Community Corner

Huntington Couple, CVS At Odds Over Feral Cat Colony

Caregiving couple fights removal of colony from behind E. Northport CVS.

The cats have to go, but not right now.

That's the position CVS is taking on a feral cat colony behind the Jericho Turnpike, East Northport CVS that has been tended by Huntington couple Bill and Mary McDonnell for the past few years.

CVS Corporate Spokesperson Mike DeAngelis said Wednesday that the company, concerned about liability issues, is not kicking the cats out post-haste, but eviction is not off the table.

"If at some point in time we are able to identify the right partner to help safely relocate the cats from the store property, we will work with [the McDonnells] to do so," wrote DeAngelis.

The colony has been established for about 8 years, according to Newsday, and is home to a dozen cats. It blends almost completely into a mature bamboo grove behind the back parking lot. The McDonnells provide food and water as well as some covered nests and a wooden play structure. They have also neutered or spayed and vaccinated the cats.

A petition against the removal has been started at Change.org and has amassed over 3,400 signatures.

Diane Farella, of The Long Island Cat Project, has worked with feral cat colonies around the Town of Huntington for 20 years. Relocating a cat colony is rarely effective, she said, as cats will almost always return to the area. The most humane way to manage a colony is through a trap-neuter-return programs which mitigate site odor and howling associated with mating behaviors.

"As they are fixed, they also tend to get friendlier and there's a better chance that they can be adopted," she said.

Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is a full management plan in which stray and feral cats, already living outdoors are humanely trapped, then evaluated, vaccinated, and sterilized by veterinarians, according to The Long Island Animal Alliance, an organization dedicated to helping homeless cats.

Kittens and tame cats are adopted into good homes which immediately reduces the number of cats in the colony. Healthy adult cats, too wild to be adopted, are returned to their familiar habitat to live out their lives under the care of volunteers who supply them with food, water and shelter.

Volunteers, like the McDonnells, also monitor the colony for any new comers who may enter the colony. Neutered cats are identified by ear tipping on the left ear, distinguishing them from new arrivals who are immediately recognized then trapped, neutered and returned, preventing the endless cycle of propagation and suffering which occurs without TNR intervention.

Farella said that feral cat colonies are often a result of pet-owner negligence and warned of people dropping off additional unwanted cats to a site thinking that they will assimilate.

"Often, they will not assimilate and will be pushed out," she said.

More information on feral cat rescues, and trap-neuter-return programs, visit www.animalallianceli.org.


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