Plum officials pass law discouraging the feeding, care of feral cats

Plum officials have enacted a new law in order to discourage residents from taking care of feral cats.

Council voted 6-0 last Wednesday night to pass an ordinance that makes it illegal for anyone to “intentionally provide food, water, or other forms of sustenance or care to ally stray, feral, free-roaming or homeless cats, dogs or other stray animals or to allow other persons to engage in such activities on his/her property.”

Councilman Mike Pastor was absent.

It also makes it illegal for any cat owner to allow it to run free outside their residence unless it has been neutered or spayed. The pet also must be immunized against rabies and tipped on the left ear signifying it has been neutered/spayed and immunized.

Hoarding animals also is prohibited.

Borough documents state the public health, safety and welfare of people is impacted by stray and feral animals because of the unsanitary conditions caused by animal feces, the spread of disease and ticks and the danger posed by rabid animals.

People seeing others helping feral cats and other strays can contact borough police or code enforcement.

Those in violation of the ordinance could be fined between $100 and $1,000 and may face jail time.

Feral cats have been a problem in Plum for several years.

Council looked into passing an ordinance in 2018 at the behest of Mayor Harry Schlegel, who fielded residents’ complaints.

Action was postponed then following meetings in which dozens of residents and others who live elsewhere said such a law would be unfair.

“One of the delays in this thing was trying to find an organization to partner with, and we finally found one,” Schlegel said. “We want to trap, neuter and release. That really is the humane way to handle this. It’s something that we needed to get passed.”

Council appointed Frankie’s Friends Cat Rescue of New Kensington to register each feral cat colony they are managing in the borough. The organization is to report to the borough annually the intake and disposition of each feral cat brought to their facility as well as number of kittens born into each feral cat colony.

They also will come to the borough to trap feral cats when called.

No one from the public commented prior to council’s vote.

“There are many different areas in Plum where we’ve had these problems arise,” Borough Manager Michael Thomas said. He stopped short of calling it a boroughwide epidemic.

One resident in the Rustic Ridge neighborhood contacted the Tribune-Review about people shooting BB guns at the animals.

Police Chief Lanny Conley said he has not received any such reports.

The ordinance is available for review at the borough building.