Stray cats are posing health threat
by Dan Collins
AN out of control population explosion among feral cats is posing a major health risk to children, the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has warned.
Yesterday, the ISPCA said it fully supported a call for a co ordinated national neutering programme to reduce the number of semi wild cats in populated areas.
ISPCA chief executive, Ciaran O’Donovan, said it was a nationwide problem which demanded the immediate attention of local authorities.
“I can say without fear of contradiction that the feral cat population is creating a serious national problem,” said Mr O’Donovan.
These cats infest buildings, litter the place with their faeces and can sometimes carry disease which poses a serious health threat, especially to children, he added.
The ISPCA said it was obviously concerned about the suffering to these feral cats which have to rely on scavenging for food and were often half starved.
The issue was highlighted yesterday by the Cork Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (CSPCA) at their AGM. Neutering of all female feral cats, on a nationwide basis, was the only way to cope with the escalating problem, said CSPSA manager Alan Tuohy.
© The Examiner, 1999