Feral cat caretakers demonstration Windsor’s wildlife feeding law

Windsor town hall is no complete stranger to protesters — however today, an uncommon resident signed up with the fray to require modification from regional lawmakers: a little grey cat called Meatball.

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Cradled in the arms of owner Candace Petre, Meatball meowed outdoors town hall on Monday, providing a voice to a little rally versus the city’s wild animal feeding law. The law normally restricts leaving food out for wildlife, consisting of feral cats like Meatball when was, and it enables law enforcement officers to fine those who disobey.

Petre and a handful of others who consider themselves “community cat caregivers” are asking the city to eliminate the law and change it with a neighborhood cat program similar to one in Hamilton that enables caretakers to sign up in a municipally-supported network.

“It hinders our efforts. When we’re out there on the street, people are calling (bylaw) because they see us feeding — they’re threatening us with fines,” Petre said.

The approximately six-page city law was developed in 2021 and restricts the feeding of wild animals on all property. It avoids individuals from positioning food, family pet food, feeding gadgets, or other products in such a way that draws in animals.

There is an exception for feeding feral cats if the feeding becomes part of a spaying or neutering and release program authorized by the city.

Craig Robertson, the city’s manager of licensing, said individuals can feed as numerous feral cats as they desire by themselves homes if they eliminate the food after meal time to prevent drawing in rodents and other wildlife. Bylaw enforcement actions in when locals overlook to eliminate the food source and/or deal shelter for a lot of cats, which protests the city’s keeping of animals law.

“They can’t be keeping or harbouring more than four cats on the premise at a time,” Robertson said. “There’s nothing wrong with feeding the cats provided we’re in compliance with the keeping of animals bylaw.”

Residents are likewise forbidden from establishing shelters and food and water stations on city property, Robertson said.

“We’ve come across shelters set up on city property and it causes a nuisance,” Robertson said. “The other side is we get people complaining (when shelters are on city property) that we’re not maintaining our property.

The feeding bylaw was created, Robertson said, to prevent nuisance to neighbours in the form of rodents and other wildlife, and to maintain property cleanliness. It also aims to protect wildlife by keeping wild animals independent from humans.

“It’s almost like they can’t fend for themselves — you’re providing that food source,” Robertson of wildlife. “They’re not getting their natural instincts to obtain food as they should as an animal.”

Melanie Coulter, executive director of the Windsor-Essex County Humane Society, informed the Star the feeding law was initially an issue for her organization when it passed 2 years back. But in the time because, the city has actually verified that purified and neutered cats can still be fed without effect.

“I have spoken to caregivers who have had discussions with the city about feeding community cats,” Coulter said. “Once (the caregiver) confirmed the cats were spayed or neutered, the city agreed they fell in the exception. We do believe that the exception is being upheld.”

Petre said she’s never ever received a caution from law enforcement for feeding the feral cats in her nest. But she has actually had interactions with law enforcement for feeding cats beyond her area and on city property.

“I don’t just (trap, neuter, and release cats) at my location, and neither do many of the volunteers,” Petre said. “Most of the volunteers are going out to communities that are not their own and trying to solve a problem.

“They’re being invited by private property owners who have a problem and they want to solve it. Instead, these people are getting threatened and fined and told they can’t feed anymore.”

In her Windsor area, Petre has actually caught more than 30 cats and brought them to the gentle society to be purified or neutered, immunized, and microchipped. She launches the cats that are too feral for adoption back outdoors.

The procedure, referred to as trap, neuter, return (TNR), is “the best thing anybody can do to make a cat’s life better,” Coulter said.

“Getting them spayed or neutered is even better for them than feeding them because you are going to make their life better in the long-term,” Coulter said.

The gentle society’s spay and sterilize center deal with people and groups to TNR feral cats at low cost: $50 for the surgical treatment and a complimentary vaccination, microchip, and ear idea. The surgical elimination of a little part of one cat ear is to represent it’s been sanitized.

This year, Windsor is once again using spay/neuter coupons for cats. An overall of 260 coupons worth $75 each will appear beginning at 9 a.m. on May 17. They can be asked for by calling 311.

Petre referenced a program in Hamilton that enables people to sign up as nest providers with the Hamilton/Burlington SCPA. Under that program, caretakers accept follow nest cat care requirements, like offering sufficient shelter and putting out food and fresh water on an everyday schedule for just thirty minutes at a time to dissuade other wildlife from event. Caregivers likewise grant routine website checks by the organization.

“We’re looking at implementing real and tangible lasting solutions to this problem,” Petre said.