OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — Some of Osceola County's feral cats end up at the Animal Services building, where Thomas Morgan dropped two cats off Monday.
“We catch them. We bring them. We have them spayed or neutered, and this one I'm picking up later today also has a chip. It'll have all its shots and so then it doesn't become a problem,” Morgan said.
But the county said the problem is growing.
“It's really somewhat out of control. We have an estimated 55,00-60,000 feral and free roaming cats in Osceola County,” said Kim Staton, director of Animal Services.
County commissioners approved changes Monday to an animal ordinance that will define a feral cat and allow the county to partner with the nonprofit Best Friends Animal Society.
As part of a three-year grant, the group will conduct a trap, neuter and return program while also doing community outreach with caregivers.
“In that three-year time frame, we're hoping to see a significant down turn in the number of animals coming into the shelters and the number of calls we're getting about nuisance cats or cat problems,” said Staton.
The county said simply removing the cats is not effective, and since many people don't claim the missing, Animal Services stopped picking up the strays.
The goal now is to process about 2,500 cats a year and return them to the community. The county hopes this will free up its officers, allowing the non-profit to cover the costs and get the problem under control.