Problem: Trapping feral cats in Leander is illegal, but the city is not enforcing the law as rescue groups trap and neuter the wild cats.

Who's responsible: Leander Police Chief Don Hatcher

Carmen Amaya says Leander's ordinance against trapping and releasing wild animals - including feral cats - needs to be enforced but that police and animal control officers keep allowing people to trap cats so they can be neutered and then released back into the community.

Details.

[Fortunately, this is not a felony offense and does not involve my office. But, who knew cat trapping was so controversial?

Hmm, wonder if they are releasing the neutered feral cats anywhere near the Austin koi pond?]

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Hmm, wonder if they are releasing the neutered feral cats anywhere near the Austin koi pond?

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Are they fat cats?

Security cameras at the pond did pick up this image:

I can understand the person's concern about getting scratched by a feral cat. But the catch and release program isn't causing the feral cats to be there. If the cat wasn't caught, fixed, and released, then the cat would just still be in the same place it was the whole time. Except it would also have the problems of going into heat, drawing in toms from all over to mate, and then litters of even more feral cats. So enforcing the ordinance wouldn't solve the complainer's problem and would actually make the overall situation worse. What she needs to do is push for Animal Control to get rid of the cat period.

Can I give her your number?

Give her the number of the local animal shelter, or better yet, a cat rescue.

Is hunting them legal?

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Originally posted by John A. Stride:
Is hunting them legal?

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As far as the game laws are concerned, a hunting license and landowner consent is all that is needed. However, if someone later claims ownership of the cat, an animal cruelty prosecution is possible. I advise would-be cat shooters to be familiar with the cruelty law, including the exceptions.

Cats are a scourge on wildlife: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_lf_w7000_0658.pdf

In my view it is right and proper to kill stray cats on sight.

I'm a big animal lover and an advocate of rescue, but if a feral cat was hurting me, my child, and my dog in my own yard, you'd better believe I'd shoot it!

Feral cats better stay away from the Governor's jogging trail and his puppy!

I always thought cats were by definition "feral." What is the old saying. "cats don't have owners...they have staff."

I guess you could lure a cat in front of your car.

Had a guy call and want to file cruelty to animals charges on a "De-Snaking" operation. These guys teach dogs to avoid snakes. They take a big 'ol rattlesnake, de-fang it and staple its mouth shut and use it to strike at the dog to teach the dog to avoid it. They only staple the snakes mouth shut for about 12-24 hours then they remove the staples and return the snake to its enclosure to use later on down the road.

The complainant wanted us to prosecute the kennel owner for cruelty to the rattlesnake (not the dog). Now mind you, I know there are people out there that love these slithering creatures but I think if all that happens to a rattlesnake is a bit of stapling here and there, he is lucky I didn't run into it out in the open.

I ran into a 3 foot rattler a few weeks ago in my rose bushes. Let's just say, "Shovel - 1, Rattlesnakes - 0"

I put a picture of the permanently asleep (not yet decomposed) snake in my office window. Nobody here felt sorry for the snake.

Now Tuck, that was my story to tell since I was forced to deal with the "crazy checker". First time I have ever been called a "good ol' boy" since I am a girl and a Buckeye. As in you are just a good ol' boy who thinks only kind of good snake is a dead snake per our caller. Yep, that is the only good kind. Trying to explain to this irate young man why there is no way in hell a Grimes County jury would convict someone for stapling a rattlesnake's mouth shut was entertaining to say the least!!!