Cats have recently become a topic of discussion for town councillors who are looking at what a cat bylaw would entail in town.
The difficulty municipalities face putting a cat bylaw in place is the kind of care that needs to be given if a cat is trapped, explained Ted Dillon, director of protective services for the Town of Ponoka during a Committee of the Whole meeting Sept. 18.
Proper handlers, kennels and rules of care must be followed if council were to enact a bylaw and Dillon says not many municipalities have a cat bylaw because of those challenges.
“The City of Edmonton is probably the best one. They leave the trapping up to the people themselves,” Dillon explained.
“But once they’re in the trap, they have to be fed and watered,” added Dillon.
He says people who don’t care for the trapped cats may be charged under the criminal code and the felines cannot be killed or taken far from the location they were found.
Some of the issues in town may have to do with the people who own cats, but they do not involve neutering or spaying them, he added. Dillon says he receives less than a dozen cat complaints each year.
Rather than enact a cat bylaw, the City of Camrose has conducted a public service campaign in an effort to educate its residents on being a responsible cat owner. Coun. Loanna Gulka feels starting a bylaw like this would be pointless of there is not enough manpower within town staff to handle complaints.
Acting CAO Betty Quinlan said administration will research more on the ramifications of a bylaw and she added trapping cats can become a challenge. “Trapping them creates a huge issue and it’s hard to enforce.”