Cat advocates say they were left out of decision-making process

The council signaled approval of the ordinance earlier this month on a 6-1 vote and is scheduled to finalize its adoption Monday.

But since the initial vote, cat advocates have deluged city leaders with letters of opposition -- and some may show up at the 7 p.m. meeting to voice their displeasure and seek changes in the final ordinance.

The ordinance, an update from one several years ago, intends to have city animal shelter staff work with a nonprofit animal group to reduce the numbers of feral cats.

Such wild cat colonies can be found in pockets throughout the city, often near waterways where there is a food source, including birds and rodents. Without intervention, they can reproduce at alarmingly quick rates and become what some consider a nuisance.

After nearly 20 people spoke at the Oct. 5 meeting -- some regarding the ordinance's provisions regulating ownership of bees and pot-bellied pigs -- council members approved an ordinance that many cat advocates don't support.

One major stumbling block is a requirement in the ordinance that anyone caring for a feral cat colony must be affiliated with a nonprofit group.

Because of that, one of the county's most active animal advocacy groups, Forgotten Felines of Sonoma County, said it will not be part of Petaluma's ordinance as it stands.

"With the previous ordinance, there were so many hurdles that a colony caretaker had to overcome to do the work that they went underground," said Jennifer Kirchner, the group's executive director.

"There are still barriers in the way, and that's what we're opposed to," she said. "We can't get to the cats without the people telling us where they are. If they are afraid to because they're breaking the law, we're not going to get cooperation."

She said Forgotten Felines and others with a stake in the outcome weren't given an opportunity to review the ordinance's final language until just days before the vote.

Given more time, the groups and the city likely "could have worked out all the kinks" before the meeting, Kirchner said.

Councilman Mike Harris said he is willing to hear more about the passion-provoking issue.

"If the groups were promised a roundtable discussion to find a middle ground, that should be explored," he said. "It's a fair request."

Susan Simons, who served as chairwoman of the city's Animal Services Advisory Committee until 2003, e-mailed council members to urge reconsideration.

"Without an authorized feral cat organization stepping up to do the work, the ordinance is worthless -- no tracking system, no progress reports, no obligation to reduce feral cat issues in Petaluma," she wrote.

After the city spent three years and "tens of thousands of dollars" crafting this ordinance, Councilman David Rabbitt said he's not likely to reconsider his vote of approval.

"We need to let this thing work its way out," he said. "If it doesn't work at the end of a year or two, then we can tweak it.

"Ideally, both sides want the same thing ? that one day, there won't be a feral cat issue, or at least one that is smaller than it is now," Rabbitt said.

You can reach Staff Writer Lori A. Carter at 762-7297 or lori.carter@pressdemocrat.com.

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