Clay County fighting feral cats

Ordinance bans feeding feral cats on public property

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A cat fight is brewing in Clay County. Protesters are expected outside Orange Park Town Hall, Tuesday night over a proposed ordinance to ban feeding feral cats on public property.

Last week, News4JAX told you about the feral cat problem in Clay County. The county's Animal Care and Control director even asked the Town Council for help fighting the problem.

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It's a nationwide problem and according to Animal Care and Control, there are 5,000 cats that are not spayed or neutered and continuing to reproduce. This is a problem when they can only take in about 2,000 cats each year.

The Orange Park council is considering an ordinance that would make it illegal to feed feral cats on non-residential property. The ordinance says the cats are a danger to the health, safety, and welfare of citizens in Orange Park.

The ordinance defines a feral cat as one that is homeless, wild or untamed. A stray cat is defined as one that the owner or keeper allows to run free from time to time.

The meeting will begin Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. at the Orange Park Town Hall. News4Jax has learned that protesters of the ordinance are expected to be outside.