EPPING — The feral cats living at the town's recycling center will soon be on their own for food, water, and shelter.
In a unanimous decision, selectmen voted Monday to end all care for the cats, meaning they can remain at the facility but residents will no longer be allowed to give them food or water. A small cat "condominium" that's provided shelter will be removed..
But members of a local feral cat organization disagree.
"It's really disappointing they're being so naive about the whole thing. These cats will starve to death because they won't have somebody feeding them," said Michelle Gorneau of North Hampton, treasurer for Seacoast Area Feline Education and Rescue, a Hampton-based nonprofit volunteer organization that traps feral cats, provides medical care, including rabies shots and other vaccines, and spays or neuters them before releasing them back to their home territory.
Monday's decision follows disagreements in recent years over whether the town should allow residents to care for the eight to 10 stray cats that have made their home at the recycling center at 135 Old Hedding Road.
Selectmen didn't mind them at first because they helped control the rodent population; residents were allowed to supplement their natural diet with cat food.
But taking away their food, water and shelter could be considered animal cruelty under state law, said Steve Sprowl, humane agent for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Stratham.
"They need to do something with them other than just leave them there on their own," he said Tuesday.
According to Lynn Barrett, president of SAFER, the town made an agreement with her group in 2008 when it helped trap the cats and had them spayed, neutered, and given shots. Barrett said that under SAFER's agreement, the town agreed to allow the cats to be returned to the recycling center, where volunteers not affiliated with SAFER would coordinate the food, water and shelter.
By taking away the food, water and shelter, Barrett said the town is reneging on its deal.
At one point during Monday's meeting, Falcone suggested rounding up the cats and delivering them to the SPCA, but her motion failed 2-2.
Sprowl said Tuesday that even if they had voted to bring them to the SPCA, the organization wouldn't take the cats because they're feral.
