Feral

Joshua Pelzer Measures aimed at controlling the city's feral-cat population generated debate Tuesday night among city officials and animal advocates. The City Council approved drafting an ordinance allowing a "trap-neuter-return" program. Volunteers would be recruited to trap feral cats, take them to be spayed or neutered, have their ear snipped for identification and returned to where they were found. Feral cats are untamed and free-roaming.

Ryan Carter Advocates for a colony of feral cats hope city officials are serious about working with them to slow the growth of the burgeoning wild cat population instead of destroying it. "This is about saving these cats and doing the right thing," said Maral Tejirian, one of several caretakers in the San Fernando Road area who feed the cats. "I just want to make sure they are able to live in peace." Tejirian and other advocates became concerned after an alleged effort by the city to eradicate 25 cats that have established a home at the Glendale Water and Power building on Air Way. The corridor along San Fernando Road has become home for several cat colonies.

Jackson Bell For the past 10 years, Mary Anne Anderson has been feeding feral cats living near the Grayson Power Plant. But with the recent sighting of a mountain lion in the area, city officials are taking every precaution to protect employees and nearby residents -- including no longer letting Anderson leave food for the cats and other wildlife it attracts. But she argues that starving the cats, who have relied on the food for years, will probably not get rid of the mountain lion.

Jackson Bell More sightings this weekend of a mountain lion prowling near the Grayson Power Plant has prompted city officials to not allow a rescue group to continue trapping and removing feral cats living in the area. Security guards spotted a mountain lion roaming about 2:30 a.m. Sunday in an ABC-Disney parking lot, 830 Sonora Ave., city officials said, adding that a puma was also seen about 11 a.m. Monday in Griffith Park. DELTA Rescue representatives, who worked this weekend to remove a colony of feral cats, were told Monday afternoon that the safety of power plant workers and residents takes priority over safely removing the felines, said Elaine Aguilar, assistant to City Manager Jim Starbird.

An estimated 4 million homeless cats struggle in the streets of Los Angeles every day. Although there is no exact figure of "feral cats" who live in Glendale, most residents can attest to the fact that the population is quite large. Feral cats, sometimes called stray or alley cats, often are the product of human neglect because they are the offspring of domestic cats -- often not neutered -- who were allowed to roam or had become lost. Feral cats avoid contact with humans and revert back to their "wild" state, and this "wildness" is what helps the ferals survive in a world often fraught with obstacles.

Say hello to Xena, a feral kitten who has been in the news quite a bit recently. Last month, the kitten was dropped off at the Glendale Humane Society along with her mother and two sisters. Each of the animals was stricken with an upper respiratory illness, but only Xena survived, partly because she was the only one who received medical care. She was released from a veterinarian's care Thursday. The lack of care the animals received at the Humane Society has been called into question by some residents and the city, which is investigating the deaths.

Tim Willert City officials, already investigating allegations of animal neglect at the Glendale Humane Society, launched a separate probe into the deaths of three kittens reportedly stricken with feline distemper, Deputy City Atty. Greg Powers said Wednesday. The cats died after being adopted from the shelter July 26, Powers said. Two of the animals were taken to a veterinarian in Montebello, who diagnosed them with the contagious virus. The other kitten died before it could be taken for evaluation.

YOUSEFIAN PRESENTS DESTINATION 2030 WHAT HAPPENED Councilman Bob Yousefian presented to the council Destination 2030, the 2004 Regional Transportation Plan put together by the Southern California Assn. of Governments. WHAT IT MEANS The transportation plan outlines planning goals for Southern California through 2030, including projections about where people will live, where they will work, what traffic patterns will look like and what airports people will use. VOTE There was no vote.

The Glendale Humane Society and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals have taken an active role in lowering the pet overpopulation by offering free spay and neuter programs for stray and feral cats and for cats and dogs belonging to low-income people. Our target area for our three-month "Summer Spay & Neuter Program" is Glendale, Montrose, La Crescenta and Tujunga. Since feral cats cannot be handled, we also have traps to catch them with, and will walk the public through the trapping process.

Tim Willert The Glendale Humane Society Board of Directors has launched its own investigation into the death of three feral kittens housed at the facility, the spokeswoman for the shelter said Thursday. The statement comes on the heels of a city investigation prompted by allegations of animal neglect made late last week by animal activist Chrissi Fernandez and relayed to city officials by Councilman Dave Weaver. The kittens, who were born at the shelter, died late last week.

