ALBANY, GA (WALB) -
Nearly two years ago, the city of Albany set up a citizen's advisory committee to come up with a plan to deal with stray cats, but city leaders never took any action.
Now, People in one South Albany neighborhood say feral cats are a growing problem around their homes, and they can't get any help solving it.
Stray cats roam Fama Parker's yard on Kirkwood Road. She and next door neighbor Rushiel Jenkins say the problem started in 2009, and has gotten worse ever since.
"It's out of hand now. It's just really out of hand. I wish somebody would help us," said Rushiel Jenkins.
"They roam the neighborhood day and night. Day and night," said Fama Parker.
Parker says the cats are so numerous they have created an odor and a disease issue. She says many times they have found dead cats around their homes.
"The neighborhood reeks. Cats are in and out scratching our cars. If you leave your doors open they get in your vehicle. If you leave your house door open they going in your house. But they live in your yard," said Parker.
Jenkins walks his puppy Brock, just back from the veterinarian where Jenkins said the vet blamed his illness on diseases left by the stray cats.
"They make your dogs sick. And I've had two to die. And like I said now I have a $1300 vet bill," said Jenkins.
Parker says she has called Albany Animal Control, her city commissioner; public health everyone she thinks might could help, but says all she has gotten is a run around. The city code regarding animals has almost nothing regarding stray cats.
"I would just like some help. Somehow we could get rid of them. To help us with the problem of the cats and then in our neighborhood, don't feed the cats. If you feed the cats they are going to stay," said Parker.
Animal Control officers say without any city ordinance, there is not much they can do to help. They suggest that the neighbors put out traps to catch the cats, and animal control will pick them up.
That citizen's advisory committee worked for nine months and came up with recommendations.
The city attorney drafted amendments to the animal control ordinance, but city commissioners tabled it and never brought it back up.
Copyright 2012 WALB. All rights reserved.
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2013 Worldnow and WALB, a Raycom Media Station. 
