Stray and feral cats have become the top issue facing the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region, which on Monday proposed cat licensing to reduce overpopulation and euthanasia.City Council members expressed support, but it’s unclear when licenses for cats would be required. The cost would be the same as for dog licenses – $12 a year for neutered and spayed animals, and $25 a year for unaltered animals.Currently, there are no requirements for cats.The Humane Society proposed cat licensing to El Paso County commissioners in 1995 but the idea was rejected.Now, city officials are supportive.”The same responsibility should fall to cat owners as dog owners,” Councilman Scott Hente said. “This is really a humane approach to taking care of cats. I’m a huge supporter of what you’re doing.”Humane Society Executive Director Wes Metzler proposes a society-run trap, neuter and release program for feral cats, which congregate in colonies and have kittens twice a year.He said the number of cats handled by the Humane Society increased from about 5,000 in 2000 to 8,000 last year. They take up shelter space, and many have to be euthanized.”It really does distress us,” he said.While 82 percent of dogs at the shelter are reclaimed or adopted, only 45 percent of the cats at the shelter are saved, he said.Metzler said 55 percent of dogs are reclaimed locally, while only 6 percent of cats are. Part of the reason is difficulty in identifying owners.Under Metzler’s plan, feral cats would be trapped, neutered, inoculated against diseases and returned to their colonies.He said that method has been shown to dramatically reduce the number of feral cats in other cities.Metzler said the Humane Society also would operate a low-cost spay and neuter center.He said the Humane Society hopes licensing fees will pay for the trap and return, and spay and neutering programs, but that the agency knows it won’t cover costs in the first year.The council directed the staff to begin asking residents for their views on the proposal and told the city attorney to draft ordinances to enact the Humane Society’s plans.The Humane Society isn’t proposing cats be subject to leash laws.-CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0238 or pam.zubeck@gazettedev.gazette.com

Lee and Kari Martin put in their backyard pond with waterfall in 1998 of their home off Vickers Drive. They will be a part of the upcoming Water Garden Society Tour. They said last the last tour brought about 1,000 visitors. Photo by Carol Lawrence, The Gazette