At Half Moon Bay in Croton on Hudson (which is just north of New York City, USA) the board of the homeowners association (HOA board) banned the feeding of a loved and cared for feral cat colony which severely affects the running of the TNR program. TNR programs include the careful feeding of feral cats because it is part of the caring process.
There are about 10 feral cats in this colony and the petition on the change.org website tells us that a number of the Half Moon Bay community owners have been feeding them daily over the last few years. The petitioner describes the TNR program as popular and I have the distinct impression that it is well run. These cats are loved by the volunteers.
Somebody in authority at the homeowners Association decided that as of December 10, 2018 the feeding of these cats should be banned and the ban extends not only to the communal areas of the community but to the public bike path which surrounds it. The volunteers have been threatened by the Association.
Quite correctly, the petitioner says that the board of the association has in effect decided to starve the feral cats which makes it very difficult for them to survive harsh conditions in winter.
The classic reason why this homeowners association has banned feeding feral cats is because they say it attracts wildlife such as raccoons and skunks. However, the TNR volunteers say that they remove the food after the cats have fed. And there is a dumpster within the community which of itself will attract wildlife perhaps more so than feeling feral cats.
The petition was started about six months ago and has been highly successful in achieving over 145,000 signatures out of a target of 150,000. Despite this, there has been no change by the HOA board.
This is a classic story of the struggle that TNR volunteers have against authority. Authorities of all kinds tend to be in favour of killing, starving or ignoring feral cats whereas kindhearted volunteers operating TNR programs favour a more humane approach which gradually reduces and stabilises the population.
