To the Editor:
It is no secret that our community is greatly overpopulated with homeless cats. We all understand that this is a problem, but many do not understand that unscrupulous efforts to remove these cats only make things worse.
A 53rd Street resident was recently discovered trapping local cats to abandon them outside the city. This kind of action shifts the problem elsewhere; it does not solve it. Furthermore, dumping a cat in an unfamiliar location makes finding shelter and food incredibly difficult, if not impossible, for the animal.
Cats are not wild animals. Cats that are abandoned will not easily fend for themselves outdoors. Unfortunately, most of these cats and their offspring will suffer premature death from disease, starvation, or trauma. A life outdoors is not a good life for a cat, and those that are forced to live on the streets desperately need our help to survive.
All cats, even homeless cats, are protected under the state’s animal cruelty and control statutes. Poisoning, abandoning, and relocating these animals is not only cruel – it is illegal. Offenders will be fined up to $1,000 per incident.
The Bayonne Feral Cat Foundation was born out of a collective concern for the welfare of the city’s homeless cats. Our goal is to end feline homelessness in our community. While striving to accomplish this goal, we make every effort to limit the suffering endured by cats that have been forced to live outside.
We will actively pursue any act of animal cruelty and work with the NJSPCA to see that responsible individuals are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. If you would like to help stop animal cruelty, please visit www.bayonneferalcatfoundation.com or call (201) 437-3232.
KATHLEEN HENDERSON
The Bayonne Feral Cat Foundation
www.bayonneferalcatfoundation.com