There is a serious problem at this park with feral and stray cats, where the residents are the only ones who take it upon themselves to handle the situation. There are four in the park who have taken it upon themselves to do TNR to try to manage the problem. For those who may not know, TNR is Trap, Neuter, and Release. The cats are trapped, taken to a local spay clinic, and then brought back home to recover. They must be released where they were trapped. There have been at least 10 cats in the park TNR'd by the residents, some of which were pregnant, and those pregnancies were aborted. Some found loving homes, and some went to a barn cat program. At least two were too feral and were returned to the park as required by law.
In Arizona, killing or harming feral and stray animals is considered a form of animal cruelty and is illegal. This includes actions such as trapping them in inhumane conditions, leaving them to die, or using them as bait. The law protects all animals, including community cats, from mistreatment, poisoning, and unsafe trapping methods.
Instead of taking care of the problem as the property manager, Diana Hopps chooses to punish the residents who have chosen to take it upon themselves to handle the stray/feral cat population humanely. The residents at Sunny Crest Mobile Home Park are living on a limited income with ever-increasing lot rents and being forced to pay for yearly palm trimmings. The least the park could do is pay to hire one of the many humane and knowledgeable cat trappers in the area to TNR these cats. She complains that she "smells cat urine," and there are residents who complain that the ferals have urinated on their plants or yard furniture, yet the property manager does nothing about it except to complain about smelling urine, when those residents are doing their best to try to alleviate the problem with TNR. But we are not professionals and need help with this process. The park needs to hire someone to do TNR.
Feeding feral/stray cats offers several benefits, including:
- Improving their physical condition: A consistent food source can help a malnourished cat regain weight and improve its overall health.
-Easier TNR: Regular feeding can make it easier to trap the cat for Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programs, which are vital for controlling the stray population.
-Monitoring their health for injuries that may require veterinary care.
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-Bonding and socialization: Consistent interaction, starting with feeding, might lead to eventual socialization, making the cat more adoptable.
Marchea S. read more
