BROWARD COUNTY, FL – We’ve all seen the TV ads: Cats and dogs stare out at us from a shelter where they face the odds – awaiting adoption or, worst-case scenario, euthanization. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), more than six and a half million companion animals enter shelters nationwide every year (3.3 million dogs, 3.2 million cats). Approximately 1.5 million of those animals will end up being put to sleep – 670,000 of the dogs, 860,000 of the cats. 

Another ASPCA statistic: A fertile cat will likely produce at least one to two litters a year, averaging four to six kittens per litter. Extrapolating from that, the Broward-based nonprofit group Cat Pals estimates that one unfixed female cat and her offspring are capable of generating more than 420,000 cats in seven years. It may be possible to domesticate some of these cats – and Cat Pals works to place the ones that can be – but many of those remaining will struggle to survive on their own, becoming more feral with each generation.

For more than a decade, Broward County Parks and Recreation Division has worked with nonprofit groups such as Cat Crusade and Cat Pals for successful removal and rehoming of abandoned cat populations. Because of an ongoing problem with abandoned cats at Quiet Waters Park (401 S Powerline Rd., Deerfield Beach) , a local resident reached out to Broward County Parks and Quiet Waters in November 2014 to become a volunteer to assist with abandoned animals. Beginning in May 2020, as the cat population was increasing, Quiet Waters park managers asked the volunteer to stop feeding the cats and start trapping them. She was able to find homes for some of the cats but continued to feed cat colonies that could not be relocated. 

The unfortunate result of leaving food out for cats is that it attracts other animals. In this case it was raccoons and coyotes, which created an even more threatening situation for the cats that had been left behind by owners. 

In December 2020, County staff contacted Suzanne Williams, founder of Cat Crusade, who agreed to assist in removing the cats from Quiet Waters, as she had successfully done at T.Y. (Topeekeegee Yugnee) Park, 3300 N Park Rd., Hollywood) in 2015 and 2016. This month, Williams met park staff on site and agreed to trap the cats in the campgrounds first. The trapping was set to start on Wednesday, January 27th. Word quickly spread via social media that the cats would be euthanized. That information is not true. Cat Crusade places and cares for abandoned cats and kittens for the tricounty area. The cats are spayed/neutered, tested for feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukemia virus (FeLV), and administered vaccinations for rabies and feline viral rhinotracheitis, calcivirus, and panleukopenia (FBRCP). All cats are treated before being placed for adoption. The Parks Division’s goal is for the cats to receive appropriate care and to be placed in homes.

Skeptics might argue that the park’s cat colony poses no problem – that the cats, left alone, harm no one. Not true. A few facts:

•  Far from living the life of freedom that their previous owners might imagine for them, these cats are susceptible to attack by wild animals, starvation, and disease, among other dangers.
• Feral cats compete with wildlife for food, water, and space, disrupting natural ecosystems that our County parks are responsible for protecting and preserving. Feeding the cats results in numerous problems.
• As referenced above, cats can reproduce at an alarming rate, potentially outstripping their habitat’s ability to support them.
• Cats can contract rabies from wild animals such as raccoons, not only endangering the neighborhood’s domestic animals and their owners but also creating a public health and safety risk for the community at large.
• Ongoing construction projects at Quiet Waters jeopardize the cats’ safety.

Chapter 25 ½ of the Broward County Code prohibits releasing cats that are trapped and neutered back into parks. The rescue groups that work with County staff try to manage and reduce the existing cat population at Quiet Waters and other parks by rehoming cats that are adoptable in loving homes and placing those that are not adoptable with farms, stables, and other places that agree to accept them safely and legally.

If you are interested in providing a forever home for an abandoned cat that’s suitable for adoption, or if you have a property that meets the criteria for establishing a colony of cats, Cat Crusade can help facilitate; contact them at 954-644-9967. The group also welcomes new volunteers.
 

Recreation. Preservation. Education.

About the Parks and Recreation Division
Broward County Parks manages almost 6,500 acres, encompassing nearly 50 regional parks and nature centers, neighborhood parks, and natural areas at various stages of development. Hours and fees vary by location. Visit Broward.org/Parks for details. Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations in order to participate in programs, services, and activities must contact the Special Populations Section at 954-357-8170 or TTY 954-537-2844 at least five business days prior to the scheduled meeting or event.

DATE: January 29, 2021
GENERAL MEDIA CONTACT: Cyndy Baker
Parks and Recreation Division
PHONE: 954-357-8117
CONTACT FOR THIS PROGRAM/EVENT:
Cherise Williams, 954-357-8142