-Release, is recommended approach to take with cats who are too wild to be put in a home.
"When they are neutered, they can no longer reproduce which controls, stabilizes and reduces the population in a way that isn't harmful to the cats," Cyman said. "That reduces the noise and the smell the residents have been complaining about. They can no longer produce testosterone, which creates the smell, and the mating and fighting is what creates the noise, so this will all be reduced.”
Dawn Jevicks, community involvement coordinator at the Humane Animal Treatment Society, said if community members are prohibited from feeding cats, it will lead to more fights… even if some of the cats are fixed.
"The moment you spay and neuter them, it lowers their hormones," Jevicks said. "If people are allowed to feed the animals, you won't be hearing them fighting over food resources, but they've just made that a violation of the current ordinance.”
Jevicks said people have been calling HATS asking if they have to surrender their pets when the ordinance is officially in effect. The organization has been telling those community members just to concentrate on being good, responsible pet owners
Mount Pleasant’s new rules take effect August 12. The city commission plans to review the ordinance after six months to see what progress has been made.
Courtney produced this story as part of the Michigan News Group internship. A collaboration between WCMU and eight community newspapers. Courtney is based at the Leelanau Enterprise
