Citrus should care for its feral cats, not force them off campus. A trap, neuter and release program, combined with preventive vaccinations, is the most responsible way to treat the animals.
On March 1, Vice President of Finance Claudette Dain emailed the faculty, students and staff a “Feral Cat Advisory,” telling them not to pet or feed the stray cats on campus. She warned the calicoes lounging in campus green spaces may carry infectious diseases.
While feeding prevents them from preying upon campus rodents, the cats rarely come in contact with people.
The advisory said to contact Facilities, Environmental Health & Safety, or Risk Management if “you are aware of an especially problematic area on campus affected by this issue.” Employees in those offices don’t agree that the cats threaten the campus.
“To be honest with you, I think they’re great and they help control rodents here,” Jeff Eichler, environmental health and safety programs supervisor said.
Laura Shurtleff, who works at the Student Health Center, said it has not witnessed a spike in infectious diseases, but outbreaks are not closely tracked.
“I mean, how many students are going to go up and touch a feral cat?” Shurtleff said.
Fear of other animals is the natural but irrational response of territorial mammals, which humans are. People vainly try to enclose a natural world they are becoming increasingly ignorant of. Ravenous construction in Azusa and Glendora destroys the habitat of mountain lions and coyotes in the San Gabriel Mountains. This increases the likelihood the animals will attack pets and people.
The college community should nurture the wild beings enjoying the edges of campus. Let them kill rodents attracted to campus citrus trees.
Eichler referenced Disneyland’s treatment of its feral cats. Even Disneyland, as sensitive as it is to liability, protects its feral felines to keep down sightings of Mickey’s undesirable cousins. The Magic Kingdom does so with vaccination, feeding, spaying and neutering.
Citrus could work with FixNation — a nonprofit that offers all these services for free in Los Angeles County.
In his 20-year career at the college, interim maintenance supervisor Phil Hawkins said he’s caught and found pet adopters for “close to a hundred cats” on campus, but most of those were kittens.
Like Eichler, Hawkins said the adult felines are nearly impossible to catch. He clarified that feeding the cats is preventing them from hunting rats and mice.
“Why would you go hunting when you have a restaurant to go to?” Hawkins said. “People should just stop feeding them and let them be cats.”
Attempts to drive off cats is a neglectful way to avoid the cost of proper stewardship of the college’s vast property.
These are not scaredy cats. They are fearless creatures. Cats regularly defend infants and young children from larger animals. Citrus College should heed the example of cats by protecting them.
