Community Corner

Stray Cats Multiply in Leetsdale Neighborhood

Some residents feed the cats, while others worry about rabies. Animal Friends provides a solution.

David Sofranko remembers a time when there were two stray cats living in his neighborhood.

Since then, the cat population has exploded. Sofranko now estimates there are now about 50 feral cats living on Washington Street.

“A couple cats are fine, but it snowballed,” said Sofranko, who doesn’t own pets.

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He and a dozen other neighbors, like Frank Bombiani, have been feeding them for years. But some residents have raised concerns about the street being overrun with cats and kittens and the potential that they could .

“I put the food out is all I do,” Sofranko said. “I mean, there could be a problem with rabies.”

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The cat colonies are concentrated on Monroe Way, the alley behind the Washington Street residences. Strays curl up on front porches, linger around parking lots and the nearby industrial park, and they dart from headlights and anyone who gets too close.

 “We’ve all complained about them, but you just put up with them. If you feed them, they are going to come around,” Bombiani said. “They’ve been here seven years and I haven’t seen any rats or snakes."

Dolores Pollock, who lives on the opposite end of Washington Street, said she and a friend have been working nearly two years to trap and neuter the cats, capturing about 30 so far. The situation became overwhelming so they contacted Animal Friends.

Borough Manager Paul Scimio said up until recently, he was unaware strays were bothering residents. The issue was last raised at a 2007 meeting, when he said Leetsdale Council members discouraged residents from feeding wild cats.

Scimio said the police department recently received a couple of complaints that were handed off to the Allegheny County Health Department. Scimio said there isn’t much Leetsdale can do as long as neighbors are feeding the animals. Legally, he said the borough can’t cite anyone for having too many cats because no one is claiming ownership.

“The population is going to continue growing as long as people feed them,” Scimio said. 

The cats recently caught the attention of Animal Friends and the shelter’s spay and neuter office is working to provide appointments to accommodate the cats.

Jolene Miklas, spokeswoman for Animal Friends, said the shelter has a "trap, neuter and return" program that involves vaccinating and releasing feral cats, and ear tipping, removing the top of a cat’s ear to mark the animal as altered. Miklas said the program helps heep population down and saves cats a second trip to the vet. 

 “This is the most humane, cost-effective and best way to keep feral cat colonies from growing,” Miklas said.

Some neighbors weren't excited to hear the cats would be released back into the area. Miklas said capture and return is much cheaper, more effective and more humane. She said cats are "very territorial."

“If you put feral cats back in their colony, it will keep other cats from moving in and the population just thins out naturally,” she said.


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