By Mary Drier
Staff Writer
UNIONVILLE — The issue of a different kind of hunting season – cat trapping – came before one Tuscola County village.
The Unionville Village Council has gotten some complaints from a few residents recently about free-roaming, felines being a nuisance in one section of the community.
“I wouldn’t say that there is a big problem of cats, but there have been complaints about them being a nuisance and getting into the trash,” said village Clerk Carole Gangler noting the area of complaints is on the west side of town along the railroad tracks.
Because wild animals are difficult for animal control to catch, “live trapping” is a way to corral the cats.
The minutes from the last village meeting “reported that animal control’s policy dealing with nuisance cats was that all neighbors must be notified before cat trapping can be done. After a notification has been sent, they can be trapped and taken to the animal control to be euthanized.”
“The village doesn’t do the notification,” said Gangler. “It is up to the resident who wants to do the trapping to do the notification of their intent.”
However, the Tuscola County’s Animal Control Officer Daniel Galbenski noted that the village’s statement isn’t exactly accurate: the shelter doesn’t automatically euthanize animals, and the county doesn’t have an animal control ordinance for felines – that’s up to the village and township.
“By state law, we have to keep a dog we get four days, but there is nothing in the law that addresses about a cat having to be kept,” said Galbenski. “Even though there nothing that requires us to keep a cat for four days, we still do. They are not automatically euthanized. We hold them as a stray in an effort to get them back to the owners.”
In addition, Galbenski explained that “trapping” falls under the control of the Department of Natural Resources.
She also noted animal control could work with neighbors to try to help resolve nuisance animal issues.
“There are laws about keeping your animal on your property. Your dog or cat must be kept in your own yard. It’s the law… not just a common courtesy,” Galbenski stated.
The Tuscola County Animal Control Shelter is dedicated to the welfare of the animals and safety of the citizens. The shelter has 12 dog kennels and nine cat cages.
When it comes to the safe feline trapping, the Feral Cat Coalition has some suggestions: try leaving the trap un-set and covered with a large towel during routine feeding so that the animal will get used to seeing and smelling it in the area.
Use smelly food to bait the trap like tuna, mackerel, or sardines. Spoon a small amount of food onto a soaked newspaper scrap and place the trap on top of the food so the food is as far back in the trap as possible while still not accessible from outside the trap. You want the cat to go all the way into the trap to avoid being injured when the trap door closes.
Press the trap down onto the food so that it squishes up through the wire. The idea is to make the food a little hard to get so that the cat has to go into the trap as far as possible and has to work at getting it long enough to trip the trap.
After setting the trap, cover it with a large piece of material. The cover will help to camouflage the trap and serve to calm the cat after it is caught.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals estimate there are 70 million feral cats roaming about. Although they are fearful of humans, they are still members of a domesticated species, and they are ill-equipped to survive on their own. Feral cats do not die of “old age.” Many are poisoned, shot, tortured by cruel people, attacked by other animals, or hit by cars. Others die of exposure, starvation, or of contagious diseases.
Be a responsible pet owner by having animals spayed or neutered.
The animal rescue group Pet Friendz has a program that can help low-income individuals with having their pet neutered or spayed with a voucher program with $30 to help with neutering and $50 spay assistance. Most all area veterinarians in Tuscola County participate. To apply, e-mail dogtired@centurytel.net. For more information, go to the Website www.petfriendz.org.
Pet Friendz also invites the Spay/Neuter Express Mobile Team in three to four times a year. They operate on animals at about half the usual cost. Those mobile clinics also offer flea treatment/shots/tests and the like.
Also, Google “All About Animals” to find out where the mobile surgical unit is going to be in Michigan and get their pets scheduled with them. And, the Mayville Vet Clinic has done discount spay and neuter days.
Plus, the Humane Society (989) 672-PETS (7387) offers assistance. In some very-low income cases or for seniors, the Humane Society pays full surgical costs, but they do not do cats as this time.
Mary Drier is a staff writer for the Tuscola County Advertiser. She can be reached at drier@tcadvertiser.com.