Program to deal with cat issues expanded

FERAL and free-roaming cats are the subject of an expanded “cat management” program approved by the Garden Grove City Council on Tuesday night (Andy Leo/Flickr).

It’s said that trying to herd cats is the definition of a difficult task, but the City of Garden Grove will be expanding its efforts to “manage” the cat population of the community.

At Tuesday’s meeting of the city council an agreement with Stray Cat Alliance was approved on a 7-0 vote. The deal will include $70,000 to the SCA to trap free-roaming cats, neuter or spay feral cats, provide felines with a microchip, vaccines for rabies and other medical issues, a topical flea treatment and an “ear modification” to identify treated cats. They are then returned to the area in which they were found.

This year’s agreement calls for a $35,000 increase in funding.

Since the program began in spring of 2018, a total of 439 cats were processed; the new funding is expected to allow for the processing of about 382 more cats per year.