Defining Feral Cats

Kent County now has “managed” feral cats. And “registered colonies” of feral cats. And registered “feral cat caregivers.”

By ordinance the commissioners passed unanimously today, taking effect in 45 days, there will be rules for the caring, feeding, vaccinating, neutering and ear-notching of so-called feral cats.

Never mind the dictionary defines “feral” as a return to a wild state. The new ordinance does the same.

But in the next sentence it defines a feral cat caregiver. That’s “any person who provides care, including food, shelter, or medical care to one or more feral cats, or has temporary custody of a feral cat.”

The ordinance is in response to those who wanted a program approved by the Humane Society and the Kent County Commissioners to trap, alter, vaccinate for rabies and distemper “and return feral cats to their original location.”

From now on, feral cat caregivers and colonies of feral cats will have to be registered with the Humane Society. And the caregivers will maintain records on every cat colony, including each cat’s rabies and vaccination certificate.

And, “Feral Cat Caregivers shall provide food and water to the colony cats on a regular basis, year round, using best practices to minimize, as reasonably as possible, any nuisance and/or unsanitary conditions.”

Also, “Feral Cat Caregivers will ensure that a substitute caregiver is in place during the Feral Cat Caregiver’s temporary or permanent absence.”

Now (by ordinance) that’s wild.