Feral cat crisis in Salem has residents fed up
In a quiet corner of Salem, signs of a growing crisis slink through backyards and abandoned homes. For Brenda Austin, the issue is impossible to ignore.
'Everyone knows there is a cat problem here,' Austin said.
This week, she took the issue to Salem City Council. Austin is calling on the city to support a Trap, Neuter and Release program (TNR) to address the city's growing feral cat population.
'They go into heat; they're screaming, howling, fighting. If you get them fixed, it reduces the spraying. It reduces the nuisance,' Austin said.
Councilman Jeff Stockman, who chairs the Rules and Ordinance committee, said the city is ready to act and prepared to move full steam ahead with ordinances to help address the problem. The move comes after years of stalled action, largely due to a lack of enforcement resources, such as a dedicated humane officer. 'It's a community problem. It's not just a cat problem or this neighbor's problem. It's really a community problem,' Austin said. The problem is not isolated to just one or two neighborhoods. Residents are sounding the alarm citywide.
'I've spent over $10,000 out of my own pocket,' said Karena Holenchick, a Salem resident. 'So far, I have spayed and neutered six cats. Three extra cats had to be put down.'Supporters say a coordinated TNR effort would not only reduce suffering but also the nuisance behaviors that come along with the uncontrolled breeding.
'Can't enjoy the yard because they're defecating and urinating all over it,' said Amanda Baier, a Salem resident. 'We can't keep the cushions on the chairs on the front porch. It just causes all sorts of property damage, and we can't enjoy the property that we purchased.'City council is expected to begin discussing formal ordinances in the coming weeks. Austin says the solution is simple– stop the breeding and stop ignoring it.
'They're already here. So just fix the ones that are here and go from here,' she said.
Councilman Stockman says the matter will be brought up at the next Rules and Ordinance Committee meeting on June 24.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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