Stray Cats

The City of Kettering has a new procedure for managing stray cats.  Kettering City Council approved the ordinance at their March 12, 2019 meeting.

The Montgomery County Animal Resource Center changed their operations and no longer accepts stray cats. Previously, the Kettering Police Department Community Services Officer would take reports of stray cats, locate and trap the cats, and then take them to the ARC.

As soon as the city was notified of the operational changes at the ARC, we reached out to animal welfare partners to develop a solution that is in the best interest of the cats and our neighborhoods.

SICSA, the Society for the Improvement of Conditions for Stray Animals, will serve as our partner in this new process. The ultimate goal of the new management process is to ensure that, if at all possible, cats are well cared for and placed up for adoption to a loving home.

When the Kettering Police Department receives a report of a stray cat the Community Services Officer will locate and trap the cat in partnership with the resident. The cat will then be taken to SICSA to be spayed or neutered.  If the cat is healthy and friendly, SICSA will place the cat up for adoption.

It may be the case that on occasion SICSA's facilities do not have room to accept another stray cat for adoption.  In these cases, the cat will have an ear clipped as a form of identification that they have been spayed or neutered and will be returned and released to the original location of trapping.  If and when SICSA once again has room at their facility, an attempt will be made to re-secure the cat and take it to SICSA for adoption.

This is an important opportunity to remind cat owners that the City of Kettering has an ordinance that cats can not be allowed to roam or be loose outdoors.  Cats left on the loose could be considered stray.