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On Monday, at the Alpena Municipal Council meeting, the council gave a second reading of proposed revisions to Ordinance 25-514 which prohibits residents from feeding feral cats.

Due to public concern, the council tabled a vote to approve or reject the revisions until its meeting on Dec. 15.

According to the ordinance, the chapter outlines rules “to promote the proper control and care of animals by their owners and others, for the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of the City of Alpena.” The revisions add a definition of “feral cats” and include feral cats as “wildlife.”

The ordinance defines feral cats as “any cat not domesticated” and “free roaming cats living and/or breeding entirely in the wild usually found in large groups.” Further, “wild animal” is defined as “any living member of the animal kingdom (common examples include: feral cats, deer, skunks, racoons, etc.), including those born or raised in captivity.”

The ordinance excludes the following from its wild animal definition: human beings, domestic dogs, domestic cats, farm animals, nonpoisonous insects, and captivebred species of rodents, common cage birds, reptiles or amphibians in an enclosure, and aquarium fish.

Edna Sorensen, an Alpena resident, spoke during public comment on the behalf of Northeast Michigan Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program, in regards to the ordinance revisions. She stated that “if you stop feeding these animals they don’t magically disappear.”

She cited work that TNR does to provide traps so feral cats can be caught, spayed or neutered, and potentially re-homed. She said this strategy is effective in reducing the feral cat population.

“I would ask that you table this proposed change and seek additional information about fixing the problem,” Sorensen said.

Due to the number of public comments regarding the ordinance revisions, Mayor Cindy Johnson made a motion to postpone the vote. She said that this will give the council more time to gather information and “find out from the county what their plan is for feral cats.”

“They are in charge of animal control countywide,” Johnson said during the meeting. “And that includes all animals. I would like to know what their plan is because actually this is something that they should be doing.”

Johnson told The News that she did not have any further comments regarding the proposed revisions at the time of publication for this story.

Kayla Wikaryasz can be reached at 989-358-5688 or kwikaryasz@TheAlpenaNews.com.