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Cat Trap Issue <br /> <br />Introduction <br /> <br /> The capturing of cats has always been a hot issue in Cabarrus County (both pro <br />and con). Cats are captured under the nuisance ordinance of this county, which was <br />adopted several years ago. We need also to be mindful that each capture is a result of a <br />request from a lawful property owner who would desire the free exercise of his property <br />rights. There are currently no regulations regarding licensing or tagging of cats. We are <br />the only major county in North Carolina where Officers have to travel to the requesting <br />parties location to places traps for cat nuisancesor to pick-up surrender animals. <br /> <br />The main reason that we have continued to trap and pick-up cats is primarily due to the <br />following reasons: <br /> <br />Health and safety. Stray cat~ carry with them the potential to spread disease <br />such as, rabies or distemper. Stray cats can spread these diseases to <br />neighborhood cats or other animals they come in contact with, and in some <br />cases, cats have bitten children and adults. In a majority of these cases <br />ownership of the cat could not be determined, and therefore the animal control <br />officers could not verify the inoculation records. <br /> <br />Property Damage. Cats can cause property damage by digging in gardens and <br />yards of other neighbors, scratching vehicles, and getting into the public <br />roadway causing traffic hazards. <br /> <br />3. Cats will retrieve food items from neighborhood trash containers, spreading <br /> trash over the property owners yard <br /> <br />4. Citizens who own property in Cabarrus County should feel free to enjoy their <br /> property without the interference of unwanted animals in their yard. <br /> <br /> We have inquired in other counties and have found our laws and ordinances to be <br />generally the same throughout the state. We also have found that other counties do not <br />provide trap services for their citizens. These counties will allow the citizen to drop off <br />any unwanted animal or cat at the shelter. A few counties will issue traps to the citizens, <br />but it is up to the property owner to maintain and check the traps. There are also some <br />counties that utilize private services for the trapping of animals other than dogs. <br /> <br /> <br />