In a special called meeting, December , the Gonzales City Council approved a pivotal agreement with Kingdom Rescue to oversee operations at the city’s cat shelter.
City Manager Tim Crow revealed that negotiations with Kingdom Rescue spanned over a month, emphasizing the local impact on the cat population. Crow expressed optimism about Kingdom Rescue’s presentation, anticipating a gradual reduction in feral cats, also known as community cats, over time.
“We should start seeing a reduction over time of feral cats, or — as this is also referred to — community cats, in theory, so I look forward to working with Kingdom Rescue and helping to resolve these issues,” stated Crow.
Concerns from Gonzales residents about the burgeoning cat population were voiced during the meeting. Betty Bahn, in public comments, highlighted the overwhelming situation in her neighborhood.
“We have 50 cats on a cul-de-sac, which means that we are overrun with cats. The city tells us not to feed feral cats or stray cats, but yet there’s an ordinance for cruelty to animals, so it’s a little bit difficult when you look at the seriousness of the amount of cats,” expressed Bahn.
Bahn’s apprehension extended to the perceived lack of space at the cat shelter, presenting challenges for residents attempting to address the issue.
“The dog catcher or cat catcher is not able to come pick them up. We call, we say we have a cat we would love to get rid of and they don’t have any room. They never have any room. So this is four months that we’ve been dealing with the same answer to this situation,” added Bahn.
In response to these concerns, the City Council unanimously approved the agreement in a 5-0 vote. Mayor Steve Sucher acknowledged the extended timeline presented by Kingdom Rescue for making a substantial impact on the town’s cat population.
“The timeline that has been presented for making an impact on the numbers of cats in town is anywhere from three to five years, so I think it’s pretty realistic on the part of Kingdom Rescue to say we have a plan, but it’s going to take a while for our plan to really show and take effect,” stated Mayor Sucher.
