RICHLANDS, Va. (WVVA) -An old building in Richlands, nicknamed “The Barn” by residents, has been a home to a feral cat colony for round 4 a long time. It’s a sensible choice for the cats because of the operating water and fields for searching shut by. But now, Jason May, the brand new Town Manager of Richlands, is hoping to relocate the cats to supply a cleaner house for the Town workers who work on the Barn.
“It’s part of our process to be able to regain pride in our working environments… The Town of Richlands is gone through a period of time where we’ve struggled, and I was brought here to bring a new vision to the town, and part of my vision is to be able to have pride in our workspaces. I’m proud of Town Hall. I don’t have to step over cat feces or cat urine to come to Town Hall. Why would I expect anybody else in my team to have to do that?” says May.
May is planning three weeks to seek out new properties for the colony. With the Barn on the Town’s demolition record, the Town Manager doesn’t need the feral cats discovering new residence within the surrounding properties. However, Friends of Tazewell County Community Cats Incorporated, an area cat-focused nonprofit who has been caring for the strays, says that is the unsuitable transfer and could be unattainable.
“These cats have lived here their whole life. This is what they know. This is where they should be. To relocate them is cruel…” says Sharon Shinall, the president and founding father of Friends of Tazewell County Community Cats Inc.
Shinall was approached by the Town for her expertise in trapping cats for TNR (entice, neuter, and launch). They advised her that that she wants to seek out new properties for the feral cats, however she doesn’t imagine the timeframe is possible. She’s afraid of what may occur to the unhoused cats after the deadline. Will they be launched in an unsafe location or worse?
“Just because these are community cats and maybe even feral cats, does not make them wild cats. They cannot survive in the wild. To take them out of here and dump them somewhere else is just cruel. This is their home, this is where they’re protected, this is where they know how to find food, water, and shelter…” says Shinall.
Shinall says beforehand trapped cats normally don’t fall for a similar trick twice. Not to say that the Barn might act as a vacuum, which means different cats are prone to transfer in proper after the final batch strikes out. May, nonetheless, disagrees.
“I’ve seen vacuum processes work, but usually in that situation, you’re looking for two to three to maybe four cats per acre… Most of those vacuum programs are out in more rural areas. They’re not in an urban setting; they’re not in the middle of my downtown,” says May.
Shinall says she’s supplied to supply cat repellent to the Town to maintain them out, however the provide was not accepted. May can also be involved that the cats and the meals left by these caring for them may appeal to wild animals, together with buzzards who he has seen doing battle with the cats. He recommends maintaining collars in your exterior cats to keep away from having them mistaken for feral ones in the course of the cat clear-out.
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