Jackson Bell More sightings this weekend of a mountain lion prowling near the Grayson Power Plant has prompted city officials to not allow a rescue group to continue trapping and removing feral cats living in the area. Security guards spotted a mountain lion roaming about 2:30 a.m. Sunday in an ABC-Disney parking lot, 830 Sonora Ave., city officials said, adding that a puma was also seen about 11 a.m. Monday in Griffith Park. DELTA Rescue representatives, who worked this weekend to remove a colony of feral cats, were told Monday afternoon that the safety of power plant workers and residents takes priority over safely removing the felines, said Elaine Aguilar, assistant to City Manager Jim Starbird.

Jackson Bell For the past 10 years, Mary Anne Anderson has been feeding feral cats living near the Grayson Power Plant. But with the recent sighting of a mountain lion in the area, city officials are taking every precaution to protect employees and nearby residents -- including no longer letting Anderson leave food for the cats and other wildlife it attracts. But she argues that starving the cats, who have relied on the food for years, will probably not get rid of the mountain lion.

Ryan Carter Advocates for a colony of feral cats hope city officials are serious about working with them to slow the growth of the burgeoning wild cat population instead of destroying it. "This is about saving these cats and doing the right thing," said Maral Tejirian, one of several caretakers in the San Fernando Road area who feed the cats. "I just want to make sure they are able to live in peace." Tejirian and other advocates became concerned after an alleged effort by the city to eradicate 25 cats that have established a home at the Glendale Water and Power building on Air Way. The corridor along San Fernando Road has become home for several cat colonies.

YOUSEFIAN PRESENTS DESTINATION 2030 WHAT HAPPENED Councilman Bob Yousefian presented to the council Destination 2030, the 2004 Regional Transportation Plan put together by the Southern California Assn. of Governments. WHAT IT MEANS The transportation plan outlines planning goals for Southern California through 2030, including projections about where people will live, where they will work, what traffic patterns will look like and what airports people will use. VOTE There was no vote.

The Glendale Humane Society and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals have taken an active role in lowering the pet overpopulation by offering free spay and neuter programs for stray and feral cats and for cats and dogs belonging to low-income people. Our target area for our three-month "Summer Spay & Neuter Program" is Glendale, Montrose, La Crescenta and Tujunga. Since feral cats cannot be handled, we also have traps to catch them with, and will walk the public through the trapping process.

Joshua Pelzer The Glendale Humane Society is moving down a new path with a new general manager, but drags behind it the threat of a lawsuit to remove the remaining members of its board of directors. Former board member Paulette Ramsay Wood said Tuesday that plans to file a lawsuit are still in the works. Wood and three other former members resigned from the board in December and January over allegations that funds were misused. Wood organized an election among a portion of the society members in March to recall board president Wilhelm Vargas and members Steve Levin and Alyce Russell.

Joshua Pelzer Measures aimed at controlling the city's feral-cat population generated debate Tuesday night among city officials and animal advocates. The City Council approved drafting an ordinance allowing a "trap-neuter-return" program. Volunteers would be recruited to trap feral cats, take them to be spayed or neutered, have their ear snipped for identification and returned to where they were found. Feral cats are untamed and free-roaming.

She wishes Fernandez only good luck with ferals To Mr. Seeley: Your defense of your friend (Chrissi Fernandez) is natural, but please remember my Community Commentary letter some weeks back ("Time to hire some feral cat specialists") in which I referred to Glendale's being "blessed" by having Chrissi Fernandez here, working committedly on behalf of feral welfare. After watching her speak before the council on Channel 6 one night, I wrote in to suggest having her head up (and be paid to do so)

I watched the Channel 6 broadcast of Tuesday night's council meeting, specifically the oral communications part that pertained to the recent death of the ailing feral cat and her kittens, and a couple of questions came to mind, issues that I've never heard addressed publicly. 1) Handling ferals requires specialized skills and some specialized equipment; for example, a sort of collapsing cage that can be used to harmlessly and briefly "sandwich" the animal, keeping it immobilized long enough to receive an injection.

Tim Willert City officials, already investigating allegations of animal neglect at the Glendale Humane Society, launched a separate probe into the deaths of three kittens reportedly stricken with feline distemper, Deputy City Atty. Greg Powers said Wednesday. The cats died after being adopted from the shelter July 26, Powers said. Two of the animals were taken to a veterinarian in Montebello, who diagnosed them with the contagious virus. The other kitten died before it could be taken for evaluation.