I'm really glad to see Willowick City Council decided against passing a law that would have made it illegal to feed feral and stray cats in the city.

I know a lot of people will say just don't feed the cats and they will go away.

Yes, the cats will go away (actually to just another area), but the problem will not.

Unless you humanely trap and neuter the cats they will continue to reproduce and reproduce.

The Cleveland Animal Protective League has used the TNR (trap neuter return) program with great success.

Through its low-cost TNR program ($10), the APL estimates there are 34,000 fewer cats roaming Cleveland-area streets.

According to statistics, an unspayed female cat can go into heat at 4 months and generate an annual average of 6.2 surviving kittens. The APL estimates there are more than 250,000 feral or stray cats in Cuyahoga County.

The APL recently performed its 10,000th spay-neuter surgery last week, and has sterilized about 4,500 free-roaming cats through its TNR program this year alone.

It's time for Lake County to start a TNR program and not just rely on some kind-hearted people who spend their time and money to trap feral cats and have them fixed.

There has to be a county-wide effort made or else, the feral cat population will just keep growing.

-- Robin Palmer
rpalmer@news-herald.com