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Battle Over Stray Cats In Queens
By
Jen Carlson
Published Dec 24, 2009
Modified Dec 24, 2009
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Dec 24, 2009
Modified Dec 24, 2009
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What do you do when you find a troupe of stray cats living outside your apartment building? There's currently a debate going on in Queens over how to handle the hundreds of feral cats that have set up shop at Ravenswood, a 31-building complex on the Astoria/LIC border.
According to the Daily News, the New York City Housing Authority wants them out, but some residents, like Debi Romano, are standing up against their plan — which includes tactics like sealing up crawl spaces (where kittens may have already been sealed alive!).
Instead of trapping the cats and bringing them to shelters, Romano is attempting to get a grant through her SaveKitty Foundation, so she could fund a trap, neuter and release program. While some kittens would be adopted, others would be released after being spayed or neutered.
The NYCHA have rejected Romano's proposal, though she says her plan is the only way to cut down the stray cat population.
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Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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