Islip mulls feral cat sterilization plan

Officials in the Town of Islip are considering a plan to cut down the feral cat population there. The plan would offer vouchers for volunteers to give to participating veterinarians to neuter feral

News 12 Staff

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Jun 7, 2016, 6:34 AM

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Updated 3,208 days ago

Officials in the Town of Islip are considering a plan to cut down the feral cat population there.

The plan would offer vouchers for volunteers to give to participating veterinarians to neuter feral cats. The cats will be marked and returned to where they were found.

The volunteers will trap feral cats, bring them and a voucher to a participating vet, care for the cat during its recovery and then release it back into its original feral colony.

The colonies will eventually die off without the ability to reproduce, according to activists.

David Backers, an Islip restaurateur, says the feral cats are a big problem in the area.

"Sometimes they just multiply, and they are all over the place," Backers says. "I wish it would change."

Trish Bergin-Weichbrodt, an Islip Town councilwoman, says feral cats are a problem across Long Island, but other areas have already taken steps to slow down the issue.

Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter says the funds for the plan will not legally be allowed to come from taxpayer money. Instead, Islip will rely on donations and volunteers for the program.