What was described as a “chronic problem” with wild cats in the Raheen area was highlighted at a local authority meeting this week when a Limerick county councillor told of a local woman finding 20 feral cats inside her garden shed.
Speaking at the Adare electoral area committee meeting this Tuesday, Fine Gael councillor Daniel Butler said there was a huge issue with feral cats in Limerick housing estates. According to the City West councillor, one Raheen resident recently discovered 20 feral cats in her garden shed.
“This is a huge issue in Raheen and housing estates elsewhere in the city. I’ve noticed them myself in the Raheen area and there excrement is all over the streets. One woman told me she went out to her garden shed and found 20 wild cats inside. Another neighbour saw a dog kill two of these cats,” claimed Cllr Butler.
“These cats’ urine is quite pungent in smell and they are leaving their excrement all over the Raheen estate. This has serious health implications for children in particular. Domestic cats are friendly but these wild cats are territorial and will attack,” he warned.
Meanwhile, Mary Mollica of Limerick Feral Cats told the Limerick Post that the voluntary-run organisation had trapped 1,200 cats in Limerick in the last two years. In the last two months alone a total of 170 cats were taken in by the animal-loving group dedicated to improving the lives of feral cats in the city and county.
Ms Mollica of Limerick Feral Cats, who had just come from trapping a cat in Raheen when we spoke to her, reminded cat owners of the importance of having their pets neutered.
“Cats can have three litters in one year so kittens just born can have their own litter by September. All it takes is one person not to neuter their cat and the next thing you have a huge problem within an estate. It can get out of control very quickly,” said Ms Mollica.
“There is a chronic problem with feral cats. We are called out to Dooradoyle quite regularly and have already been out in Ballysheedy and Garryowen today. The Council have never offered us any money and we are a volunteer run service,” she insisted.
The Limerick Feral Cats spokeswoman also reassured the public that feral cats will not attack a person unless they are forced into a corner.
“If they are trapped they will just try and find a way out and run. They will not attack a person,” she concluded.