Kill or Neuter? Laurel Debates How to Handle Cat Overpopulation

Some Laurel residents are trying to change city and county policies under which feral cats are captured and euthanized.

Helen Woods, a Laurel cat advocate, runs a website dedicated to promoting the neutering and releasing of Laurel’s feral cats, rather than euthanizing them.  She is advocating to have the Laurel city government adopt a new policy, according to the Gazette.

“Cats are the unspoken victims of this recession,” according to the website, Laurelcats.org. “While the housing crisis is ongoing, many people have been evicted from their homes and forced into apartments where pets are not allowed.”

Some residents opt out of taking their cats to a shelter, thinking they’ll have better luck on their own, and the offspring of those animals are feral cats, according to the site.

As a result, Laurel is facing a major cat overpopulation problem, advocates said during a meeting on the policy this month.

The city of Laurel, as well as Prince George’s County, require that feral cats, which are not socialized, be trapped and euthanized, the Gazette reported.

Laurel Mayor Craig Moe has said officials are investigating options in regard to the policy toward feral cats.