Brookhaven backs off from feral cat proposal

Brookhaven's town board backed off a proposed law Tuesday night that would make it illegal to feed feral cats on town land after animal activists criticized the measure as cruel.

Town officials had said the new rules would curb the spread of feral cat colonies that threaten endangered birds at Brookhaven nature properties. The proposal would have prohibited the feeding of any animals on town "nature preserves and designated open spaces," and punish offenders with a fine of as much as $250 and up to 10 days in jail for each offense, records state.

But a crowd of about 300 cat lovers used a public hearing Tuesday to tell the board the rules will actually make it more difficult to control cats. Many of the advocates said they need to lure feral cats with food so the animals can be trapped, neutered or spayed, and returned to the wild, a method they said is an effective way of controlling the population.

Other residents, waving photograph signs that read "Save This Cat," said the prohibition against feeding homeless cats is inhumane. "Humane feeding and housing of animals have taken hold in many parts of the country," said Madeleine Gamache of Shoreham. "The Town of Brookhaven and New York State are lagging behind."

The town board unanimously voted to reject the plan and instruct Brookhaven's feral cat committee to craft a new measure. The committee should consult with animal activists, Supervisor Mark Lesko said. "We are fact-gathering, more than anything else," he said.

John Turner, the town's director of environmental protection, defended the proposal as a "modest expansion" of existing codes. He added that the town has feral cat areas in communities such as Selden, Rocky Point, Patchogue, Middle Island and Blue Point.

Of more than 40 residents who filled out cards to speak, only a few favored the measure. Larry Merryman of Babylon, of the Great South Bay Audubon Society, called feral cats "an invasive and nonnative species" that poses a threat to rare birds.