FAIRVIEW TOWNSHIP, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) – Like many pets, cats can help reduce a pet owner’s stress and anxiety level. But when they’re not your pets and they’re running loose on your property, they could become a problem. That’s why a local community is considering a ban to feed strays. As Eyewitness News Reporter Mark Hiller explains, the proposal is meeting with backlash.

They are cats on the prowl of the feral and stray variety. They often get their food from good-intentioned animal lovers but if a proposed ordinance change comes to pass in Fairview Township, feeding these felines would be considered an illegal act.

“We just feel that there is a lot more effective and humane ways to deal with it than a feral feeding ban,” said Fairview Township resident Gina Snyder.

Ms. Snyder attended Tuesday night’s Fairview Township Supervisors’ meeting. The proposed feeding ban is based on one property owner’s complaint.

“Even if it’s one complaint I mean the resident does deserve to be heard,” said Ms. Snyder.

Feral cats can be more than a nuisance. They are known to carry disease and can rarely be domesticated. The proposed amendment which township supervisors came up with states, “No person shall feed or in any manner provide or place food or water for any feral or stray cat which is not under the ownership or legal possession of such person on any public or private property.”

If such a change in the ordinance were to pass, critics say the feeding ban of cats not only would be cruel but also ineffective in trying to reduce the feral population.

“To me, it’s animal cruelty. You stop them from feeding them, where are they going to go? Now they’re going to dig in garbage. They’re going to starve to death,” said Brenda Buckler who is president of Whiskers World, Inc.

The solution according to her Plains Township-based grassroots group can be summed up in three letters: TNR which stands for trap, neuter, release.

“It works and then they start to decrease. You go down in numbers,” Ms. Buckler said.

The group founded by Ms. Buckler rounded up five stray cats from Luzerne borough. The animals were spayed and neutered at the non-profit clinic No Nonsense Neutering in Plains Township. The cats will now be released into the outdoors where they can’t repopulate.

“You might start off where you fix 30 cats and then you’re down to 10 so it does work,” Ms. Buckler said.

Ms. Snyder believes it will work in her town, too. She just hopes township supervisors feel the same.

“They were willing to listen last night,” she said. “That’s half the battle to just have to listen.”

Fairview Township Supervisors tabled any action Tuesday night on the proposed ordinance change. They’ll take it up again at their September meeting.