Abbeville officials, citizens discuss best plan for stray, feral cats

Names for free-roaming cats include feral, stray and alley cats.
Some refer to them a bit more affectionately as community cats, saying they belong to the entire community.
Whatever they call them, some see the cats as a benefit to the community, while others see a nuisance.
Those differing opinions drove the discussion during an Abbeville City Council ordinance committee meeting Tuesday night. While it has one that covers roaming of dogs, livestock and fowl, Abbeville does not have anything on the books that pertains to cats.
City Attorney Ike Funderburk said Abbeville is not the only place dealing with a significant number of unowned cats. He referenced to this month’s newsletter from the Louisiana Municipal Association (LMA).
“There must be a shift away from blaming homeless dogs and cats for their existence,” Funderburk said of the LMA article. “Overpopulation is a problem created by humans. We have a moral obligation to address it in a humane way.”
As they want to avoid the cats from being euthanized, many in the audience Tuesday night, including Debbie Garrot, who runs the Vermilion Parish Rabies Animal Control for the Vermilion Parish Police Jury, said there is a humane way to control the cat
population. That is to catch them, have them spayed or neutered and then release the cats. She said there are many people, including herself, who are doing that and covering the cost to have the cats spayed or neutered.
“We are working to get approval to have Rabies Animal Control help in the trapping of these cats,” Garrot said. “We can transport them to Spay Nation (a facility in Lafayette).
“All of that is in the works.”
Dr. Paul Whittington, a veterinarian in Abbeville, agreed with Garrot about finding the best solution for both the people and the animals.
“I know there are people who are upset,” Whittington said of the number of cats. “I challenge people to learn more. I always joke that Bob Barker had it right when he would end the ‘Price is Right’ by saying to spay and neuter your pets.
“It’s just caring a little bit more.”
Vermilion Parish Police Juror Wayne Touchet, who attended Tuesday’s ordinance committee meeting, said he also supports an effort to spay and neuter.
“The population stops,” Touchet said. “Cats are put back into their community, but they don’t reproduce.
“That, in my opinion, is the best option.”
Councilwoman Roslyn White pledged $500 from her discretionary fund to help spay and neuter cats. White offered a friendly challenge to her fellow council members.
“I challenge the other council members to do the same if they can,” White said.
Garrot said she has dedicated 30 years to helping animals and has a special place in her heart for stray and feral cats. However, Garrot said she does understand that there are people who have issues with cats running around.
“I have been notified of the cat situation,” Garrot said, “specifically on Fourth Street. I would like to move forward and try to have some peaceful resolution.”
John Valdetero, who lives in the area Garrot referenced, said cats have caused issues on his property.
“There is an issue in my neighborhood,” Valdetero said. “I recently mowed my lawn and counted 13 piles of cat feces. I have five or six that live under my house, which are not my cats. They bang up against my pipes in the middle of the night. I understand people love cats. I love dogs, but if I owned or fed, every day, 20 to 30 community dogs, and I didn’t contain them, and they went on other properties, at what point am I responsible to the rest of my community?”
Jeri Sonnier, a resident of Fifth Street, said cats are a positive for the community, especially in the Godchaux Park area.
“We have a rice mill two blocks away,” Sonnier said. “We have the bayou two blocks away. Which would you rather, cats or rats? Not mice, rats. That’s what we will have if you get rid of our neighborhood cats.”
During the committee meeting, the council voted to have Funderburk review the issue and bring a proposed ordinance to the full city council at a future regular meeting.
Police Juror Paul Bourgeois Jr., who also attended the meeting, echoed his fellow Juror Touchet that the ordinances in the municipalities in the parish should mirror the police jury’s ordinance, as to create some cohesiveness.
“We should have the same thing across the parish,” Bourgeois said. “If we did that, and followed the ordinance, all of this would take care of itself.”
Councilman Francis Touchet Jr. said the goal is to come together to find something that works best for the people of Abbeville.
“This is an Abbeville problem that we need to address,” Touchet said. “Let’s look at what’s best for the people and their property while respecting animals.”
Mayor Mark Piazza said there would be limitations when it comes to any ordinance that is created.
“We are going to attempt to draft an ordinance that satisfies everyone,” Piazza said. “We are bound by the Constitution. I don’t think that we can legally tell an individual how many cats, dogs, or chickens they can own if they are kept well and maintained.
“We’re going to do our best and come back to this group with a sample ordinance that is uniform with the police jury and other municipalities and hopefully satisfies everyone.”