BARBERTON: There’s a cat fight in Barberton, and some residents are becoming very territorial.
City Council is considering regulations to deal with an excess of stray cats roaming the streets. Residents on each side of the debate showed up at the council meeting Monday night to talk about their concerns.
Several homeowners complained that stray cats leave feces in their yards. They called the stench unbearable.
“I have to clean my yard before my kids can go out and play in it, I’m tired of it and shouldn’t have to put up with it,” Aaron Fox said. “I’ve been dealing with this problem for seven years. Why do cats have more rights than me, a property owner, and my kids?”
Fox said he traps stray cats and takes them to the county pound. The city of Barberton doesn’t have an animal warden.
Some residents said the best way to rid the problem is to use the TNR system — Trap, Neuter and Return — because the pound will just destroy the cats.
Jerry Toth, of Barberton, said he has used this method for the past four years and has rescued 20 in the city and 30 overall. He said cats go into heat once a month and are very territorial, but when they are spayed, the problem is solved and the cats won’t keep coming back.
City Council’s Environmental Health and Social Services Committee is considering some options. The major issue on the table under the “Animal Feed Nuisance Prevention” ordinance proposal would limit what time of day people would be allowed to feed animals outdoors.
The proposed legislation also calls for people who violate the time limit to be fined $100.
Ward 5 Councilwoman Carol Frey said leaving pet food unattended outside for long periods draws in a lot of animals, including rodents, strays and wild animals. It encourages the transmission of rabies and other diseases.
Only domestic animals kept in an enclosed area, such as yard pens or fences, would be allowed to have food out for more than eight hours.
“It’s inhumane. It’s cruel to let animals starve,” said John Pritchard, of Barberton. “TNR is logical, it saves money and is humane. Abusing an animal is just wrong.”
Toth said the proposed ordinance has flaws and asked the committee to extend the feeding time from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.
“Residents shouldn’t be treated like criminals. We should be able to feed and rescue animals without creating havoc,” said Nancy Somerick, who works with a group that promotes the TNR program. She said it wasn’t a good idea to rely on neighbors to enforce the law.
“Neighbors can be vindictive. It would be like stalking, peeking into someone’s yard and alleging what they are doing. I think we have many more important things than that to be concerned about.”
She said this is the third time an ordinance regulating the growing concern of stray cats has been introduced in Barberton since 2006. The last one was withdrawn by the council in 2010.
Somerick said there have been 2,750 cats neutered since 2006 at low or no cost.
Sally Lee, a real estate agent from Portage Lakes and a volunteer for One of A Kind, a pet adoption center, encouraged residents to call her with their cat problems, telling them she would come and pick up the animal. She uses the Trap-Neuter-Return method, which she feels is the only way to control the stray cat problem.
“Why are we even looking at feeding the cats? How did it get to that point?” Fox asked. “They are obviously eating well. I have enough poop in my yard to prove that. Every weekend the piles are like mine fields.”
Frey and Councilman John Wagner said they will have to find some type of compromise and have taken several suggestions from residents for review.
“All we want is for pet owners to be more responsible, to keep their cats in their own yards and keep them out of our property,” Barbara Marple said. “It’s not just stray cats. If you are gone all day and leave your garage door raised or cracked, your cats are getting out and roaming on other people’s property.”
Marilyn Miller can be reached at 330-996-3098 or mmiller@thebeaconjournal.com.