A problem that has plagued the village for the last several years has once again raised its furry little head – feral cats.
The strays are a wily bunch. They descend from abandoned cats and continue to mix with pets that aren’t spayed or neutered. The colonies are concentrated near The Mill housing project, off Finger Street, and on Montross Street.
Trustee Donald Hackett, who lives in the southern section of the village, said there is one particular tomcat in his neighborhood that has sired several litters of kittens with domestic female cats, contributing to the overpopulation in the area.
Feral cats are a nuisance because they are not vaccinated, and they spread disease and attack domestic cats, officials said.
The feral cats have become such a problem that the village board will be purchasing live traps to capture the animals. Up until now the local animal control officer has been lending out traps to residents, but that is not enough, village trustees say, so they are buying several more.
The village is looking for volunteers willing to help trap the cats and then transport them to the ASPCA where they will be spayed or neutered and given a rabies shot before being released back into the wild.
Anyone wishing to volunteer or who would like to borrow one of the traps can contact the village clerk at 246-2321.
Feral cats are beyond a nuisance; they are responsible for killing vast numbers of native songbirds and other wildlife.