Concerns raised over Highwood cats

[News Poster]

08-08-08 08:51 AM
The pleas of residents and officials caring for a community of feral cats living behind Highwood Condominiums for the past decade has halted a management company's decision to remove the felines.

"I don't know what I'd do without them," said Highwood Road resident Dottie Luff, who visits and feeds the cats twice each day. "I'd have to sit in the house all day."

Pioneer Property Management sent a letter last week notifying residents the cats would be removed starting today.

"A trapping company will be on the property to trap feral cats," the letter read. "There has been a problem with feral cats running through the Highwood Condominiums and causing various issues."

Anyone who owns a domestic cat is advised to obtain collars and keep their pets indoors while the strays are corralled.

Tracey Taddeo, Franklin's animal control officer, said she is in "full action" mode to prevent the trapping company from removing the cats. Pioneer, which planned to have the trapping company begin capturing the cats today, has decided to hold off until the controversy dies down, she said.

"For now, it's at a standstill," she said.

The animal control office teamed up with Purr-Fect Cat Shelter in Medway a few years ago to provide a feeding station and set up a "trap, spay and release" program to keep the cat population under control.

"We've put in a lot of time and effort for them to just get rid of these cats," said Taddeo, who also works as the assistant animal control officer in Bellingham.

Luff, 81, who calls herself the "Cat Lady," brings the group of about a dozen cats canned cat food each day.

"I know I have to do this, it's what keeps me going," Luff said.

Lung cancer and other ailments have plagued Luff, but caring for the cats gives her purpose and strength to look forward to each day, she said.

"My doctor said these cats are keeping me alive," she said, fearful their absence will worsen her health. "They're euthanizing me when they do this."

Taddeo said the feral cat community living near the condominiums was "out of control" about a decade ago, but efforts to properly care for the cats has been a success.

Roy Blanchard, property manager at Pioneer Property Management, also said problems existed before his company began managing the property about 10 years ago.

"The cats were walking all over the place, defecating around buildings," he said. "The odor was awful."

The condos' board of trustees threatened to get rid of the cats several times, evoking donations and support from several neighbors, Luff said.

But Blanchard said the medical treatment also revealed several cats had diseases.

"The number of feral cats did dwindle, but those not far from the condo community were still causing problems in nearby buildings," he said.

Taddeo heard one complaint of the cats spraying near their properties, prompting the management company and board of trustees to take action.

"How do they know it's not a domestic cat?" Taddeo asked. "They blame the feral cat because it's easy ... there will always be stray cats."

Since the company has distributed the letter, Blanchard said more residents have reported concerns.

"It's more of a problem than we thought," he said.

Since feral cats typically cannot be placed in homes after living in the wild, Blanchard said there are little options besides destroying the cats.

"It's not a quality of life for the cats," he said.

A licensed trapping company maintains their plans to euthanize the cats captured in the next few weeks. A start date has not be determined.

"I assure you it will be done in a humane way," Blanchard said.

Local animal control officers have called the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to get details regarding trapping procedures.

"The MSPCA wants to be reassured they will be euthanized humanely," Taddeo said.

Yesterday afternoon one gray, blue-eyed kitten lurked near the feeding station and curiously observed a new face accompanying Luff into the woods.

"Look, what harm is she?" Luff asked. "None whatsoever."

Michelle Laczkoski can be reached at mlaczkos@cnc.com or 508-634-7556.


www.wickedlocal.com/franklin/Concerns raised over Highwood cats