Bellmore cat colony relocation held off

Hempstead Town has placed on hold the relocation of a long-standing feral cat colony at Newbridge Road Park in Bellmore.

The town will work with the Humane Society of the United States to assess the colony at the park and to explore options concerning the habitat where the cats have settled, officials said in a statement released Tuesday. No action will be taken by the town until the Humane Society has “fully assessed the situation,” consults with town staff and makes its recommendations, the statement said.

“The goal of the town is to ensure the health and safety of children and adults who use the park in addition to providing for the well being of the feral cats,” the statement said.

Animal activists have expressed support for colony caretakers Jennifer Jones and Joyce Christie, who have tended to the more than 30 cats for 12 years. The two retirees have spayed, neutered, vaccinated, fed, sheltered and monitored the colony at their own expense.

“Joyce and I are very pleased that the town is looking at this further,” Jones said.

Town officials initially said the cats’ fenced-in habitat is eroding into an adjoining river and residents had complained of odor and animal waste in nearby public spaces. The town had planned to slowly move the makeshift shelters and relocate the feeding stations within the park, about a quarter-mile away, beginning Tuesday.

Activists — about three dozen held a rally Sunday to protest that decision — had argued the cats would be put in danger of starvation if the town tried to move the feeding stations, because the animals are very territorial and most likely would not move with the stations. As a result, the cats might wander more often throughout the park, seeking shelter and food from places near their current turf, those activists said.

Above: A cat looks through the fence near a feeding station in Bellmore. (April 18, 2012)