Stray Cat Problem Subsiding in Manor Township
A pair of cats enjoy the warm April evening yesterday in a driveway across from the Manor Township Municipal Building.
by Jonathan Weaver
The number of feral or pregnant cats running through Manor Township without a home has diminished since last month, but a local resident said the problem could quickly return.
Supervisor Don Palmer said he has seen a “very small” number of cats in his neighborhood, estimating there are about four
Resident Barb Bittinger agreed that neighbor complaints are also diminishing, but warned cats may quickly become an issue again if support doesn’t continue.
“There are a lot pregnant, and I’m hoping to nip it in the bud before (the problem) gets too big,” Bittinger said. “You don’t see any (cats) now, but it’s going to be crazy. There’s going to be a problem.
“Some areas there are a lot of cats and some there isn’t.”
She said within six months, baby cats can also become pregnant.
Bittinger, who described herself as an animal lover, couldn’t identify why the number of cats has diminished but has heard rumors of residents killing them on their own.
“I was never even a cat person – I just got involved because a couple people told me a petition was taken, people were concerned about the overpopulation of cats and I didn’t want to see them destroyed,” Bittinger said. “I wanted to be a voice for the cats.”
Last month, supervisors pledged $250 toward the issue and made the township building available for a rummage sale to raise funds, but no date has been scheduled.
The same amount was pledged by a local resident.
Bittinger began attending township meetings in December discussing the “epidemic.” She said she is trying to catch all the cats near Park Avenue before some do become pregnant and chase male cats away.
Manor Township | jweaver April 7, 2016
By wonderwhy, April 7, 2016 @ 7:10 AM
I feel for you. This is a problem in akittanning boro also. So many cats you can’t even have any birds in the yard. They dig up our flowers, deficate on our porches, etc. Residents should not be feeding these strays unless they want to take them into their homes so they are not ruining their neighbors properties.
By Just sayin, April 7, 2016 @ 9:15 AM
The fact that killing cats is illegal is not a rumor.
Leave it to hick Armstrong County to “take care of the problem” that way.
By Just sayin, April 8, 2016 @ 9:43 AM
Can the admin post 5 different categories/threads in the “Recent Comments” section so that all threads that are commented on get viewed? Sometime posts are all from the same thread, even though other comments were written on different threads.
The KILLING of CATS is WAY MORE of an IMPORTANT TOPIC than Jorn Jensen’s campaign rally for Donald Duck.