Okotoks is taking a look at its approach to wandering domestic cats.
Resident Avinash Kowshik visited Town council on May 10 to request firmer enforcement of the current Responsible Pet Ownership bylaw, particularly around the issue of cats roaming neighbourhoods, which he said is a nuisance and potentially dangerous.
“For many Okotoks residents who cultivate fruits and vegetables in home gardens, particularly root vegetables like carrots or potatoes, contamination with cat parasites is an ever-present risk,” said Kowshik.
He said one example of the parasites is toxoplasma, which is common in feline feces and can cause neurological damage to humans if ingested, and can also be transmitted to dogs from the excrement.
Allowing cats to roam freely also impacts the environment, he said.
“Cats are extremely destructive to biodiversity, as past predatory instincts motivate them to hunt native birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles,” said Kowshik. “This is dangerous for both the cat and for local wildlife.”
The current pet ownership bylaw in Okotoks requires owners to remove cat feces deposited on other properties, he said, but it’s not practical to enforce – mainly because many owners are unaware where their cats have been.
“Cats roaming freely are not monitored by their owner, so it is unlikely an owner would know if their cat has deposited feces on another resident’s property or know where to look for the clean-up,” said Kowshik.
He suggested mandating licensing of cats, similar to dogs, and prohibiting the animals from being at-large in town.
To help enforce those measures, he proposed the Town reach out to the City of Calgary or other large animal rescue centres to seek partnerships in managing the cat issue.
“This might provide the Town with the means of cost-effective enforcement of an amended bylaw while giving the Town sufficient time to generate funds to upgrade local facilities to house cats as well as dogs,” said Kowshik.
Mayor Bill Robertson, who was on council when the current pet ownership bylaw was adopted and sat on the committee to create the bylaw, said the cost of a facility to house cats found at-large was a deterrent from prohibiting the animals from roaming.
“It’s huge budgetary implications for the Town of Okotoks,” said Robertson. “But as for partnering with somebody else, I don’t know if that was ever investigated.”
Susan Laurin, director of community health and safety, said partnering with other municipalities to handle cats has not been looked at in the past, but in the past 15 years the Town partnered with Calgary and other municipalities for dog licensing.
“We have never looked at it in relation to cats,” said Laurin. “If council wants to redo our Responsible Pet Ownership bylaw to include cats and do a number of other updates, it would be something we would look into when we search at that time.”
Coun. Ed Sands said the issue of cats is one that is often controversial, but agreed it’s something that should be looked at if residents are being driven to approach council about concerns, adding the partnerships may be worth a shot.
“It could certainly be worth a phone call,” said Sands.
Council will discuss the pet ownership bylaw further at its Governance and Priorities Committee meeting in June before making any decisions.
